How I Met My Partner: Cork movie makers Rosie and Matt are the 'real deal'

CORK-based actor, Matt Real never thought he would meet the love of his life while on a date with another girl.

At just 16-years -old he had his pick of the ladies. However, there was only ever one woman who caught his life.

Matt and Rosie Byrne have been together ever since. One engagement ring and two children later, the couple wouldn’t have it any other way.

Funnily enough, it was their love of film that brought them together in a most unconventional way. 

Matt explained.

 “We met at the movies when I was 16 and she was 15”.

Rosie chipped in.

“He was there with a date. From there we became really close friends. One day he texted me asking me to be his girlfriend and we've been inseparable ever since”.

She remembers their date like it was yesterday.

 “I think our first date was actually the cinema as well. I know we met at a showing of 'Hitman' and I honestly cannot remember what we went to see as our first date because we didn't watch a second of it. 

"I think for me, I saw my future with him from the moment he asked me out, I already knew I was in love with him at that point” 

The feeling was mutual for Matt.

“We just got on so well”, he said. “We fit together. For example, we both grew up watching movies. Rosie wanted to grow up to write movies and I wanted to grow up to star in them and now we love creating films together. We come up with plots together. Rosie writes them, I act in them and we're very lucky to work with Bolt Productions and Darren Kelleher to bring them to life. It's the dream”.

Rosie offered some sound advice for anyone looking to make a relationship work.

“I feel like everyone looks for love like they're looking for a house these days, always looking for cracks in the foundations and checking out the paint job. 

"Now, aside from actual red flags of course, I worry that people are missing out on a chance at real love and sharing a life with your best friend because they want someone made just for them. I believe when you meet the one, you learn and you grow together and sometimes it's hard and you get through it all together and that solid foundation of commitment to building a life where both of you are happy just makes all the sweet times so much sweeter. I can honestly say Matt is my best friend and it has been so amazing going through this crazy thing called life with my favourite person in the world right there by my side”.

Matt agreed adding:

“Finding the one is easy but no matter how much you love that person, no matter how attractive you find them, no matter how much fun ye have, no matter how well ye get on...the hard times will come and will happen. It’s about both of you being open and willing to work...because it will be work, but it's worth it”.

'LIKE 101 DALMATIONS'

Laughter is also an important element of their relationship. He referred to one anecdote in particular.

“When we were in our late teens we moved into our first home together, a 100-year-old one-bedroom cottage in the arse end of nowhere”, Matt said. 

“Somehow we ended up with our own three dogs and two rescue dogs. One was pregnant and later we had her four puppies too. We had nine dogs, in that tiny little cottage and it was like 101 Dalmations, it was utter chaos. One of them ate our couch, the backseat of our car and our dry wall. But looking back it was so much fun and they all found forever homes so that was awesome”.

Rosie has been extremely supportive when it comes to Matt’s acting career.

“I remember one hairy situation we got ourselves into was early on his acting career. I was heavily pregnant with our first born and we went to Dublin for an audition. Well while he was in his audition I managed to get myself lost looking for a coffee shop. My sense of direction is appalling, and I mean appalling. 

"Anyway, my phone died, his phone died and our piece of crap car had no working way to charge them so we were incommunicado. I was wandering the streets, carrying my big belly and he was asking randomers if he could use their phone to call me, not realising my phone was dead too. I've never been so relieved to see his little head come around a corner than I was that day. It was like a movie".

Rosie and Matt are looking forward to their wedding day in a few weeks time.

“We got engaged on Christmas Eve, and we're going to get married on Halloween this year”.

The pair love collaborating in work as much as they do in life.

“We've recently finished writing a short, which we are so passionate about, called 'If It Looks Like A Duck' which tells the story of two transgender girls and the violence they have to endure", Rosie said. 

"We also are working on another screenplay called 'Chicken Feet' which has a real Halloween feel to it and although it's not technically a comedy, it holds a lot of laughs. We hope to get those both into production in the near future. Matt teaches filmmaking workshops in schools all over Munster in association with Actors Vision. He's the director of the school's programme and really enjoys working with the kids and opening up their eyes to the possibility of actually carving out a career in film, you don't have to go to Hollywood to make movies”.