Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale's Relationship: All About the Longtime Hollywood Couple
- - Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale's Relationship: All About the Longtime Hollywood Couple
Caroline BlairJanuary 13, 2026 at 2:38 AM
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Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale attend the 2026 New York Film Critics Circle Awards at TAO Downtown on January 06, 2026 in New York City. -
Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale have been dating since they met through mutual friends in 2012
The Instant Family actress and the Boardwalk Empire actor have welcomed two sons together
Byrne thanked Cannavale — while also explaining his absence — during her Golden Globes acceptance speech in January 2026
Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale have been a staple in Hollywood for over a decade.
The If I Had Legs I'd Kick You actress and the Third Watch actor met through mutual friends in 2012 and have been together ever since. Throughout their relationship, the award-winning actors have collaborated on several projects together.
Byrne and Cannavale became parents in 2016 when they welcomed son Rocco and expanded their family the following year with the birth of their son, Rafael.
Although they refer to each other as "husband" and "wife," Byrne and Cannavale aren't married. They've shared in the past that they have intentions to tie the knot but just haven't found the right time. In the meantime, Byrne and Cannavale have both expressed how thankful they are for each other.
"He is one of a kind, man!" Byrne told InStyle in 2017. "He’s endlessly interesting and entertaining. When something is special, it’s hard to articulate it, but I feel really lucky."
Here's everything to know about Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale's relationship.
Byrne and Cannavale met through mutual friends in 2012 and made their red carpet debut the following year
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne attend 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall on June 3, 2013 in New York City.
Byrne and Cannavale were introduced by mutual friends in the fall of 2012, per a 2019 Vanity Fair profile of the couple.
At the time, Byrne was wrapping up the fifth season of the legal thriller Damages. Her costar Glenn Close recalled when the couple started dating and remembered how much "chemistry" they had.
"The chemistry between them, it’s just so remarkable,” Close told the publication. "They're both kind of universally loved."
They made their red carpet debut the following year, smiling and posing for photos at the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City on June 3, 2013.
They’ve worked together on several movies and plays
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty
Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale attend SXSW 2022 on March 13, 2022, in Austin, Texas.
It didn't take long for Byrne and Cannavale to join forces on-screen. In 2014, the couple worked together on their first feature film, Adult Beginners.
Later that same year, Byrne played an assistant and Cannavale portrayed a political adviser in the remake of Annie. Other films they've worked on together include Spy (2015), Martha The Monster (2017), Seriously Red (2022) and Ezra (2024).
"[Acting] is a very intense thing you can experience together," Byrne told PEOPLE in 2015. "It's not for everybody, but I think he's such a great actor."
In early 2020, they brought their real-life chemistry to the stage when they played an estranged married couple in a limited run of Medea at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. While acting together in the play, Byrne told Vanity Fair that Cannavale was her "biggest champion" and encouraged her to take the role.
"He was like, ‘We should do this. This is exciting. You know — this is 10 minutes from our house,' " she recalled, while later adding, "Working with my husband ... It’s exciting, challenging, terrifying. But that’s why I’m doing it, you know?"
Meanwhile, Cannavale explained that acting together has been the more realistic option as they also have to manage parenting their two children.
“It starts out as a very pragmatic thing,” Cannavale said. “You have the kids, the kids are getting bigger, and you don’t want to spend the time apart.”
They have two sons together
Bobby Cannavale/Instagram
Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale with their two sons.
While both Byrne and Cannavale are dedicated actors, they are also doting parents to their two children. They welcomed their first child together, son Rocco Robin, on Feb. 1, 2016.
"We just love the name," Cannavale told PEOPLE at the time. "His middle name is [Byrne's] dad's name, Robin, and we liked the way it rang together."
The Boardwalk Empire actor added that he and Byrne were "over the moon" with the birth of their son and he also complimented his partner on being "incredible," "beautiful" and "wonderful."
In November 2017, Byrne and Cannavale welcomed their second child, son Rafael.
"I hadn't given one of my children a Latin name yet, so I wanted to honor my mom's side of the family," he told Entertainment Tonight in December 2017. "And, you know, Rafael Nadal had such a great year and we were constantly keeping up with him and watching all his matches so we were like, 'How about Rafa? That goes well with Rocco.' And that was it."
In addition to his two sons with Byrne, Cannavale is also a father to adult son Jake from his first marriage to Jenny Lumet.
"I have three sons. I would do anything for them," Cannavale told AARP The Magazine in 2024. "I used to be a workaholic. Then I had these two little boys in the last eight years. It’s just that old cliché about how time flies.... One minute, they won’t get out of your bed; the next, they’re not calling you back ... They need me. I don’t get that feeling on a movie set. On a movie set, they don’t need me."
Meanwhile, Byrne spoke to PEOPLE about motherhood and explained that she's learning as she goes along.
“Every day, every hour, I’m like, ‘What is happening?’ I am learning on the job," she shared in 2018. "I have no business telling anyone what to do. Being a mother changes everything. I feel like it informs everything I do."
Byrne and Cannavale refer to each other as husband and wife, even though they’re not married
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne attend The CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards on April 23, 2015 in Las Vegas.
The Instant Family actress and The Watcher actor are not legally married, but they refer to each other as "husband" and "wife."
"I hate all the other words! It's just easier to say 'husband and wife. 'Boyfriend and girlfriend' feels so young. 'Partner' feels so sterile," Cannavale explained to Vulture in 2020, while joking that they could use the word "lover" instead.
Bryne later clarified that they've been meaning to get married, but life events — including welcoming their children — have gotten in the way.
"I keep going, 'Let's get around to it, let's do it,' " she told The Sydney Morning Herald in July 2021. "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."
The Bridesmaids actress joked with PEOPLE in 2023, “I'm more married to him than anybody I've ever been with my whole life. Definitely something that we will do. We'll get around to it.”
In November 2025, Byrne opened up about their long-term relationship and revealed that she already thinks of them as a married couple.
"I say ‘married.’ We just haven’t gone to the courthouse yet, but we’re married," she told The Washington Post.
Byrne thanked Cannavale during her Golden Globes acceptance speech
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne attend Bleeker Street's "Ezra" New York Premiere at DGA Theater on May 30, 2024 in New York City.
On Jan. 11, 2026, Byrne took home the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her leading role in the comedy-drama If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.
During her acceptance speech, Byrne thanked Cannavale, while explaining that her brother, George, was attending as her date in his place.
"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 said, while the audience laughed. "So, thank you. Thank you, baby."
Prior to her big win, Byrne shared that Cannavale was headed to the Garden State to look for a "gorgeous" bearded dragon.
"And this expo is the place where everyone goes, and it was on the same day," Byrne told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Jan. 8. "And it would just be such a parent fail so we're doing it. I'm on board for the dragon, it's going to be great. He's doing God's work."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
