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Born:
Mary Rose Byrne
24 July 1979 (age 30)
Balmain, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Occupation: Actress

Years active: 1994–present

Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979), best known as Rose Byrne, is an Australian actress. She has appeared in feature films, including 28 Weeks Later, Troy, Sunshine, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Knowing and Marie Antoinette, but is probably best-known for her ongoing role of Ellen Parsons in the US television series Damages.

Early life

Byrne was born in Balmain, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, of Irish and Scottish descent, the daughter of Jane, a primary school administrator, and Robin Byrne, a semi-retired statistician and market researcher. She attended Balmain Public School and Hunters Hill High School before attending Bradfield Senior College in Crows Nest. She has an older brother, George, and two older sisters, Alice and Lucy. She began taking acting classes at age eight, joining the Australian Theatre for Young People and also attended the University of Sydney. In 1999 Byrne studied acting at the Atlantic Theatre Company developed by David Mamet and William H. Macy. Rose's family was not religious. Both of her parents are atheists, while she describes herself as agnostic.

Personal life

Byrne had been in a relationship with Australian writer, director and actor Brendan Cowell for over six years. For much of the time their relationship had been maintained at long-distance, with work commitments meaning they were often on separate continents. However, Cowell had moved from Sydney to New York City, due to Byrne's success on Damages. The couple split in January 2010.

Previously she dated Australian writer, director Gregor Jordan who directed her in Two Hands. She is known to family and close friends as Chabs after a family cat she had in her youth named Chablis, after the wine, a favorite of her native Australia.

Awards and Filmography

For Rose Byrne’s full awards and filmography listing, view the original Wikipedia article here.

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