Rose Byrne Talks ‘Platonic' Season 2 And Having ‘A Seat At The Table'

Forbes

2 days ago

Rose Byrne has always been a reliable source for hearty laughs, from her wide array of character performances in popular movies like Bridesmaids, Neighbors and Spy - as well as on television, previously with her Physical series, and now with her ongoing Platonic comedy series on Apple TV+.
Co-starring Seth Rogen, Platonic is about two life-long friends, Will & Sylvia, navigating adulthood together - which often gets in the way of their personal lives and their separate responsibilities. Heading into the second season, which premieres August 6, Byrne, 46, continues to bring her unique blend of sharp comedic timing and her grounded, relatable acting ways to our screens.
Sitting down with Byrne for Platonic season two at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, I wondered if she, Rogen and their team had any discussions before crafting the new season, about wanting to make sure that this Apple TV+ series did not evolve in the wrong direction.
Byrne said, 'Yeah, I was like, what's going to happen? What are the initial ideas you guys have? What are the concepts that we can come up with, and how do we keep this story going? Like the characters are great and you want to spend time with
them - but the first season was so sort of specific about the setup, but I think they really did a great job of like kind of amping it up, too. It feels like they are even more chaotic this season and the friendship is even more dysfunctional, if that's possible.'
Being not only one of the stars of this Apple TV+ series, but also an executive producer, what exactly does it mean to Byrne, as a human and a creative professional, to now have such agency, ownership and a say within her work at this stage of her career?
'It's really meaningful,' Byrne said, 'You know, you get a seat at the table. It's awesome. You get to weigh-in on casting and creative consulting and ideas, and your opinions and your feelings. It's always important to see how far you've come, from just an auditioning actress and those early days working and trying to get work, to something like this. It's very important to constantly kind of remind yourself of that.'
The Australian-born actress has taken on more than just clever comedies throughout her career. From co-starring with Glenn Close for five seasons on the gritty Damages series and working alongside Brad Pitt on the epic Troy production, to her recurring characters in the X-Men films and in the Insidious horror franchise, Byrne has tackled multiple genres. With Platonic, however, I wondered if there is anything about her acting approach and character development in playing Sylvia that she has been able to 'flex' a different acting muscle with this specific performance, compared to her past roles.
Byrne said, 'I mean, this is like a pure comedic performance - and Nick Stoller & Francesca Delbanco, the creators, it's an embarrassment of riches. They write such fantastic stuff for Sylvia. It's so driven by her and her chaos and her indecision, and her finding her footing after having a family. It's so fun to have this writing presented to you and these huge comedic set pieces, whether it's the physical comedy or these awkward, excruciating situations she finds herself in. It's not a dark comedy - it's a comedy, comedy - and that's a different muscle to work.'
In recent years, Byrne has also had guest appearances on the hit animated series out of Australia, Bluey, voicing Aunty Brandy, a character that deals with the emotional effects of infertility, but ultimately gets her happy ending with a healthy pregnancy.
'It was so meaningful,' Byrne said of her Bluey experiences. 'I was honored to be on that show. The showrunners on that show are extraordinary, and it's become this global phenomenon. So, I was tickled. I was so nervous to do a voice on that. I couldn't believe it. I've got a lot of 'cred' with the children now.'
Having worked within the entertainment industry for so many years now and selecting a variety of projects, I was curious if Byrne has noticed her priorities evolving with her interests in the types of characters and stories that she chooses to get involved with lately.
Byrne said, 'Oh, of course. No, I mean, without a doubt - and your priorities shift so much. When I have two small kids, [ages] seven and nine. I'm married to an actor [Bobby Cannavale]. We are constantly kind of navigating our schedules - and that is the biggest priority, trying to figure out that stuff. And of course, trying to seek out challenges and great roles. It's always an evolving thing, this business. It's not for the faint of heart.'
Between her well-known performance as Helen Harris in 2011's Bridesmaids to her work now on the critically-acclaimed Platonic series, I wondered if Byrne has seen a shift at all in how comedy is perceived today within our society, and what is 'allowed' to be joked about.
'Well, I love the fact that Sylvia is a messy, unconventionally sort of disorganized woman. She's not a powerhouse in a suit and got a secret life. She's like a bit of a regular, relatable character, which I think you've seen done a million times with men in certain domestic situations, but not necessarily with women. There is something about that ordinariness that is extraordinary. So, I really treasure that.'
Platonic is not the first time that Byrne has teamed up with Rogen for the screen. They also co-starred in 2014's Neighbors and 2016's Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising alongside Zac Efron. So, how would Byrne describe her years of friendship and her working relationship with Rogen?
Byrne said, 'It's lovely. It's really easy. We just immediately on the Neighbors set, I was like - oh, this really works. We have a good thing. We also got along and became friendly, but we've had this really solid working relationship that's been just a joy. So, I'm delighted to have reinvented it with Platonic.'
As I rounded out our sit-down conversation together, I left Byrne with my usual, signature interview question - What would you say, Rose, to Sylvia, if you could speak to her, after playing her for two seasons on Platonic so far - knowing her ways, knowing her wants out of life, everything - what do you feel she needs to hear, being the person that knows her best, from the outside in?
Byrne said, 'Oh, let go. Loosen up. It's okay. Let go. Let him be.'
I interjected, 'What is she letting go of?'
She quickly replied, 'Control. I'm actually very not like this character at all. I'm way more hands-off and she's like very super [claws her hands], particularly with this friendship.'
I then replied, 'Well, that just means you're a good actor.'
Byrne concluded with, 'I hope so - gosh! Knock on wood.'