Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress.
Byrne made her screen debut in 1994 with a small role in the film Dallas Doll. In 2000, she played a leading role in the Australian film The Goddess of 1967, which brought her a Venice Film Festival award for Best Actress.
Since 2007, she has played Ellen Parsons in the cable television series Damages, which has earned her two Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Awards nominations. In 2011, she starred in the critically acclaimed and financially successful films Insidious, X-Men: First Class and Bridesmaids.
Early Life
Byrne was born in Balmain, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, of Irish and Scottish descent. She is the daughter of Jane, a primary school administrator, and Robin Byrne, a semi-retired statistician and market researcher. She is the youngest of their four children; she has an older brother, George, and two older sisters, Alice and Lucy. Both of her parents are atheists, and she describes herself as agnostic. Byrne attended Balmain Public School and Hunters Hill High School before attending Bradfield College in Crows Nest. She began taking acting classes at age eight, joining the Australian Theatre for Young People and later attended the University of Sydney. In 1999, Byrne studied acting at the Atlantic Theatre Company developed by David Mamet and William H. Macy.
Personal Life
Byrne was in a relationship with Australian writer, director and actor Brendan Cowell for over six years. Cowell moved from Sydney to New York City, following Byrne's success on Damages. The relationship ended in January 2010.
Previously she dated Australian writer/director Gregor Jordan, who directed her in Two Hands.
From : www.wikipedia.org
