Monday, February 16, 2026
Rose Byrne, center, was celebrated at the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year parade on Friday.
Hundreds of onlookers braved the cold Friday, “Byrne-ing” for a glance at the Hasty Pudding’s Woman of the Year 2026, Rose Byrne. The blockbuster comedy queen and current Academy Award nominee is the 76th woman to receive the Harvard theater troupe’s designation, the perks of which include a parade in her honor.
Donning a black fur coat and carrying a bouquet of flowers, Byrne waved to fans as she rolled down Harvard Street in a white Bentley convertible. The car was surrounded by “security guards:” Harvard undergraduates dressed in black blazers and sunglasses. Other vehicles in the parade included buses from Ghosts and Graveyards and the Old Town Trolley touring companies.
People came from near and far to see Byrne, who is up for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” in which she portrays an overburdened mom frantically juggling her daughter’s illness, difficult therapy clients, and a crumbling house.
“This is my first time coming out. I’ve normally been in class when these things have been going on,” said Zophia Scherrier, a senior at Harvard. She had recently seen “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” and said “I love Rose Byrne … I just thought she was great.”
It was also the first parade for Robert Wallace, who came in from a neighboring suburb. “It’s really energizing to see all these very talented kids, not just on stage, but on show here in the parade,” said. Wallace, who has attended Hasty Pudding shows for years. “It’s fun to see them off stage. And the costumes, of course, are very clever.”
Behind Byrne’s car, indeed, were dozens of Hasty Pudding members dressed eclectically: a robot, a cactus, several cowgirls, and Marie Antoinette. Throughout the 20-minute parade, which started at Prescott Street, went down Harvard Street and ended on Dunster Street, the students danced to hits like Role Model’s “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” and Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”
Jane Petersen
Also in costume were members of the Freedom Trail Foundation, dressed in full colonial garb. Tim Hoover, who gives historical walking tours while portraying Sons of Liberty Member Josiah Quincy, Jr., said the American Revolution has links to the history of Harvard student theater beyond just geographical proximity.
“A lot of the revolutionary figures were involved in Harvard theatrics before, when it was still illegal to do theater performances in Puritan Boston,” said Hoover. “We as the Freedom Trail Foundation tell the stories of blood, guts and revolution and try to work in the stories that got unfortunately left out of the history books over the years.”
Not everyone was in a celebratory mood, however. Cambridge resident Ian MacKinnon was protesting the event, holding a sign that said “Epstein for $375,000 to Hasty Pudding was made Guardian of the Sphinx,” in reference to the $375,000 sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein made in donations to the Hasty Pudding Institute between 2013 and 2019, as well as his donor status level. Farkas Hall, where Hasty Pudding productions are performed, is endowed by Andrew Farkas, who was known to be a friend of Epstein’s.
MacKinnon says he wants Farkas’s name gone from the building. “I don’t think Farkas should be allowed to continue messing with Harvard Square. I don’t want to look at his name anymore,” he said.
There have been other calls for Harvard to rename the building. Any name changes will be the purview of the university, which is reviewing its connections to Epstein.
On Friday, the students that comprise Hasty Pudding Theatricals focused on putting on a compelling show.
Following the parade was the annual roast of this year’s awardee, chaired by Hasty Pudding President Daisy Nussbaum and Cast Vice President Izzy Wilson. Oscar jokes and references to her roles in less critically acclaimed (but hit films regardless) like “Neighbors,” and “Get Him to the Greek” were all fair game.
“You have such a storied career,” said Wilson. “Bad stories mostly, but stories nonetheless.”
“We can’t overlook your contributions to the genre of horror,” said Nussbaum. “In ‘Insidious’ you so deftly portray the psychological torture of a mother whose child is overtaken by evil spirits, and in Neighbors, you are married to Seth Rogen.”
Jane PetersenRose Byrne waving to onlookers at the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year parade.
The hosts also poked fun at Bryne’s Australian heritage.
“There are just so many differences between the two cultures,” Wilson said, comparing Australia and the U.S. “They have kangaroos, we have horses. They eat Vegemite, we eat ketchup. They call you Rose Byrne, and we call you after Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman have already said no.”
Byrne played along with the several bits thrown her way, including a Rorschach test reading in reference to her role in “Legs,” a dramatic reimagining of her role in “Peter Rabbit,” (“I know you’re using again!” she yelled at a Pudding performer dressed as a giant bunny), and concluding with a “Bridesmaids”-themed impromptu wedding between her and her golden pudding pot award.
“I promise to shout out Hasty Pudding Theatricals in any and all acceptance speeches in my near future,” Byrne read from the vows handed to her by Pudding performers.
During a press conference following the roast, she spoke about the importance of Oscar buzz for smaller films.
“We didn’t have a huge budget for promotion and press,” Byrne said. “It’s meaningful that I think the work is being recognized.”
Byrne called her day at Harvard “magical.”
“[It’s been] so inspiring to be with students. I’ve never been to the campus before, and I have a lot of friends who are alums of heart of Harvard, so it’s such a storied thing.”