Rose Byrne Wins, Welcomes Family Onstage to Share First Golden Globe

Rose Byrne took home her first Golden Globe on Sunday when she won the award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You! In the film, she is a harried young mother at the end of her rope — and the win was a pivotal moment in her acting career.

Byrne looked genuinely shocked when they called her name. Accepting her award, she quipped about the category, noting that the movie is a dark one and that she does not sing in it. "It was a total shock.” She confessed she had not prepared any speech.

She heaped praises on the film’s writer and director, Mary Bronstein, and recounted how fast it was shot. Byrne added that, the project was shot in only 25 days on a “razor-thin budget,” making such an award even more meaningful for its cast and crew.

Byrne went on to explain why her brother, not her husband, actor Bobby Cannavale, was also in attendance at the ceremony while giving a speech. Cannavale would have to miss because he was in New Jersey, at a reptile expo, buying them a bearded dragon.

Byrne bested other strong contenders for the award: Cynthia Erivo, Kate Hudson, Chase Infiniti, Amanda Seyfried and Emma Stone.

Best known for roles in hit comedies such as Bridesmaids, Neighbors, and Spy, Byrne was previously honored with a pair of Golden Globe nods for the TV series Damages. Her performance in her latest has been praised since the film premiered at Sundance last year. She also picked up the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at Berlin Film Festival and received a nod from Critics Choice Awards.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You follows Linda as she finds herself less able to cope with looking after her ill daughter alone in the absence of her husband. The movie features, among others, Conan O’Brien; Danielle Macdonald; Christian Slater, and A$AP Rocky.