Actress Rose Byrne honored with parade, roast as Hasty Pudding's Woman of the Year

Actress Rose Byrne was honored with a parade and roast as she was named the 2026 Woman of the Year by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals on Friday. 

Byrne, from Australia, is known for her roles in "Bridesmaids," the "Insidious" franchise, as well as "Neighbors" and "28 Weeks Later." She recently won a Golden Globe for her role in "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" and received her first Oscar nomination for the role. 

The parade took Byrne around Cambridge, Massachusetts, in a convertible as dozens of people lined the streets to see the actress.  

At the roast, Byrne was put through a mock therapy session inspired by "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You." She was asked to interpret a series of ink blots including one painting that Byrne joked looked like a "vagina."

Based on her work in previous "Peter Rabbit" movies, she was asked to read in a scene from a new, fake entry into the series. This one saw her confronting a rabbit under the influence of drugs who shows up late one night.

"I don't like it when you lie. Do you even care about the kids?" Byrne yells at the rabbit, who appears to be staggering. "How am I supposed to stay calm when you are ruining our lives? I know you are using again."

The roast closed with Byrne donning a wedding dress and marrying the pudding pot. "This is marvelous," she said, after getting her gold pudding pot.

Afterward, Byrne told reporters the day on campus with students had been "magical" and then spoke on what it's meant for "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" to be recognized this awards season.

"It is a tougher subject; it isn't a typical kind of Oscar fair, I suppose, and so it is very meaningful that the work is being recognized," she said. "It really will live on and it's very fearless and kind of radical and I'm really proud of that."

She later attended Hasty Pudding's 177th production titled "Salooney Tunes." 

Byrne joins an extensive list of female recipients, including Cynthia Erivo, Annette Bening, Jennifer Coolidge, and Meryl Streep. Hasty Pudding's Woman of the Year award dates back to 1951. 

Hasty Pudding Theatricals dates back to 1844 and claims to be the third-oldest theater group in the world that is still operating. 

Michael Keaton named Hasty Pudding Man of the Year

Michael Keaton was named the 2026 Man of the Year in January. The Academy Award-nominated actor is known for his roles in "Beetlejuice," "Batman," "Birdman," and "Spiderman: Homecoming." 

During his ceremony on February 6, Keaton jousted with an Oscar statue and made burgers. He was then presented with his pudding pot and watched the Hasty Pudding production. 

"I'm ridiculously encouraged about this country," Keaton said of Harvard students, "The older generation not so much. Man, these people I've met are extraordinarily impressive. It's been a ball. Based on these people, we are in good shape folks." 

Past recipients of the award include 2025's Jon Hamm, Harrison Ford, Robert De Niro and Bob Odenkirk.