Rose Byrne Reveals Wild Reason Bobby Cannavale Won’t Be Her Date at the Golden Globes

Don’t worry, he’s got a great excuse!

While speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Jan. 8, Rose Byrne made the revelation that her longtime partner Bobby Cannavale won’t be by her side during the Golden Globes on Jan. 11. Instead of supporting her at the Hollywood awards show, where Byrne is nominated for her performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Cannavale will be on the East Coast on a special side quest for their family, she revealed.

“You know what, Bobby can’t come, which is such a bummer,” Byrne began. “He’s going to a reptile expo in New Jersey.”

Fallon, in disbelief, raised his hands to his forehead. “What are you talking about?” Byrne then revealed she, Cannavale and their children — Rocco, 9 and Rafael, 8 — are on the hunt to adopt a “gorgeous” bearded dragon, a reptile native to Australia that, according to Byrne, likes to “eat live crickets.”

“I had a friend who had [a bearded dragon], and she said crickets do escape, sometimes. And you’ll find them around the house,” the Australian actress said, erupting into laughter and throwing Fallon into further shock.

“And this expo is the place where everyone goes, and it’s the place to go, and it was on the same day,” Byrne continued. “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.” She added of Cannavale, “He’s doing God’s work.”

While Cannavale tracks down the loveliest bearded dragon in New Jersey, Byrne will be in California for the Golden Globes, as she was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Movie for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

In the film, Byrne plays Linda, a psychotherapist “on the verge of a breakdown” who “must cope with her daughter’s illness, an absent husband, a missing person, and an unusual relationship with her therapist,” per the film’s synopsis.

Other actresses nominated in the category include Amanda Seyfriend (The Testament of Anne Lee), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good), Emma Stone (Bugonia) and Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue).

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Byrne and Cannavale first met in 2012 and sparked dating rumors shortly thereafter. They’ve starred alongside each other numerous times, and have welcomed two kids together.

The couple has yet to formally say “I do” — they’re in no rush — but they told Vulture in 2020 that they often call each other “husband and wife.” Recently, in November 2025, Byrne told The Washington Post that she considers her and Cannavale married: “we just haven’t gone to the courthouse yet,” she said.