Bobby Cannavale is giving an update on the bearded dragon that he procured while his longtime partner Rose Byrne was winning an award at the 2026 Golden Globes.
The Ant-Man actor, 55, shared his deep adoration for “the most famous bearded dragon in the world” and revealed its name on Thursday’s episode of The Tonight Show.
“So, you know, I’ve never had a pet in my life. This is the first pet I’ve ever had,” Cannavale explained to host Jimmy Fallon. “And our littlest one really, really wanted a pet and really loves reptiles, and so — after a lot of discussion, a lot of research — we decided to get a bearded dragon.”
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The only problem? The New Jersey reptile expo where Cannavale and their two kids were set to pick up their new cold-blooded companion just so happened to fall on the same day as the Golden Globes, where Byrne was nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for her performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
As a result, Cannavale was unable to attend the event and wasn’t present when Byrne won the award. However, the Bridesmaids actress clarified the unique reason for Cannavale’s absence during her acceptance speech and later revealed that she spoke with him on FaceTime afterward.
Kevork Djansezian/CBS
“I love this guy. He’s pretty magnificent,” Cannavale said of the bearded dragon. “But [Byrne] destroyed my life with that announcement, I gotta tell you.”
Still, the Broadway veteran is embracing his role as a new pet parent. “I love him. I just love him,” he said. “I never dreamed I could love an animal like this. But every day now, I just have a little ritual and I take him out at like, 1 o’clock, I put him on my chest. We talk. I talk!”
Cannavale revealed he tells the dragon “a lot of things” during their tummy-time chats. “I talk to him. I don’t have therapy,” he shared. “I don’t do Pilates or yoga. So it’s my moment, my time.”
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He also revealed that his son has named the creature. “His name is Benny. He’s named after Benson Boone, because my son loves Benson Boone,” Cannavale said. “And he’s great.”
That’s about where the bearded dragon and “Mystical Magical” singer’s similarities end, however. “He doesn’t do the flips,” Cannavale acknowledged, referencing Boone’s propensity for flipping on stage. “The truth is he doesn’t do much.”
But he’s still committed to giving little Benny the best life ever.
“I put these little obstacle courses down, these little terrains, and I got him a little hammock,” he said. “And I got him a little thing to climb, but he doesn’t — he doesn’t really climb anything. He just walks around and eats roaches and crickets.”
Cannavale and Byrne began dating in 2012 and share two children together: sons Rocco and Rafael. He is also dad to son Jake from a previous marriage.
Watch Cannavale discuss the bearded dragon in the clip above.