Rose Byrne is without a doubt one of the funniest stars of the modern day. Whether you know her from her turn as Helen in Bridesmaids, Rayna Boyanov in Spy, or even Ellie in Instant Family, she's someone whose performances stick in the mind.
Here, Byrne discusses the latter movie, which makes its home release across the UK next week (June 10). Read on to find out what she has to say about working with such a sensitive subject matter in a comedy, her co-stars, and more.
What is the film about?
Ellie and Peter (played by Rose and Mark Wahlberg) [are a] Fixer Upper type couple and they stumble across this idea where they’ve sort of delayed having kids [then] they start to discuss [adopting or fostering kids]. It’s the story of that and what happens in meeting these children and the journey they go on to have.
What is it to be involved with a film with an autobiographical tie?
[It] is a semi autobiographical film and to be honest I don’t know if I would have done it if it hadn’t been because it gives it an authenticity and a sensitivity and an intimacy that you wouldn’t have otherwise. For me that was really important and [a] huge part of agreeing to be a part of it was the fact that this was Sean’s story. So we could make sure we did it right. It’s so important to him so it makes me feel like it’s important to do a really good job, more than ever.
What do you like about your character?
What I [love] about Ellie [is] her vulnerability and her strength at the same time but also her willingness to be really scared about the situation. To really go through the ups and downs of hating the kids [and] loving the kids. [I like] the quality of [her] being authentic and her toughness in a way.
How do you navigate a sensitive subject matter with humour?
[Sean] always wanted this film to be accessible, to be fun and for lots of people to watch [and] comedy is such a huge accessibility so that was really tonally very important to him from the start.
What is it like working with Mark?
It’s terrific working with Mark. [He’s] completely 110% committed which is fantastic. He’s naturally very funny [and] his intensity is very earnest and very hilarious.
What have you learned about foster care and adoption?
I've learned so much, from the system and how it works from doing this film to the people involved to the experiences to the outcomes. I can’t even put a frame around what I've learned. It’s been the whole, a really interesting, insightful, emotional [and] experience.
How could this movie change perception about foster care adoption?
I think hopefully it [can] change it a lot. I think there’s probably a lot of stigma around it. I think there’s probably a lot of people who aren’t educated about it like [I wasn’t so hopefully] this film will open that up.
Instant Family is available June 10, on Blu-ray, DVD and Download & Keep from Paramount Home Media Distribution.
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