Who Is Rose Byrne’s Husband? 7 Facts to Know About Bobby Cannavale

When it comes to love, no piece of paper defines its value. This is especially true for Rose Byrne, 42, and her life partner, Bobby Cannavale, 51. With over a decade of love under their belt, the doting couple publicly revealed that they do not plan to have a wedding anytime soon.

“I keep going, ‘Let’s get around to it, let’s do it.’ And then, you know, you have a baby, and then, oh, there’s another baby,” Byrne explained to the Sydney Morning Herald. “It was kind of like that for us.”

The Physical star shared that she loves weddings; however, planning one has been quite the ordeal. She continued, “I guess for us it’s just been, we didn’t do it, we’ll do it, then—no! Pandemic.” 

The pair met in 2012 through mutual friends, and Byrne and Cannavale have since had the privilege of working together on the set of the 2014 Annie remake and indie comedy Adult Beginners. Although wedding bells are not ringing at present, the lovebirds share two boys Rocco, 5, and Rafa, 3, and continue to work on projects together. In January 2020, the couple starred in a revival of Euripides’s Medea on Broadway, which received rave reviews. 

So who is the father of her children and the man that keeps the actress on her toes? If you’re not familiar with Bobby Cannavale, let us clue you in. 

He Calls Byrne His Wife

“I haven’t found a better word for it, to be honest,” Cannavale said on The Late Late Show With James Corden. “Boyfriend/girlfriend feels too young; the partner feels too clinical. You know, my ‘lady partner’? That feels weird. So it’s just easier. People don’t ask questions when you say, ‘It’s my wife.'”

He Was Married Once Before

Cannavale was previously married to award-winning screenwriter Jenny Lumet, the granddaughter of the legendary singer and actress Lena Horne. They share a son, Jake Cannavale, 26, who is also an actor and musician. 

He’s a Jersey Boy

Cannavale is a Jersey boy who spent his childhood in Union City, where his parents met. The son of an Italian-American chemical plant worker, Sal, and a Cuban social worker, Isabel. “They were married when she was 16; she had me at 18,” Cannavale told NY Times Magazine in 2013. “When I was 5, they got divorced. To this day, I can’t see how they ever got together. My mother remains a very outgoing personality. My dad is such an introvert.” 

He Didn’t Graduate From High School

Cannavale openly shared that he was not the best student. “High school was four years of craziness,” he revealed to the NY Times. “I was disruptive in class. I got suspended all the time. They would give you the option of getting suspended for five days or getting corporal punishment. Finally, my mother was like, ‘That’s it with the suspension, now you get hit.’” 

He later got expelled in his senior year and returned to Union City. “I didn’t quite graduate, so I had to go to summer school, which I almost didn’t do,” he said. “But I did; I got my diploma.”

He Is a Gifted Actor

With no formal training in the arts, Cannavale admits that he loved reading plays in the school library. However, his sparkling personality and brilliance on stage have gotten him cast in several movies and shows, including Will and Grace, Broadwalk Empire, and Nurse Jackie. 

“He is incredibly masculine and has a very big physical presence, but he’s also really f*cking smart, and there’s always a wit and a vulnerability to his characters,” says Daniel Radcliffe of his costar in The Lifespan of a Fact (2018).

He's Won an Emmy

Cannavale is so good at what he does that he won an Emmy in 2013 as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Gyp Rosetti on the HBO hit, Broadwalk Empire. 

His Instagram Is Full of Cool Dad Moments

The Irishman actor has an Instagram that is nothing short of adorable. He shares many cool dad moments with all of his boys as they journey through life doing what they like to do—watching sports, wearing cool tees, and spending plenty of time bonding.