At a Glance
- Rose Byrne claimed the 2025 Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Her partner Bobby Cannavale skipped the Beverly Hilton ceremony to attend a reptile expo in New Jersey
- Byrne’s brother George stepped in as her date for the evening
Why it matters: The win caps a standout awards season for Byrne, who has already collected nominations from the Spirit Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and Actors Awards.
Rose Byrne’s trip to the 2025 Golden Globes came with one notable absence: her long-time partner Bobby Cannavale. The 46-year-old actress still took home the top prize, earning the Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
Byrne’s Big Night
Byrne accepted the honor onstage at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 11. She opened her speech by acknowledging the shock of the moment.
“This is such a shock. Thank you so much. I share this with Mary Bronstein, my writer and director. She wrote this unbelievable screenplay, and she wanted me to do it. I can’t believe that you wanted me to do it,” Byrne said.
She went on to thank A24 and producers Sara Murphy, Ryan Zacaras, Ronald Bronstein, and Josh Safdie.
The Reptile Expo Explanation
Viewers quickly noticed Cannavale’s absence, prompting Byrne to explain.
“I want to thank my husband, Bobby, who couldn’t be here because we’re getting a bearded dragon and he went to a reptile expo in New Jersey,” she revealed.
She directed a final message to him: “So, thank you. Thank you, baby.”
Her brother George accompanied her instead.
The Competitive Field
Byrne beat out a stacked group of performers:
- Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
- Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
- Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
- Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
- Emma Stone – Bugonia
Cynthia Erivo’s Return
Erivo, 37, earned her fifth Globe nomination with Wicked: For Good. The British star skipped the ceremony to rehearse Dracula on the West End. On Instagram she reflected on reprising Elphaba: “I could write you an essay, a poem, Shakespearean prose, to describe what this journey has meant to me.”
Kate Hudson’s Tribute Band Tale
Hudson, 46, portrays Claire Sardina in Song Sung Blue, opposite Hugh Jackman as the real-life Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder. The role secured her third Globe nomination. She told News Of Losangeles the biopic “has a little bit of everything… It’s entertaining, but you walk away feeling inspired.”
Chase Infiniti’s Breakthrough
Infiniti, 25, landed her first Globe mention after only one prior screen credit in 2024’s Presumed Innocent. In Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another she plays Willa, daughter of underground revolutionaries. She recalled realizing the magnitude of the project during a Q&A: “I’m literally in a Paul Thomas Anderson film with Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro.”
Amanda Seyfried’s Historical Turn
Seyfried, 40, received a double nomination this year, also recognized for the Peacock miniseries Long Bright River. In The Testament of Ann Lee she embodies the 18th-century founder of the Shakers. At TIFF she admitted she was “nervous” about portraying a religious leader but connected to Lee’s ideals of equality.
Emma Stone’s Alien CEO
Stone, 37, collected her ninth Globe nomination with Bugonia. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the film features Stone as a pharmaceuticals CEO kidnapped by conspiracy theorists convinced she’s an alien. She called shaving her head on camera “one of the greatest experiences of my life, very freeing.”
Career-Best Reviews
Byrne’s performance as harried mother Linda has generated the strongest notices of her career. She recently told W Magazine that watching the finished film left her “speechless” after an intense shoot where “my adrenaline was so high… I felt very disoriented.”
The victory adds momentum heading into the Spirit Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and Actors Awards, where she is also nominated.
The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards aired on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, with comedian Nikki Glaser hosting from the Beverly Hilton.
