Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale's Relationship Timeline Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale met through mutual friends in 2012 By Emma Kershaw Emma Kershaw Emma Kershaw is a contributing writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work has previously appeared in Cosmopolitan, Insider and Apartment Therapy. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 16, 2024 02:36PM EDT Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale's love story started in 2012 after meeting through mutual friends. However, despite their very public careers, the Australian actress and New Jersey native prefer to keep their romance out of the spotlight. "I mean, [press is] not something we do all the time, but we're trying to go with the flow," Byrne told Vanity Fair in a 2019 interview about their relationship. "We're generally pretty private." They welcomed their first son, Rocco, in February 2016 and their second son, Rafael, in November 2017. The parents also credit their differences for making their relationship work so well. "We couldn't be from more different parts of the world, you know?" Byrne said in a 2017 interview with InStyle. "When something is special, it's hard to articulate it, but I feel really lucky." She later told Vulture that she is "a little bit more moment to moment" than Cannavale, whom the outlet described as "the planner in the family." From working together to raising two sons, here's everything to know about Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale's relationship. 2012: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale are introduced by mutual friends The pair first met in the fall of 2012, while Byrne was concluding a five-season run of the legal drama Damages. "The chemistry between them, it's just so remarkable. They're both kind of universally loved," Glenn Close, Byrne's Damages costar, told Vanity Fair. December 10, 2012: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale are spotted holding hands In December 2012, the new couple were spotted holding hands at the season launch party of Portlandia at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. At the time, Byrne's rep had no comment as to whether or not the pair were dating. June 3, 2013: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale make their red carpet debut Andrew H. Walker/Getty Byrne and Cannavale walked the red carpet together for the first time as a couple on June 3, 2013, at the CFDA Fashion Awards in N.Y.C., per E! Online. August 6, 2013: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale go on a double date with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner In August 2013, Byrne and Cannavale stepped out on a double date with then-couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. They dined at Hinoki & the Bird in Los Angeles, where the foursome shared oysters, wine and several other signature dishes. "They were very nice and cordial," an onlooker told PEOPLE. "They seemed to be having a fun double date night, and Jen told the server they'll definitely be back." 2014: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale costar in two films The couple acted alongside each other twice in 2014. They both starred in Annie and Adult Beginners. June 4, 2015: Rose Byrne says working with Bobby Cannavale is "very intense" Jamie McCarthy/Getty In 2015, Byrne revealed her thoughts on her close working relationship with Cannavale while promoting Spy, in which they both starred. "[Acting together] is a very intense thing you can experience together," Byrne told PEOPLE. "It's not for everybody, but I think he's such a great actor." October 2015: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale are expecting their first baby Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty It was revealed in October 2015 that Byrne and Cannavale were expecting their first baby together. The actress was seen with her growing baby bump at Los Angeles International Airport that month. February 1, 2016: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale welcome their first baby During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Cannavale revealed that he and Byrne had welcomed a son, Rocco Robin, on Feb. 1, 2016. In an interview with PEOPLE, Cannavale revealed the meaning behind Rocco's name. "We just love the name," the Boardwalk Empire actor said. "His middle name is [Byrne's] dad's name, Robin, and we liked the way it rang together." November 2016: Rose Byrne is spotted wearing a diamond ring D Dipasupil/FilmMagic In November 2016, Byrne was spotted out and about in Australia sporting a ring on her ring finger, sparking rumors that the couple were engaged. The ring appeared to be white gold and featured a halo of diamonds. Reps for the pair did not comment on a possible engagement at the time. August 2017: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale are expecting their second baby Jemal Countess/Getty Byrne confirmed her second pregnancy in an interview with Australia's Jones magazine in August 2017. "I'm a little tired but feeling good," she told the outlet. "Everyone was very sweet on set today, and you always get a little bit more attention when you're pregnant, which is fabulous." November 2017: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale welcome their second baby In November, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple had welcomed their second son, Rafael Cannavale. Cannavale later revealed the origin of his son's name. "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. "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." The actor is also father to son Jake from a previous relationship. November 2018: Rose Byrne says she's "learning on the job" how to be a mom In 2018, Byrne told PEOPLE that adapting to motherhood had a "learning curve." "Every day, every hour, I'm like, 'What is happening?' I am learning on the job," she said. "I have no business telling anyone what to do. Being a mother changes everything. I feel like it informs everything I do, particularly for a job like this." October 31, 2019: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale take their kids trick-or-treating Bobby Cannavale Instagram For Halloween 2019, the couple took their sons Rocco and Rafa trick-or-treating around their Brooklyn neighborhood. "Happy Halloween from the cast of Coco!" Cannavale wrote on Instagram. January 7, 2020: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale reveal that they go to bed early Scott Kowalchyk/CBS In an interview with Stephen Colbert, the couple said that they enjoy an early night. "We go to bed pretty early, that's very dorky," answered Byrne when Colbert asked for the dorkiest thing about the two. When Colbert asked how early, Cannavale said, "Like 9:45." "It's not a crime to go to bed that early," Byrne added. January 12, 2020: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale's Medea opens at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Byrne and Cannavale costarred as an estranged married couple in a limited run of Medea at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, according to Playbill. "Spouses in real life, [Byrne and Cannavale's] chemistry comes across onstage, and a scene where they tumble from an angry shouting match into a passionate post-divorce tryst is an inspired sequence," said a review from Observer. January 22, 2020: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale say that they call each other "husband and wife" even though they're not married ANGELA WEISS/AFP In 2020, Byrne and Cannavale revealed that they call each other "husband and wife" despite not being married. "I hate all the other words! It's just easier to say 'husband and wife,' " Cannavale told Vulture. " 'Boyfriend and girlfriend' feels so young. 'Partner' feels so sterile." "What else could we say?" he asked Byrne before jokingly answering, "My lover!" "Sure," she replied. "My lover, Bobby." "Who gives a s---?!" Cannavale added. "It's just funny what people care about." April 2020: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale quarantine together Bobby Cannavale Instagram During the first COVID-19 shutdown in early 2020, Byrne appeared on Variety's The Big Ticket podcast, speaking about how she and Cannavale were spending their time while staying at home. "Just alcohol," the Bridesmaids star joked. "Drugs. Porn." "Listen, I feel lucky," she continued. "We're safe and we're okay, but it's scary. We have two little kids. We've just been inside, but I have friends who are working in the health care system." October 22, 2020: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale enjoy a beach day In October, the couple were seen swimming and hanging out on the beach in Byron Bay, Australia. March 2021: Rose Byrne says that Bobby Cannavale is the first person she calls During an episode of InStyle's Ladies First with Laura Brown, Byrne revealed that Cannavale is her go-to when it comes to making important phone calls. "Oh, Bobby, I call Bobby," she said. "[I can't call him now] he's always here. We're always together," she continued, in reference to the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. July 16, 2021: Rose Byrne shares what keeps her and Bobby Cannavale from getting married ANGELA WEISS/AFP Speaking with The Sydney Morning Herald in July 2021, Byrne said other life events along the way have delayed any potential nuptials. "I keep going, 'Let's get around to it, let's do it,' " Byrne said. "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." March 2022: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale attend the 2022 SXSW Conference & Festival The couple appeared at the 2022 SXSW Conference & Festival in Austin, Texas, to promote their film Seriously Red, which debuts in November 2022. Byrne and Cannavale posed for photos in PEOPLE's portrait studio as well as on the red carpet with the rest of the movie's cast. September 2022: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale announce a new project In September 2022, Variety reported that Byrne and Cannavale were set to star alongside Robert De Niro in the upcoming road-trip comedy Inappropriate Behavior. The real-life couple play ex-spouses in the film while De Niro serves as Cannavale's father. March 14, 2024: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale star in the trailer for Ezra Byrne and Cannavale will star alongside each other in Ezra — formerly titled Inappropriate Behavior — which will be released in May. The pair play a divorced couple who are trying to co-parent their 11-year-old son, Ezra, who has autism. "Haven’t posted in years. I’m really proud of this movie," Cannavale wrote on Instagram when the trailer was released. Close