Rose Byrne savors ‘little moments’ in busy life, career

Rose Byrne’s life at home in New York is no stroll on the red carpet.

“I spend my days covered in markers, Play-Doh and flour,” the Aussie actress jokes.

Byrne, whose Apple TV+ series “Physical” returned this week for its third season, shares a Brooklyn brownstone with her longtime partner, actor Bobby Cannavale, and their sons, Rocco, 7, and Raphael, 5.

Her life mixes black-tie premieres with sweaty days at Disneyland. High-stakes negotiations involve how many friends can attend a birthday party.

“It’s great to run the boys at the beach and get a nice coffee. You have to do a few little things for yourself, because you’re going to lose that birthday party negotiation!” she says over a Zoom interview conducted before the Screen Actors Guild strike.

Byrne, 44, has starred as the clueless friend in “Bridesmaids,” as a lawyer opposite Glenn Close in “Damages” and most recently as Seth Rogen’s best friend (and maybe more) in “Platonic.”

She negotiated one of the best roles of her career when she signed on for “Physical.” It’s the story of Sheila Rubin (Byrne), a quietly tormented housewife in 1980s San Diego who battles personal demons while building a fitness empire.

Season 3 adds Zooey Deschanel as a new fitness star who comes to town and steals Sheila’s thunder. This turn leaves Sheila a bit unhinged.

A totally hinged Byrne shares her good life tips:

Seize the moments

“This is one of the fastest years of my life. It feels like this year has been five minutes and soon it will be November,” she says. “It’s bizarre, which is why you have to really embrace the little moments. We will blink and the year will be over. You have no control of time, but to enjoy the minutes.”

Get ‘Physical’

“I love how this show feels so deeply personal,” Byrne says. “She’s kind of a beast of a character in a world that can be uncomfortable, but it’s good to challenge yourself that way in life. I’m always trying not to screw it up.”

Get moving

“A big component of the character is the physical aspect and the training,” she explains.

To prepare for the aerobics scenes in “Physical,” Byrne has worked with a choreographer and has done online classes. “I’m deeply uncoordinated, so it’s trying to use that side of my brain, which is dance and timing,” she says. “The incredible part is your body becomes so strong. It transforms.”

Byrne starts training several months before she shoots a new season. “I get up my cardio and conditioning,” she says. “It’s so good for you to tap into this athletic side.”

Quiet your mind

Byrne also supplements these professional workouts with long walks, biking and hikes. To de-stress, she does her downward dogs. “I began doing yoga when I was a teenager,” she says. “I found yoga again during the pandemic. Just 15 minutes a day is a way to really quiet your mind.”

Her other favorite workout is swimming. “Get me in a pool and I’m so happy. Any stress is gone. I feel free.”

Work with your friends

Byrne also stars in the Apple TV+ comedy “Platonic.” She says she wouldn’t have done the series without her old friend Rogen. “I didn’t want to do the show if we didn’t have Seth,” she shares. “Having worked together for the ‘Neighbors’ movies, I knew we would be having fun and enjoying a nice dynamic on screen. … A show like that one lives and dies on the chemistry of the friendship.”

Shy is OK

Byrne, who grew up in Balmain, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, did not have acting in her blood: Her mother was a primary school administrator and her father a statistician. “I was more the shy kid. I was that kid who was hiding,” says Byrne, the youngest of four children, who was a clown with her sibs.

Her sister convinced her to audition for drama school and she loved it. “When I found performing, I came into my own. This quiet kid suddenly wanted to be seen as this whole other person,” she says.

Byrne admits she’s still shy when asked to do awards shows. “I’m still not so confident when I have to do public speaking. But when I’m acting I don’t have any fear. … Shy is OK. I think you just work on your confidence. You can always push the refresh button and start again from scratch.”

Don’t look for perfect balance

Having children has redefined her life, but it’s never perfect. “You go bonkers trying to figure out your life,” she says. “Then it’s even more bizarre when you’ve got children. They change everything. You always have this constant, immediate concern in your head, of ‘Where are they? What are they doing?’ So, it just changes every moment, in a way — and sometimes it’s hard to find that delicate balance. You can just do your best.”

We time and me time

Yes, she watches all the little kid shows. “Then I put on ‘Seinfeld, which is my happy place. I just love it. My favorite episodes is ‘The Keys.’ ”