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[00:00]
A
For delicious meals, you could go out to eat or you could just make a Marie Callender's meal. Marie Callender's classic chicken parmigiano bowl is so good. It has marinara sauce that's made from scratch and creamy mozzarella cheese over pasta. It's delicious with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and 30 grams of protein. You can find it in the frozen aisle. Marie Callender's what having it all tast.
[00:32]
B
This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thanks for spending part of your day with us. I'm grateful that you are here. On today's show, we'll hear from the artist whose sculptures are currently filling the famous spiral at the Guggenheim museum. Her name is Carol Beauvais, and she joins us along with the exhibit's curator. Author T. Kira Madden is here to talk about her new novel Whidbey and the sister duo Sybil perform live in Studio five. That's our plan. So let's get this started with actor Rose Byrne. Rose Byrne, who stars in the film if I had legs, I'd kick you, has already earned a Golden Globe, an Indie Spirit award and a New York Films Critics Circle Award. This this Sunday, she'll be up for an Academy Award for best actress. She stars as Linda, a mother whose life begins to unravel while dealing with a series of escalating crises, including her daughter's mysterious illness. It's no exaggeration to say that Byrne is at the center of everything, the center of the story, the center of the frame. Sometimes the camera is so close to her face, you can see every eyelash, every, every small twitch. This is her first Academy Award nomination, and it's no surprise because the reviews for this film were immediately strong, particularly for Byrne's performance. The New York Times said Rose Byrne is magnificent as an overwhelmed mother in this wrenching, spiky drama. So when she joined us in studio around the film's theatrical release, I started by asking Rose what she takes away from people responding so well to the film and to her performance, which is sometimes dark and, and unattractive.
[02:22]
C
I, I'm very emotional about it. You know, I feel simultaneously really protective of the character and also want everybody to share this experience. So it's like a, it's a study in contrast, I suppose, at the moment. But I've been, it's been so extraordinary to talk to people about the film because it is such an experience, the movie, and that's been this the gift is to talk to people from all walks of life. Some of my best friends don't have. Are not parents, but they're caregivers or they have other stresses in their life. Obviously, mothers and parents, you know, men. You know, it's a. It's a. It's a female protagonist that can be. People can struggle with that. And it's been just so, like, beyond my wildest dreams, having people to share their experiences with me. And it's. It's a little bit undefinable, the film with genre. And that's been really wild to see. The response in terms of the. It's a. It's a comedy. No, it's a horror. No, it's a straight, dark drama. And I kind of love how no one can pin it down. It asks more questions than it answers. And I'm still discovering things about the movie. And I kind of. I'm living for the ambiguity of it. And watching people try to pin it down and it's kind of defined. Defies that in many ways, I. I think. Which is exciting. It's very original.
[03:43]
B
Why did you say yes to the part of Linda?
[03:45]
C
Oh, gosh. Cause I just couldn't say no. I was like, oh, goodness me, this is what an opportunity. And I was terrified. And also thought, oh, I have to. I have to do this. This is extraordinary. This is a tightrope. And where to begin, you know, how do we begin to peel back the onion of this character?
[04:06]
B
You know, Bobby Cannavale, your partner was here two days ago. He's here.
[04:10]
C
I know.
[04:11]
B
And you had described him as a really. A good creative source when you're deciding about parts. So I asked him why he liked this part for you. So let's listen.
[04:23]
D
You know, I just thought that that script was so. So. So specifically a voice that I hadn't heard before. I'd never heard a voice like that, particularly about the subject matter, motherhood. And it's. I've never seen anything like that before. It read like a dark horror movie, and it jumped off the page in that way. And I just thought, hey, this is something where you can use. You can use tools you haven't really to show you can use everything, put it all together in a way that I hadn't read before. There have been things that Rose has done where she's elevated material many times that we've read together. And I've gone, you can really score with this part and do well. I don't know if all the other elements come together, maybe it can Be good. But oftentimes, you know, that's out of your hands. This one's pretty much Rose, right? It's. She's just in every frame of the movie. And I just thought, I think you're ready. And I think it's a good match. I think you should meet this woman. And they got on like a house on fire. And thank God the whole thing scored because it's an. It's an impressive feat, I think.
[05:37]
C
Oh, I've never had that experience of hearing, but he is. My husband is such an extraordinary sounding board. He really is. He has such intuition around art and character, and he's my biggest cheerleader, you know, and I am for him, too. I hope he feels that. But. And he got it straight away, as you can. As you can see. He loved it. And he got the movie. He got the movie in a very cellular sense, too.
[06:06]
B
It was interesting that he used the word tool that you would get to use tools that you didn't get to use before. What tools do you think you got to use?
[06:14]
C
You know, the film is a tight. That. Well, the character is a tightrope. You know, she's. She's wound so tight. She's. She's sort of profoundly disassociated, too. And the challenge of playing a character who is disassociated yet being, like, trying to be vitally present for the scene is a tightrope. It was such a challenge. And using absolutely everything I feel like has almost led to this. And there's a lot of comedy in the film, which I obviously love and have done a lot of, and. But it's very, very dark. The comedy, which I. I rose and gravitate toward as a viewer. And so. And then there are. There are horror tropes. So sort of, I guess the tools he means is. Is all of those. I've done a lot of different genres. In a way, it was exciting to. To try to put them all behind this. This character and really understand her perspective on it.
[07:08]
B
You shot this in 27 days, is that right? What does shooting on a short schedule like that do for you, for you, creatively?
[07:17]
C
You know, Mary Bronstein puts it. Well, she sort of. She says, like, you know, limitations on art can be such a gift because you have to pivot and you have to be creative, and you don't have all the time in the world and all the money in the world and all the people saying yes to you in the world. We have a retake. Exactly. And you have to be creative, and that can be so revealing and wonderful about choices you can make and places you can go with the performance. So I never felt constrained by it, to be honest. It was. And we had a great preparation time, Mary Bronstein and I. That was definitely a huge key to being able to shoot it in that amount of time.
[07:57]
B
Yeah. You and Mary had a lot of discussions beforehand. What did you talk about?
[08:01]
C
We sat down at her kitchen table for, like, three days a week for five weeks. And we just went through every page of the script. Every page, every beat, every syllable. I, like, ask a lot of questions. I. I ask a lot of questions on a slow day. So this was, like, question central. And I just. She was very candid with me. This is a personal story. It's inspired by something she went through. It's obviously very, like, abstracted version of that. And she didn't respond to this situation like Linda does. But what if. What if you did behave like this? What. What person is in this state that these are the choices they're making and the choices she kind of has to make at that for where she is right now, so. And, yeah, we would share personal stories. I'm a mother. She's a. She's a mother, obviously. So we. We. We had this great time. It was like preparing for a play. It was really extraordinary. You don't get that with cinema usually, or. Or tv, for that matter. So I felt some. Mary was very determined. She comes from performance. She started at NYU as an actress, and so she was. She did it with Conan O', Brien, who's in the film with A$AP Rocky with Danielle McDonald. So I felt. So I just loved it. It was very, like, without that, I would have felt untethered.
[09:12]
B
Yeah. My guest is actor Rose Byrne. We're discussing her new film, if I had Legs, I'd kick you. It's about a mom unraveling as she's dealing with a series of escalating crises. You capture Linda's life over these. How much did you talk to Mary about what Linda's life looked like before, before we drop in on this moment?
[09:35]
C
I was obsessed with that. My biggest question was, who was Linda before this? Who was she before she had a child? You know, like, that's what is going to inform all these choices and this response, because we spoke to a lot of women, mothers with children with special needs.
[09:52]
B
You did.
[09:52]
C
And it was fascinating to see how it affected them and their marriages. And it was very different from. From conversation to conversation. And then we meet Linda, and, you know, I. At her core, I think Linda doesn't trust authority, and she doesn't like being told what to do. And that, for me, was a big key to the character and how she's responding. I think she's had a past. I think she likes to have a good time. I think she doesn't like being put into a role necessarily and really bucks at any sort of tradition in that sense. And there's something about her that is a little punk. So I. She's a little punk. Yeah. And that, for me, was something we really discovered in rehearsals.
[10:36]
B
We got a text here that says, I saw if I had legs, I would kick you. At the New York Film Festival, Rose has to be nominated for every actor award. I've never wanted to hug yet shake the crap out of a character in a movie before. Like Linda. Chef's kiss to Rose. That's a super fan from Harlem.
[10:57]
C
Oh, my gosh. That's so incredible. Thank you. I'm so moved. It's very emotional. That's very sweet. Yeah, it is. It is a challenging character. And look, the audience doesn't. Mary and I always had this conversation. The audience doesn't have to love her, but we have to love her, and we have to love Linda for sure. And obviously, you. You want people to root for her, even as she's making these terrible kind of decisions along the way.
[11:24]
B
Can we talk about how close up the camera got to you?
[11:26]
C
Yes.
[11:27]
B
Did you know that was going to be the case?
[11:30]
C
I didn't, Alison. And the first day, it got closer and closer and closer, and then I was like, are you getting that close? That's how close you're gonna get. Okay. Okay. And I had to adjust a little bit, but then I understood the language she was using and the sort of cinematic tools she was really employing. But I didn't fully grasp it until I saw the film as well, because I was doing my job with taking care of the performance, and Mary, obviously was directing the film. So it was. It was very revealing to me, even when I saw it. The language she. She's using and the kind of. The. What am I trying to say?
[12:08]
B
The.
[12:08]
C
The pure perspective of this character and what she sees and what she can't see is almost is as. Is as important that, you know, she can't really see her daughter is. We either audience can't see the daughter.
[12:20]
B
I was interested because I think last time you were here, it was Medea.
[12:24]
C
Oh, yeah, that's right.
[12:26]
B
So you're used to doing theater. In theater, you have to be a little bit bigger.
[12:28]
C
Of course, yeah.
[12:29]
B
And right now, with the camera so close to you, how does that change the way you do your job?
[12:37]
C
It's obviously. So technically, there's obviously this huge technical aspect to making a film and to perform, to performing on film. And I would just have a constant dialogue with Mary and with the camera. I became very close with the camera department, and I like more information rather than less. So we would always just talk through the day, talk through the scenes. And yes, it's a wild relationship to have with the camera. You really do have to assess it and do internal work and just recalibrate constantly. Because it can be as simple as not breathing, you know, holding yourself. Like it's something that can be that simple. Like that's what is needed, like a physicality or stillness and that. I had never done that before. And it was really fun and creative in a technical way, I suppose. Yeah.
[13:23]
B
As you mentioned, we don't see your daughter in the film. We see her torso, we see her feet, and the director did that. What I understand is to kind of keep the focus on Linda. Right. Because you bring this cute little kid who's sick onto camera and everybody pays attention to that.
[13:40]
C
Of course, your sympathies, as they should, will go to the child, unless you don't have a soul.
[13:46]
B
How. First, I just. Logistically, was she there when you were performing? Yes.
[13:51]
C
Oh, absolutely. We have this wonderful actress, Delaney Quinn, who came in and just blew us away when we met with her. And she was my scene partner. Absolutely. All my choices are informed by her. You know, she was extraordinary, and she, like brilliant actors, could just access her emotional life in seconds and was so present and then could be so funny. Delaney is a lover of horror films, so she loved more of the extreme, like set pieces. And she had a terrific sense of humor and is a really, like a gift. A gifted and wonderful child. Yeah.
[14:26]
B
Everything I've read said her mysterious illness. Does it say that in the script?
[14:31]
C
That's a really good question. No, it doesn't. It just. It's very almost technical about what Linda has to do in the script. It's like very much mirrors the film. There's very little information get information given, but a lot of emotional information and technical information about what she has to do, what she's doing, where they're going. But you don't. The script doesn't give you any more clues in terms of how long have they been doing this program, how long have they lived here, how long has she been a therapist? How long has she been. How long has her Husband going, et cetera, et cetera. So there was fun to fill in those gaps behind the scenes in the film.
[15:11]
B
Your character, Linda, she's kind of. She's exhausted. She is exhausted. What's your approach to physicality? When you're playing a role that is clearly someone who is sort of at her end?
[15:25]
C
The trap is that it becomes one note, you know, and that you are just. She's just. Just exhausted or just hysterical. And so that was always. The thing is trying to find all the. The corny, but the colors, you know, of. Like all the different, you know, musical qualities that she. Or perform, you know, for one of a better expression. Expression. But that was something we were really focused on. And, you know, I'm always trying to find the joke because I'm goofy, but. But I love the physicality of it. And a lot of the film, she's drunk or she's stoned. And the key always with that is if someone is drunk, they're acting as sober as they can. So that was always the key, is trying to act as normal as one can is always a helpful thing. I think, to start from, everything gets
[16:14]
B
kicked off, at least in this part of her life, we should say, by this hole in the ceiling. It just falls through her apartment. She keeps coming back to the apartment to sort of visit the hole. What do you. In your mind, what does the hole represent to Linda?
[16:31]
C
Well, I. It's so interesting because it's. I don't think she knows. I don't think she knows, but she knows that it's, again, some sort of existential threat to her. And I don't think she can see. I don't think she can see the parallels in her life. And in the script, there was this beautiful symmetry with things that are happening in her life, in her home, that are happening to her daughter, things that are happening to her patients that are happening to her, things that her therapist is telling her that then she's telling to her. Her. Her own patients. So this sort of. There's a. There's a sort of cyclical nature to the. To the character and to the film. Um, and I think that. I think she's. I think she thinks if she can figure out how to fix this or what's happening with the hole, then she can fix her daughter. But she's not quite putting the two together yet. Until the end.
[17:30]
B
I think I kept thinking about the hole because we live in New York City apartments, and, you know, you've had a neighbor. It's been a slow drip, a Slow drip. A slow drip. And then a giant hole comes through your apartment. And I keep thinking about Linda as we keep seeing these drips that are happening with her, with each crisis is another drip. It's another drip. It's another drip. How close do you think Linda is to caving in?
[17:55]
C
I think she does cave in. I think it's a study of caving. I. Recently, something got stuck in the sink at home in our bathroom, and I ended up pulling out some stuff from that sink that was disgusting. And I thought about the film and I thought. And I. But I. In the moment, I was so transfixed. What was in this hole? What was, you know, coming out? How did it get in there? And it was so mesmerizing in the most kind of gory way. But there's an element to that, too, of, like, what, you know. And another person said to me, it's like an existential birth canal. So you really can go anywhere. It's.
[18:39]
B
I'll think about that as well. Yes, it's interesting. The cast around you is really. Is great. What does it do for you when the cast around you. A$AP Rocky's great, really good in it, wonderful, is stable, and they can do their job. What does that allow you to do?
[19:02]
C
It allows me to. I mean, in the kind of most simple sense, to have fun and to be able to reveal the scene and explore a scene and, you know, my performance. You. You can prepare as much as you want, and you never want to see an actor's homework, but, you know, you can't make any sort of decision until you're in front of the other actor and you're reacting off what they're, you know, giving you. So it's all informed by those performances. Conan, Rocky, Danielle, McDonald, Delaney, Quinn. And I. I was. Mary is very. She was so unconventional with her casting in the best possible way because none of these actors are. It's. It's not a stunt. You know, Conan is very much risking his. You know, he's such a national treasure. He didn't have to do this. And he's playing such an uptight, very tense, by the book, limited sort of therapist who is very disinterested in his patient when we meet him, and he's actively kind of has a little contempt for her. So he. He worked very, very hard. And Rocky, again, his character is the kindest character in the film, has the most curiosity, maybe hasn't. Maybe doesn't always have the best outcome with his intentions, but he had to have a natural charisma. That you cannot teach. You cannot teach it. I said that to somebody about after
[20:21]
B
seeing highest to lowest, I was like, that kid has charisma.
[20:25]
A
Yeah.
[20:25]
C
And you can't. You. That's just a genetic lottery on a cellular kind of level. So he just. He just fills the screen with his smile and his, you know, and it's. Again, it's a really nuanced performance that's very gentle and lovely.
[20:41]
B
It was interesting watching Conan. You and Conan together, because we're known. He's known for his comedic roles. You're known for some of your comedic roles. What was it like acting against someone, against type, in a way, against him being like this funny, funny guy?
[20:59]
C
We. It was. Look, in between. We would have a lot of laughs. I am not. I like to break the tension. I. I would laugh and he would laugh. But it was so fun. It was so fun. I was so intrigued about what he would bring to that part, how hard he had worked. I, you know, and then as soon as we got into the room, became so clear to me what, you know, how this was, how. How hard he had worked and how he was going to be completely different from the. From the, like, the talk show host who listens to people all day. He's going to be sitting there and he. Not listening to this character.
[21:34]
B
No, not at all. I actually slightly gasped when I realized that she was a therapist, that Linda was a therapist.
[21:40]
C
Isn't it a great. I did. When I read the script, I had to reread that page several times. I was like, wait, what?
[21:46]
B
What?
[21:46]
C
And I did. I remember going, hold on, hold on, hold on. What? What? What? Where is she? Is she a therapist? It was a fantastic reveal. Yeah.
[21:55]
B
What did it reveal to you that the therapist was having so much trouble at home?
[22:02]
C
Oh, it was just a gift.
[22:05]
B
I thought, you think they're like a therapist school. They sit on this little high pedestal and then you realize a therapist is
[22:11]
C
a person, of course. And a therapist has a therapist. Who has a therapist. Who has a therapist? You know, till it's like the wizard of Oz, I don't know. And it's a person behind a screen with smoke. But the role of a therapist is so specific in. In one's life. I've had therapists before, and you don't know anything about them or some. You know, more. A little bit more than others. But it's that after a while, if you're curious, you want to start to chip away why, you know, who is this person? What is. It's like seeing the Teacher out of school. When you're a little kid and you're like, you cannot believe they exist, like at the shopping center, and you're like, oh, my God, I thought you were just a cardboard cutout that looked at school, there's this awkwardness and unease. And she captures that when they run into each other in the little vestibule in the kitchen. Whereas that very awkward exchange. But it's like brilliant kind of comedy there too. That is very fun. But I loved the kind of exploration of those roles that we play.
[23:03]
B
The men in this movie are not helpful to Linda. Her husband is away. Her therapist is unhelpful. The men hired to fix the hole in the ceiling disappear. What was interesting to you about the role that men play in the movie?
[23:18]
C
Very interesting. I mean, she is. She's abandoned by all of them. And then not only abandoned, but sort of, you know, her husband on the phone is very aggressive. And then I think the peak of that is when she's on the phone to her patient's husband telling him that his wife has left their child there and he's unaware. And it's this wonderful. Again, a great, very dramatic reveal. But you feel her constantly embattled with men who aren't helping her and aren't listening to her and don't believe her. But then there's Rocky, you know, who's this sort of wonderful, gentle soul who's actually kind of trying to help her. So I feel Mary again, it was like a study in contrasts and something that she was, you know, provoking some ideas with.
[24:01]
B
That was Rose Byrne discussing her star performance in the film if I had legs, I'd kick you. She's already won a Golden Globe and an indie spirit for her role, and she's nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards, her first ever Oscar nomination. And by the way, Rose is headed head back to New York City to star with Kelli o' Hara in a remake of Noel Coward's Fallen Angels. Previews start on March 27th at the Todd Haymes Theater.
[24:27]
A
For delicious meals. You could go out to eat or you could just make a Marie Callender's meal. Marie Callender's classic chicken parmigiano bowl is so good. It has marinara sauce that's made from scratch and creamy mozzarella cheese over pasta. It's delicious. With no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and 30 grams of protein. You can find it in the frozen aisle. Marie Callender's what having it all tastes like. This is Ira Flato host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, the science Friday team has been reporting high quality science and technology news, making science fun for curious people by covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the rapidly changing world of AI to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Audiences trust our show because they know we're driven by a mission to inform and serve listeners first and foremost with important news they won't get anywhere else. And our sponsors benefit from that halo effect. For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit sponsorship wnyc. Org.

Summary7 min read

Podcast Summary: "All Of It"

Episode: Oscar Nominee Rose Byrne on 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You'

Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Rose Byrne
Air Date: March 11, 2026

Overview

This episode features acclaimed actor Rose Byrne, currently nominated for her first Academy Award for her central performance in "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You." The film, a genre-blurring story about a mother named Linda facing escalating crises—most notably her daughter's mysterious illness—has already garnered Rose multiple awards and widespread critical praise. Alison Stewart and Rose dive deep into the making of the film, Byrne’s creative process, the film’s ambiguous tone, and the roles of motherhood, authority, and gender in its narrative.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Emotional Response to the Film’s Reception

Rose reflects on the intensity of audience response, especially to the ambiguous, "unattractive" aspects of her character, Linda.
She expresses both protectiveness over the character and delight at the diversity of experiences viewers bring to their interpretation.
Quote:

"It's been so extraordinary to talk to people about the film because it is such an experience, the movie... It's a little bit undefinable, the film with genre. And that's been really wild to see." (02:21)

2. Genre-Blending and Ambiguity

The film resists easy categorization—comedy, drama, horror—inviting more questions than answers.
Rose says she’s "living for the ambiguity" and admires how the film "defies" definition.
Quote:

"It asks more questions than it answers. And I'm still discovering things about the movie." (02:21)

3. Taking On the Part of Linda

Rose was immediately drawn to the role, describing it as terrifying but irresistible—a dramatic "tightrope."
Her partner, Bobby Cannavale, encouraged her, noting the script’s unique voice and Byrne's readiness for such a challenge.
Bobby Cannavale Quote:

"That script was so specifically a voice that I hadn't heard before, particularly about the subject matter, motherhood... This one's pretty much Rose, right? She's just in every frame of the movie. And I just thought, I think you're ready. And I think it's a good match." (04:22)

4. Mixing Performance “Tools”

Byrne discusses utilizing her experience in various genres—comedy, horror, drama—to fully embody Linda, a character both "wound so tight" and "profoundly disassociated," yet present.
Quote:

"The film is a tightrope... using absolutely everything I feel like has almost led to this... There are horror tropes... comedy... it was exciting to try to put them all behind this character." (06:13)

5. Creative Process and Preparation

The movie was shot in an intense 27-day schedule, which demanded creativity and adaptability.
Byrne worked closely with director Mary Bronstein at Bronstein's kitchen table, workshopping every page of the script, and sharing personal stories about motherhood and caregiving.
Quote on rehearsals:

"We had this great time. It was like preparing for a play. It was really extraordinary. You don't get that with cinema usually." (08:01)

6. Building Linda’s Backstory

Rose obsessed over Linda's life before the film starts, drawing on interviews with mothers of special-needs children.
She imagines Linda as "a little punk," mistrusting authority and resisting convention.
Quote:

"At her core, I think Linda doesn't trust authority, and she doesn't like being told what to do... There's something about her that is a little punk." (09:35)

7. Complexity of Character and Audience Reaction

The film challenges audiences not to "love" Linda but to see her as complicated, making bad decisions but still worthy of empathy.
Memorable Listener Feedback:

"I've never wanted to hug yet shake the crap out of a character in a movie before like Linda." (10:36)

8. Cinematic Technique: Extreme Close-Ups

Byrne describes the surprise of how intimately the camera focused on her, requiring adjustments in her acting for such technical closeness.
The close-ups drive home Linda’s intensely personal perspective—and what she cannot see.
Quote:

"The first day, it got closer and closer... I had to adjust a little bit, but then I understood the cinematic tools she was really employing." (11:27)

9. Working with Child Actor and Film’s Visual Choices

Delaney Quinn, playing Linda's daughter, was present in all scenes though seldom fully visible onscreen, intensifying the story’s focus on Linda’s emotional landscape.
The daughter's unexplained illness adds to the film's purposeful ambiguity.

10. Physicality and Inner Turmoil

Byrne discusses the challenge of portraying exhaustion and unraveling without falling into "one-note" acting—finding the right "colors" and "musical qualities" for Linda's complex state.
She reflects on the importance of physical choices, especially when a character is hiding their internal turmoil (e.g., acting sober while drunk).

11. Symbolism of the Apartment’s Hole

The recurring "hole in the ceiling" functions as a metaphor for Linda’s psychological state—a cyclic symbol of things being “stuck” or “broken” in her life.
Quote:

"I think she thinks if she can figure out how to fix this or what's happening with the hole, then she can fix her daughter. But she's not quite putting the two together yet. Until the end." (16:30)

12. Supporting Cast and Playing Against Type

The film features unconventional and inspired casting choices—A$AP Rocky, Conan O’Brien, and more—allowing Rose to fully engage in scenes and "have fun."
Conan O’Brien appears in an uncharacteristic, uptight, almost hostile role—a sharp contrast with his comedic persona.
Quote about A$AP Rocky:

"He just fills the screen with his smile... a nuanced performance that's very gentle and lovely." (20:24)

13. The Therapist as a Flawed Human

The twist that Linda is a therapist herself complicates expectations; she's "having so much trouble at home" and, as Byrne puts it, illustrates that therapists are "just people."
Quote:

"A therapist has a therapist. Who has a therapist. Who has a therapist... it's like the wizard of Oz, I don't know. And it's a person behind a screen with smoke." (22:11)

14. Role of Men in the Story

Linda is consistently "abandoned" or dismissed by the men around her—her husband, her therapist, even the handymen—until a moment of contrast with Rocky’s character.
Byrne sees this as an intentional "study in contrasts."
Quote:

"You feel her constantly embattled with men who aren't helping her and aren't listening to her and don't believe her. But then there's Rocky..." (23:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Rose Byrne on audience ambiguity (02:21):
"I'm living for the ambiguity of it and watching people try to pin it down."
Bobby Cannavale on Rose's readiness (04:22):
"I think you're ready. And I think it's a good match."
Text from listener (10:36):
"I've never wanted to hug yet shake the crap out of a character in a movie before like Linda."
Rose Byrne on acting with Conan O'Brien (20:59):
"He was going to be completely different from the... talk show host who listens to people all day. He's going to be sitting there and not listening to this character."
On the surprise therapist reveal (21:40):
"When I read the script, I had to reread that page several times. I was like, wait, what?"

Timestamps for Key Segments

02:21 – Emotional Response & Film’s Ambiguity
03:45 – Why Rose Chose the Role
04:22 – Bobby Cannavale’s Perspective
06:13 – Using All Performance ‘Tools’
07:17 – Shooting on a Tight Schedule
08:01 – Deep Rehearsals with Mary Bronstein
09:35 – Building Linda’s Backstory
11:27 – Cinematic Choices: Close-Ups
13:51 – Working with Child Actor Delaney Quinn
15:25 – Physicality of Exhaustion
16:30 – Symbolism: The ‘Hole’ in the Ceiling
19:02 – Supporting Cast’s Impact
20:24 – A$AP Rocky’s Performance
21:40 – The Therapist Twist
23:18 – Depiction of Men in Linda’s Life

Final Notes

Rose Byrne’s “If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You” is an arresting, ambiguous meditation on motherhood, mental health, and self-doubt, rendered with technical bravura and emotional daring. Byrne, as guided by director Mary Bronstein, delivers a performance that is as layered as it is vulnerable. The episode captures not just the making of the film, but also the deeply personal stakes behind bringing such a nuanced character to life.
For those interested in complex female leads, inventive filmmaking, and the emotional realities of parenthood, both the conversation and the film itself are essential experiences.

Next up, Rose Byrne will star with Kelli O'Hara in a revival of Noël Coward's "Fallen Angels" on Broadway, with previews beginning March 27th at the Todd Haimes Theater.

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Transcript65 lines

[00:00]
A
For delicious meals, you could go out to eat or you could just make a Marie Callender's meal. Marie Callender's classic chicken parmigiano bowl is so good. It has marinara sauce that's made from scratch and creamy mozzarella cheese over pasta. It's delicious with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and 30 grams of protein. You can find it in the frozen aisle. Marie Callender's what having it all tast.
[00:32]
B
This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thanks for spending part of your day with us. I'm grateful that you are here. On today's show, we'll hear from the artist whose sculptures are currently filling the famous spiral at the Guggenheim museum. Her name is Carol Beauvais, and she joins us along with the exhibit's curator. Author T. Kira Madden is here to talk about her new novel Whidbey and the sister duo Sybil perform live in Studio five. That's our plan. So let's get this started with actor Rose Byrne. Rose Byrne, who stars in the film if I had legs, I'd kick you, has already earned a Golden Globe, an Indie Spirit award and a New York Films Critics Circle Award. This this Sunday, she'll be up for an Academy Award for best actress. She stars as Linda, a mother whose life begins to unravel while dealing with a series of escalating crises, including her daughter's mysterious illness. It's no exaggeration to say that Byrne is at the center of everything, the center of the story, the center of the frame. Sometimes the camera is so close to her face, you can see every eyelash, every, every small twitch. This is her first Academy Award nomination, and it's no surprise because the reviews for this film were immediately strong, particularly for Byrne's performance. The New York Times said Rose Byrne is magnificent as an overwhelmed mother in this wrenching, spiky drama. So when she joined us in studio around the film's theatrical release, I started by asking Rose what she takes away from people responding so well to the film and to her performance, which is sometimes dark and, and unattractive.
[02:22]
C
I, I'm very emotional about it. You know, I feel simultaneously really protective of the character and also want everybody to share this experience. So it's like a, it's a study in contrast, I suppose, at the moment. But I've been, it's been so extraordinary to talk to people about the film because it is such an experience, the movie, and that's been this the gift is to talk to people from all walks of life. Some of my best friends don't have. Are not parents, but they're caregivers or they have other stresses in their life. Obviously, mothers and parents, you know, men. You know, it's a. It's a. It's a female protagonist that can be. People can struggle with that. And it's been just so, like, beyond my wildest dreams, having people to share their experiences with me. And it's. It's a little bit undefinable, the film with genre. And that's been really wild to see. The response in terms of the. It's a. It's a comedy. No, it's a horror. No, it's a straight, dark drama. And I kind of love how no one can pin it down. It asks more questions than it answers. And I'm still discovering things about the movie. And I kind of. I'm living for the ambiguity of it. And watching people try to pin it down and it's kind of defined. Defies that in many ways, I. I think. Which is exciting. It's very original.
[03:43]
B
Why did you say yes to the part of Linda?
[03:45]
C
Oh, gosh. Cause I just couldn't say no. I was like, oh, goodness me, this is what an opportunity. And I was terrified. And also thought, oh, I have to. I have to do this. This is extraordinary. This is a tightrope. And where to begin, you know, how do we begin to peel back the onion of this character?
[04:06]
B
You know, Bobby Cannavale, your partner was here two days ago. He's here.
[04:10]
C
I know.
[04:11]
B
And you had described him as a really. A good creative source when you're deciding about parts. So I asked him why he liked this part for you. So let's listen.
[04:23]
D
You know, I just thought that that script was so. So. So specifically a voice that I hadn't heard before. I'd never heard a voice like that, particularly about the subject matter, motherhood. And it's. I've never seen anything like that before. It read like a dark horror movie, and it jumped off the page in that way. And I just thought, hey, this is something where you can use. You can use tools you haven't really to show you can use everything, put it all together in a way that I hadn't read before. There have been things that Rose has done where she's elevated material many times that we've read together. And I've gone, you can really score with this part and do well. I don't know if all the other elements come together, maybe it can Be good. But oftentimes, you know, that's out of your hands. This one's pretty much Rose, right? It's. She's just in every frame of the movie. And I just thought, I think you're ready. And I think it's a good match. I think you should meet this woman. And they got on like a house on fire. And thank God the whole thing scored because it's an. It's an impressive feat, I think.
[05:37]
C
Oh, I've never had that experience of hearing, but he is. My husband is such an extraordinary sounding board. He really is. He has such intuition around art and character, and he's my biggest cheerleader, you know, and I am for him, too. I hope he feels that. But. And he got it straight away, as you can. As you can see. He loved it. And he got the movie. He got the movie in a very cellular sense, too.
[06:06]
B
It was interesting that he used the word tool that you would get to use tools that you didn't get to use before. What tools do you think you got to use?
[06:14]
C
You know, the film is a tight. That. Well, the character is a tightrope. You know, she's. She's wound so tight. She's. She's sort of profoundly disassociated, too. And the challenge of playing a character who is disassociated yet being, like, trying to be vitally present for the scene is a tightrope. It was such a challenge. And using absolutely everything I feel like has almost led to this. And there's a lot of comedy in the film, which I obviously love and have done a lot of, and. But it's very, very dark. The comedy, which I. I rose and gravitate toward as a viewer. And so. And then there are. There are horror tropes. So sort of, I guess the tools he means is. Is all of those. I've done a lot of different genres. In a way, it was exciting to. To try to put them all behind this. This character and really understand her perspective on it.
[07:08]
B
You shot this in 27 days, is that right? What does shooting on a short schedule like that do for you, for you, creatively?
[07:17]
C
You know, Mary Bronstein puts it. Well, she sort of. She says, like, you know, limitations on art can be such a gift because you have to pivot and you have to be creative, and you don't have all the time in the world and all the money in the world and all the people saying yes to you in the world. We have a retake. Exactly. And you have to be creative, and that can be so revealing and wonderful about choices you can make and places you can go with the performance. So I never felt constrained by it, to be honest. It was. And we had a great preparation time, Mary Bronstein and I. That was definitely a huge key to being able to shoot it in that amount of time.
[07:57]
B
Yeah. You and Mary had a lot of discussions beforehand. What did you talk about?
[08:01]
C
We sat down at her kitchen table for, like, three days a week for five weeks. And we just went through every page of the script. Every page, every beat, every syllable. I, like, ask a lot of questions. I. I ask a lot of questions on a slow day. So this was, like, question central. And I just. She was very candid with me. This is a personal story. It's inspired by something she went through. It's obviously very, like, abstracted version of that. And she didn't respond to this situation like Linda does. But what if. What if you did behave like this? What. What person is in this state that these are the choices they're making and the choices she kind of has to make at that for where she is right now, so. And, yeah, we would share personal stories. I'm a mother. She's a. She's a mother, obviously. So we. We. We had this great time. It was like preparing for a play. It was really extraordinary. You don't get that with cinema usually, or. Or tv, for that matter. So I felt some. Mary was very determined. She comes from performance. She started at NYU as an actress, and so she was. She did it with Conan O', Brien, who's in the film with A$AP Rocky with Danielle McDonald. So I felt. So I just loved it. It was very, like, without that, I would have felt untethered.
[09:12]
B
Yeah. My guest is actor Rose Byrne. We're discussing her new film, if I had Legs, I'd kick you. It's about a mom unraveling as she's dealing with a series of escalating crises. You capture Linda's life over these. How much did you talk to Mary about what Linda's life looked like before, before we drop in on this moment?
[09:35]
C
I was obsessed with that. My biggest question was, who was Linda before this? Who was she before she had a child? You know, like, that's what is going to inform all these choices and this response, because we spoke to a lot of women, mothers with children with special needs.
[09:52]
B
You did.
[09:52]
C
And it was fascinating to see how it affected them and their marriages. And it was very different from. From conversation to conversation. And then we meet Linda, and, you know, I. At her core, I think Linda doesn't trust authority, and she doesn't like being told what to do. And that, for me, was a big key to the character and how she's responding. I think she's had a past. I think she likes to have a good time. I think she doesn't like being put into a role necessarily and really bucks at any sort of tradition in that sense. And there's something about her that is a little punk. So I. She's a little punk. Yeah. And that, for me, was something we really discovered in rehearsals.
[10:36]
B
We got a text here that says, I saw if I had legs, I would kick you. At the New York Film Festival, Rose has to be nominated for every actor award. I've never wanted to hug yet shake the crap out of a character in a movie before. Like Linda. Chef's kiss to Rose. That's a super fan from Harlem.
[10:57]
C
Oh, my gosh. That's so incredible. Thank you. I'm so moved. It's very emotional. That's very sweet. Yeah, it is. It is a challenging character. And look, the audience doesn't. Mary and I always had this conversation. The audience doesn't have to love her, but we have to love her, and we have to love Linda for sure. And obviously, you. You want people to root for her, even as she's making these terrible kind of decisions along the way.
[11:24]
B
Can we talk about how close up the camera got to you?
[11:26]
C
Yes.
[11:27]
B
Did you know that was going to be the case?
[11:30]
C
I didn't, Alison. And the first day, it got closer and closer and closer, and then I was like, are you getting that close? That's how close you're gonna get. Okay. Okay. And I had to adjust a little bit, but then I understood the language she was using and the sort of cinematic tools she was really employing. But I didn't fully grasp it until I saw the film as well, because I was doing my job with taking care of the performance, and Mary, obviously was directing the film. So it was. It was very revealing to me, even when I saw it. The language she. She's using and the kind of. The. What am I trying to say?
[12:08]
B
The.
[12:08]
C
The pure perspective of this character and what she sees and what she can't see is almost is as. Is as important that, you know, she can't really see her daughter is. We either audience can't see the daughter.
[12:20]
B
I was interested because I think last time you were here, it was Medea.
[12:24]
C
Oh, yeah, that's right.
[12:26]
B
So you're used to doing theater. In theater, you have to be a little bit bigger.
[12:28]
C
Of course, yeah.
[12:29]
B
And right now, with the camera so close to you, how does that change the way you do your job?
[12:37]
C
It's obviously. So technically, there's obviously this huge technical aspect to making a film and to perform, to performing on film. And I would just have a constant dialogue with Mary and with the camera. I became very close with the camera department, and I like more information rather than less. So we would always just talk through the day, talk through the scenes. And yes, it's a wild relationship to have with the camera. You really do have to assess it and do internal work and just recalibrate constantly. Because it can be as simple as not breathing, you know, holding yourself. Like it's something that can be that simple. Like that's what is needed, like a physicality or stillness and that. I had never done that before. And it was really fun and creative in a technical way, I suppose. Yeah.
[13:23]
B
As you mentioned, we don't see your daughter in the film. We see her torso, we see her feet, and the director did that. What I understand is to kind of keep the focus on Linda. Right. Because you bring this cute little kid who's sick onto camera and everybody pays attention to that.
[13:40]
C
Of course, your sympathies, as they should, will go to the child, unless you don't have a soul.
[13:46]
B
How. First, I just. Logistically, was she there when you were performing? Yes.
[13:51]
C
Oh, absolutely. We have this wonderful actress, Delaney Quinn, who came in and just blew us away when we met with her. And she was my scene partner. Absolutely. All my choices are informed by her. You know, she was extraordinary, and she, like brilliant actors, could just access her emotional life in seconds and was so present and then could be so funny. Delaney is a lover of horror films, so she loved more of the extreme, like set pieces. And she had a terrific sense of humor and is a really, like a gift. A gifted and wonderful child. Yeah.
[14:26]
B
Everything I've read said her mysterious illness. Does it say that in the script?
[14:31]
C
That's a really good question. No, it doesn't. It just. It's very almost technical about what Linda has to do in the script. It's like very much mirrors the film. There's very little information get information given, but a lot of emotional information and technical information about what she has to do, what she's doing, where they're going. But you don't. The script doesn't give you any more clues in terms of how long have they been doing this program, how long have they lived here, how long has she been a therapist? How long has she been. How long has her Husband going, et cetera, et cetera. So there was fun to fill in those gaps behind the scenes in the film.
[15:11]
B
Your character, Linda, she's kind of. She's exhausted. She is exhausted. What's your approach to physicality? When you're playing a role that is clearly someone who is sort of at her end?
[15:25]
C
The trap is that it becomes one note, you know, and that you are just. She's just. Just exhausted or just hysterical. And so that was always. The thing is trying to find all the. The corny, but the colors, you know, of. Like all the different, you know, musical qualities that she. Or perform, you know, for one of a better expression. Expression. But that was something we were really focused on. And, you know, I'm always trying to find the joke because I'm goofy, but. But I love the physicality of it. And a lot of the film, she's drunk or she's stoned. And the key always with that is if someone is drunk, they're acting as sober as they can. So that was always the key, is trying to act as normal as one can is always a helpful thing. I think, to start from, everything gets
[16:14]
B
kicked off, at least in this part of her life, we should say, by this hole in the ceiling. It just falls through her apartment. She keeps coming back to the apartment to sort of visit the hole. What do you. In your mind, what does the hole represent to Linda?
[16:31]
C
Well, I. It's so interesting because it's. I don't think she knows. I don't think she knows, but she knows that it's, again, some sort of existential threat to her. And I don't think she can see. I don't think she can see the parallels in her life. And in the script, there was this beautiful symmetry with things that are happening in her life, in her home, that are happening to her daughter, things that are happening to her patients that are happening to her, things that her therapist is telling her that then she's telling to her. Her. Her own patients. So this sort of. There's a. There's a sort of cyclical nature to the. To the character and to the film. Um, and I think that. I think she's. I think she thinks if she can figure out how to fix this or what's happening with the hole, then she can fix her daughter. But she's not quite putting the two together yet. Until the end.
[17:30]
B
I think I kept thinking about the hole because we live in New York City apartments, and, you know, you've had a neighbor. It's been a slow drip, a Slow drip. A slow drip. And then a giant hole comes through your apartment. And I keep thinking about Linda as we keep seeing these drips that are happening with her, with each crisis is another drip. It's another drip. It's another drip. How close do you think Linda is to caving in?
[17:55]
C
I think she does cave in. I think it's a study of caving. I. Recently, something got stuck in the sink at home in our bathroom, and I ended up pulling out some stuff from that sink that was disgusting. And I thought about the film and I thought. And I. But I. In the moment, I was so transfixed. What was in this hole? What was, you know, coming out? How did it get in there? And it was so mesmerizing in the most kind of gory way. But there's an element to that, too, of, like, what, you know. And another person said to me, it's like an existential birth canal. So you really can go anywhere. It's.
[18:39]
B
I'll think about that as well. Yes, it's interesting. The cast around you is really. Is great. What does it do for you when the cast around you. A$AP Rocky's great, really good in it, wonderful, is stable, and they can do their job. What does that allow you to do?
[19:02]
C
It allows me to. I mean, in the kind of most simple sense, to have fun and to be able to reveal the scene and explore a scene and, you know, my performance. You. You can prepare as much as you want, and you never want to see an actor's homework, but, you know, you can't make any sort of decision until you're in front of the other actor and you're reacting off what they're, you know, giving you. So it's all informed by those performances. Conan, Rocky, Danielle, McDonald, Delaney, Quinn. And I. I was. Mary is very. She was so unconventional with her casting in the best possible way because none of these actors are. It's. It's not a stunt. You know, Conan is very much risking his. You know, he's such a national treasure. He didn't have to do this. And he's playing such an uptight, very tense, by the book, limited sort of therapist who is very disinterested in his patient when we meet him, and he's actively kind of has a little contempt for her. So he. He worked very, very hard. And Rocky, again, his character is the kindest character in the film, has the most curiosity, maybe hasn't. Maybe doesn't always have the best outcome with his intentions, but he had to have a natural charisma. That you cannot teach. You cannot teach it. I said that to somebody about after
[20:21]
B
seeing highest to lowest, I was like, that kid has charisma.
[20:25]
A
Yeah.
[20:25]
C
And you can't. You. That's just a genetic lottery on a cellular kind of level. So he just. He just fills the screen with his smile and his, you know, and it's. Again, it's a really nuanced performance that's very gentle and lovely.
[20:41]
B
It was interesting watching Conan. You and Conan together, because we're known. He's known for his comedic roles. You're known for some of your comedic roles. What was it like acting against someone, against type, in a way, against him being like this funny, funny guy?
[20:59]
C
We. It was. Look, in between. We would have a lot of laughs. I am not. I like to break the tension. I. I would laugh and he would laugh. But it was so fun. It was so fun. I was so intrigued about what he would bring to that part, how hard he had worked. I, you know, and then as soon as we got into the room, became so clear to me what, you know, how this was, how. How hard he had worked and how he was going to be completely different from the. From the, like, the talk show host who listens to people all day. He's going to be sitting there and he. Not listening to this character.
[21:34]
B
No, not at all. I actually slightly gasped when I realized that she was a therapist, that Linda was a therapist.
[21:40]
C
Isn't it a great. I did. When I read the script, I had to reread that page several times. I was like, wait, what?
[21:46]
B
What?
[21:46]
C
And I did. I remember going, hold on, hold on, hold on. What? What? What? Where is she? Is she a therapist? It was a fantastic reveal. Yeah.
[21:55]
B
What did it reveal to you that the therapist was having so much trouble at home?
[22:02]
C
Oh, it was just a gift.
[22:05]
B
I thought, you think they're like a therapist school. They sit on this little high pedestal and then you realize a therapist is
[22:11]
C
a person, of course. And a therapist has a therapist. Who has a therapist. Who has a therapist? You know, till it's like the wizard of Oz, I don't know. And it's a person behind a screen with smoke. But the role of a therapist is so specific in. In one's life. I've had therapists before, and you don't know anything about them or some. You know, more. A little bit more than others. But it's that after a while, if you're curious, you want to start to chip away why, you know, who is this person? What is. It's like seeing the Teacher out of school. When you're a little kid and you're like, you cannot believe they exist, like at the shopping center, and you're like, oh, my God, I thought you were just a cardboard cutout that looked at school, there's this awkwardness and unease. And she captures that when they run into each other in the little vestibule in the kitchen. Whereas that very awkward exchange. But it's like brilliant kind of comedy there too. That is very fun. But I loved the kind of exploration of those roles that we play.
[23:03]
B
The men in this movie are not helpful to Linda. Her husband is away. Her therapist is unhelpful. The men hired to fix the hole in the ceiling disappear. What was interesting to you about the role that men play in the movie?
[23:18]
C
Very interesting. I mean, she is. She's abandoned by all of them. And then not only abandoned, but sort of, you know, her husband on the phone is very aggressive. And then I think the peak of that is when she's on the phone to her patient's husband telling him that his wife has left their child there and he's unaware. And it's this wonderful. Again, a great, very dramatic reveal. But you feel her constantly embattled with men who aren't helping her and aren't listening to her and don't believe her. But then there's Rocky, you know, who's this sort of wonderful, gentle soul who's actually kind of trying to help her. So I feel Mary again, it was like a study in contrasts and something that she was, you know, provoking some ideas with.
[24:01]
B
That was Rose Byrne discussing her star performance in the film if I had legs, I'd kick you. She's already won a Golden Globe and an indie spirit for her role, and she's nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards, her first ever Oscar nomination. And by the way, Rose is headed head back to New York City to star with Kelli o' Hara in a remake of Noel Coward's Fallen Angels. Previews start on March 27th at the Todd Haymes Theater.
[24:27]
A
For delicious meals. You could go out to eat or you could just make a Marie Callender's meal. Marie Callender's classic chicken parmigiano bowl is so good. It has marinara sauce that's made from scratch and creamy mozzarella cheese over pasta. It's delicious. With no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and 30 grams of protein. You can find it in the frozen aisle. Marie Callender's what having it all tastes like. This is Ira Flato host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, the science Friday team has been reporting high quality science and technology news, making science fun for curious people by covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the rapidly changing world of AI to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Audiences trust our show because they know we're driven by a mission to inform and serve listeners first and foremost with important news they won't get anywhere else. And our sponsors benefit from that halo effect. For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit sponsorship wnyc. Org.