Rose Byrne isn't afraid of 'Insidious'

Rose Byrne's Aussie accent can take you by surprise. Like most Australian actors, she's a master at hiding the "G'day mate" twang when playing Americans like Ellen Parsons, that sweet, striving attorney who battles wits with Glenn Close on TV's "Damages." Or Renai, an all-American wife and mother at first bewildered, then out-and-out terrified by the strange goings-on at her new (possibly haunted) home, in the horror film, "Insidious."

That film, which opens Friday, comes from the delightfully depraved brains of director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell, the team that dreamed up the "Saw" franchise. "Insidious" pays homage to classic haunted-house films like "Poltergeist" and L.I.'s own "The Amityville Horror." And Byrne, with her girl-next-door appeal, offers a solid performance as a woman trying to make sense of it all.

Now living in Manhattan, Byrne, 31, has earned two Emmy Award nominations for her role in "Damages" (which DirecTV starts airing this summer). She also has starred in "Troy" (with Brad Pitt) and "Knowing" (Nicolas Cage), and will soon be seen in "Bridesmaids" (with "Saturday Night Live's" Kristen Wiig) and "X-Men: First Class."

She recently chatted with Newsday contributor Joseph V. Amodio about frights, Fire Island and why she's not going home anytime soon.

Are you a horror buff?

I loved horror as a child. I'd make my mother rent "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Creepshow" and "Halloween." There's something about being scared. This isn't new -- people have said it before -- but it's true. It's so fun. And really cathartic, which is even stranger. I was so ruffled after I saw "Insidious." Then, oddly relaxed. It's like . . . you're tense watching it, and then . . . OK, I can breathe now.

Have you caught the "Saw" films?

Ohhh, no. I can't do torture. Not at all. It's like those scary things in Iraq. I mean, it's part of life, I guess, but I don't like to watch it.

But "Insidious" you could handle.

The script was definitely eerie. These guys are masters. But it's more psychological. And when you're shooting scenes day by day, you can't really conceptualize it all. You could feel it was heavy and weird, though.

What's it like living in New York compared to Sydney?

I always say: You can't impress an Australian with a beach or coastline. But I guess you can with a city. There's nothing like New York. The concrete jungle, the people moving every which way, the energy and excitement. Sydney is beautiful. It's very livable. But it's not New York.

And the beaches -- do any compare? Pressure's on, now.

Yes, I know. There are some lovely places here. I've been to Fire Island and Jones Beach -- they're gorgeous. Fire Island is especially lovely -- no cars and all that. Very unusual. But in terms of Australia, wherever you go, the coastline is quite spectacular and, um . . . pretty hard to beat.

Fair enough. How's working with Glenn Close these days?

Y'know, working with a big star like Glenn Close or Brad Pitt, it's strange because you have a perception of them from films. You think you know them, but, of course, you don't know the first thing about them. So working with Glenn, who's so respected, that was intimidating initially. But she's actually . . . fantastic. She's a hard worker, smart with breaking down scenes and dialogue. She sets a great standard. And she's really sweet. We've become friends.

And Kristen Wiig -- were you cracking up all the time shooting "Bridesmaids?"

She's funny, yeah . . . but she's not a maniac. She's not "on" all the time. She's actually quite shy, I think. It was very unique to do a film with all women. It was really . . . radical. I've never done that before.

Then you shot "X-Men"?

Yeah, it hasn't really stopped. I finished Season 3 of "Damages," then I shot "Insidious," then "Bridesmaids," then "X-Men," and now I'm back here for Season 4.

So when do you get back to Australia?

I went for Christmas. I usually get back more, but last year I was working a lot.

I guess there are worse things for an actor.

Absolutely -- amen. I'm well aware, well aware, of my good fortune.

Do you miss Australia? Will you eventually move back?

I miss my family and friends the most. And there are things I miss -- the lifestyle. But I'm realistic. For me to continue to work, I've got to base myself in the U.S. But I've always imagined going back . . . at some point.

But when . . . who knows?

Exactly.

Your Aussie friends must be bummed.

Well . . . they're slowly coming over here! Which is cool. My brother now lives in L.A. And I've lived here for a while, so I have friends here now. So . . . I get by.