Legally speaking, Rose Byrne isn’t married. But if you were to ask her, she and longtime partner Bobby Cannavale are essentially husband and wife. They even refer to each that way.
“I hate all the other words! It’s just easier to say ‘husband and wife,’” Cannavale once said. “‘Boyfriend and girlfriend’ feels so young. ‘Partner’ feels so sterile.”
Besides, after two children and more than a decade together, their relationship is as legit as it gets. “I’m more married to him than anybody I’ve ever been with my whole life,” Byrne has said.
Although they’re mostly a low-key couple, the pair still manages to make headlines now and then. Case in point: At the Golden Globes in January, while accepting the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Byrne thanked her “husband,” then jokingly explained that he wasn’t there because he was “getting a bearded dragon” at a reptile expo in New Jersey. It was just the sort of delightfully random anecdote awards-show audiences eat up.
Keep reading to learn more about Byrne’s de facto husband, including how they met and whether they will ever tie the knot.
Who is Rose Byrne’s husband?
Technically, Byrne doesn’t have a husband. The Australian actress has been in a long-term relationship with actor Bobby Cannavale since 2012, but the couple has never officially tied the knot.
Like Byrne, Cannavale has built a prolific career across TV, film and the stage. His credits include series like The Watcher, Nine Perfect Strangers and Scarpetta, as well as films such as Ant-Man, The Irishman and Blue Moon.
Related: ‘Scarpetta’ Author Addresses Nicole Kidman Show’s Changes From Books: ‘Better Than What I Did’
Did Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale get married?
No. Byrne and Cannavale are not legally married. Despite being together for more than a decade and raising a family, the couple has not yet made it official in the eyes of the government.
While talking to The Sydney Morning Herald in July 2021, Byrne explained why she and Cannavale still haven’t said “I do,” boiling it down to life getting in the way.
“I keep going, ‘Let’s get around to it, let’s do it,’” Byrne said. “And then, you know, you have a baby, and then, oh, there’s another baby. It was kind of like that for us. I love weddings, and I know people [for whom] it’s an important thing, and I respect that totally. I guess for us it’s just been, we didn’t do it, we’ll do it, then—no! Pandemic.”
How did Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale meet?
The pair met through mutual friends in New York around 2012.
At the time, Byrne was starring in Damages and gaining momentum in Hollywood after films like Bridesmaids and X-Men: First Class, and Cannavale was making waves with his Emmy-winning role in Boardwalk Empire. Their relationship moved fairly quickly and they began collaborating on screen soon after they started dating, first with the movie Adult Beginners, then in the Annie remake, both released in 2014.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Byrne’s Damages co-star Glenn Closesaid of the couple: “The chemistry between them, it’s just so remarkable.” Plus, they’re “both kind of universally loved.”
Related: ‘Bridesmaids’ Cast to Reunite
What has Rose Byrne acted in with Bobby Cannavale?
So far, Byrne and Cannavale have collaborated six times onscreen and once on stage.
“I love working with him. He’s one of my favourite scene partners,” Byrne told Vogue Australia. “It’s very easy to then go home and completely forget about it because you have children and they couldn’t care less what you’ve done that day.”
Their joint credits include:
Movies
TV
-
Platonic (2025 cameo from Cannavale)
Stage
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Medea at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)
Their performance of Madea, in which Byrne played the lead, was arguably their biggest swing as a couple.
“Doing a play together was a big decision, particularly because you miss a lot of bedtimes,” Byrne said. “But [Bobby] was relaxed about us working together, so I thought, you know what, I should just throw caution to the wind and try this instead of being so church and state [about work and family]. And he was very much a supporting character in Medea, too. I’ve been around a long time, and there’s not a lot of male actors of Bobby’s calibre who are willing to do that [play support to a female lead]. He’s one of the few fantastic actors who will.”
Are Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale still together?
Yes, Byrne and Cannavale are still together. The couple has maintained a relatively private relationship but they frequently appear together at premieres, award shows and industry events.
When Byrne was nominated for an Oscar for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Cannavale shared a screenshot of a celebratory FaceTime call on Instagram. “Academy Award Nominee Best Actress,” he wrote in the caption. “Winner Best Mama, Friend, Human What a moment @fullyrosebyrne ❤️”
How many kids does Rose Byrne have?
Byrne has two sons with Cannavale. Their first child, Rocco, was born in February 2016, and their second son, Rafa, arrived in November 2017. “Being a parent is just a life-changer,” she said. “It reframes everything. Kids are so grounding, they couldn’t care less if you’ve had a hard day. They keep you in the moment.”
Since starring in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a dark comedy about parental burnout, she’s spoken more about the challenges of motherhood.
“Mothers are both revered and ignored; there’s this duality,” she said. “It’s so hard to chat about motherhood, because you feel if you’re anything but delighted, there’s a lot of shame around that.”
Who is the father of Rose Byrne’s kids?
Byrne shares two sons with Cannavale, while he also has an older son, actor Jake Cannavale, from a previous relationship.
“Bobby has relentless energy and positivity and I’m at a much slower pace, so that is a great yin and yang,” she said of how they balance each other out as parents. “Boys have to, like, physically wrestle. They’re like puppies—it’s just a different energy from my friends who have girls.”
How long have Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale been together?
As of 2026, Byrne and Cannavale have been together for roughly 14 years.
“He is one of a kind, man!” Byrne told InStyle. “He’s endlessly interesting and entertaining. When something is special, it’s hard to articulate it, but I feel really lucky.”
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This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
