Rose Byrne: Beautiful Eccentric

Actress Rose Byrne's director for the new romantic film Wicker Park calls her "a beautiful eccentric, a foal who is looking for her legs". Okay, we'll take director Paul McGuigan's beautifully-worded description but would add "with big, expressive brown eyes and a very "earthy" demeanor. Rose did look warm and 'real' in earthtones; coral, see-through blouse with an intricate beaded collar, over a turquoise shell when we had our sitdown at the 4 Seasons. The actress now speaks with her native Australian accent although she manages a very good American one in "Wicker". She was very candid about her co-stars, her own relationship hell, working on this film and Troy, Brad and Josh and obsessive love.

TeenHollywood: We read that you grew up on American TV. Were there any shows that were favorites?

Rose: "Sesame Street", obviously, when I was very little and we had this show from Canada called "You Can't Do That on Television", Alanis Morrisette was on it, actually and "Family Ties" was another one I loved.

TeenHollywood: Do you live in L.A. now?

Rose: Yeah. It's a challenge. It's a difficult city to penetrate. It's so disparate and the culture is hidden in a lot of ways because of the driving and the geography of the place but I'm finding my community out here. It's an exciting time for me to be here.

TeenHollywood: When did you realize you wanted to act?

Rose: I think when I was eight I started taking classes and straight away I really enjoyed doing it. It was good fun.

TeenHollywood: Your character in the film is pretty good at lying. Have you ever been caught in a lie?

Rose: I've definitely been caught and it's awful. I've had big arguments with people about it, yeah. Really bad.

TeenHollywood: What drew you to this film?

Rose: I loved the story. I thought it was really intriguing the way it unfolded. Watching relationships blossom and fall apart is always a fascinating thing for me to watch. That really gets me going. I'll never get sick of seeing people fall in love or fall out of love, what happens and why it happens.

TeenHollywood: So you can relate to the character you play?

Rose: In a lot of ways. I've had my heart broken before. I've had delusions of grandeur and desires to reinvent myself. I think it's about control. Usually I've restrained myself from doing it but this character loses all control and she takes on a new identity. There are a lot of people who do that. It was very easy to relate to her in a lot of ways. It was very challenging in a lot of ways, also just not to make it too clichéd, as well.

TeenHollywood: How was working with a heartthrob like Josh Hartnett?

Rose: Josh was great. I was really nervous. It was my first American film. He comes across as quite serious but he's got a really good sense of humor. He's really dedicated to doing a good story. He's trying to only do things he's passionate about in his career now I think. I had a really good time. The scenes we did were really fun. They were loaded and crazy. As an actor it's great to do that kind of stuff. It's good stuff.

TeenHollywood: How about working with cute Matthew Lillard?

Rose: Matty was gorgeous. He was one of my closest friends on the set. I think he's wonderful. He's such a beautiful husband to his wife and father to his daughter. He's such a great actor and he was so cool to me, a really normal, smart guy. I think he's lovely.

TeenHollywood: Your character has it pretty tough in the relationship department. How about you? Any bad breakups?

Rose: I had a really bad experience where I was going out with a guy and I kind of fell for this brother. They were best friends and it was dreadful and the brother found out and then I tried to kiss the brother and he wouldn't kiss me and I punched him in the face. It was awful. I was about 21 at the time and I'm 25 now. That's like another movie. It was right before this film (Wicker Park was shot before Troy) so it was a great inspiration for this one.

TeenHollywood: You did this and then Troy with Diane Kruger. How did that work?

Rose: It was very coincidental. We both went for Troy while we were on the set of Wicker Park. It was really random but it was lovely to see her. I remember showing up in Malta and it was really cool to have a familiar face there.

TeenHollywood: These films are sooo different. What was it like making Troy?

Rose: Troy was epic. It was a long time away from home, a really long shoot in strange places very far away from anywhere I'd ever seen before. I was doing very stressful scenes in really weird costumes so it was quite extreme in a lot of ways. You work for a week and then not for a month, then for a night. That kind of inconsistency is the biggest challenge. At the end of the day, it's the same.

TeenHollywood: Okay, heartthrob comparison. Josh? Brad?

Rose: Working with these boys, yeah, they've both definitely got a glow about them, just that certain kind of movie star quality. They were both so warm. Brad, no matter how famous he is, he really made an effort to make me feel relaxed and comfortable and at ease and wasn't at all patronizing; on an equal level as an artist. I felt really spoiled.

TeenHollywood: This movie is about obsession. Is there anything in real life that you are obsessed with?

Rose: I'm a little bit of an obsessive cleaner. I've got to straighten things up constantly. I can't think straight if anything is out of order. I'm mildly obsessed with Nick Lachey, because they're so funny. That show is quite funny.

TeenHollywood: How do you get into those emotionally intense moments as an actress?

Rose: Usually, I get nervous and just have to be really prepared. That's what you're paid to do so you have to get there however you get there. I often listen to a lot of music to get me in the mode but you are committed to what you're doing. I do have techniques that I try. Usually, I just try to work off the other person. Think about them instead.

TeenHollywood: This film isn't told in order. It's all over the place. Was it hard to shoot?

Rose: It was. Because I have to be one step ahead of the plot the whole time because my character is so all over the place. I was very prepared and that was good. I felt like I'd accomplished something when I was done. But the poor continuity woman didn't know what was going on half the time.

TeenHollywood: How did you research for the part?

Rose: I researched about pathological lying and went to a few films with extreme female characters like Fatal Attraction or Single White Female, some Hitchcock films in terms of suspense and narrative and just did my own personal work on the script breaking down the scenes.

TeenHollywood: What does this film say about love?

Rose: There's a fine line between obsession and love, delusion and love, the idea of whether love at first sight exists or not, or the kharmic quality of love.

TeenHollywood: If a guy is going to get you to go out with him, what kind of qualities does he have to have?

Rose: I like guys not too vain. If anybody looks in the mirror longer than I do then, that's not going to get me going. Someone who is relaxed and down-to-earth and has a good sense of humor. And they have to be mildly clean and maybe do the dishes and cooking would be good.

TeenHollywood: What would be your advice to a teen who is pining away for someone who just can't get into them?

Rose: I'd say move on and give yourself time and you'll get over it. If they're not responding, just get it out of your system. Out of sight, out of mind is a good thing to remember. It's very true.

TeenHollywood: Fave designer?

Rose: Marc Jacobs' stuff is gorgeous.

TeenHollywood: What kind of music do you listen to?

Rose: I'm a big sort of alternative country fan. Julianne Welch and Lucinda Williams and I'm a big fan of Bryan Adams and my brother's a musician who has just recorded an AP and I really love it but I'm not biased at all. I also love reggae. I'm going through a big reggae phase.

TeenHollywood: Do you have a work-out regimen?

Rose: A bit of running. That's a good one to clear your head and I've been doing Yoga for about ten years. I did a Pilates class the other day which was really intense.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.