RENÉE ZELLWEGER
The
From Bridget Jones to Roxie Hart and now Judy Garland – the star completely transforms for every role she plays
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enée Zellweger is nothing if not versatile. The 50-year-old actress (yes, really!) has wowed on screen in a huge variety of roles across her three-decade career, including, of course, playing Chicago’s crim Roxie Hart and the loveable Bridget Jones. But after taking a six-year break from acting, Renée returned to screens – in 2016 with Bridget Jones’ Baby – and hasn’t stopped working since. In 2019, her starring role in Judy won the actress critical acclaim – and now the role has made Renée the hot favourite to win this year’s Best Actress Academy Award. She’s already bagged a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award and a
British Independent Film Award for the part. ‘This was a really big experience,’ Renée says. ‘I feel like I really found my voice in this.’ In the role, the actress portrays troubled movie queen Judy Garland. ‘I’ve always been a fan,’ Renée says of the actress, who famously starred in The Wizard of Oz – and battled depression, alcoholism and substance abuse issues. ‘She’s an icon.’ You play a screen legend in Judy. When did you know you wanted to be an actress? I was in college and I was on the set of a film that a student was making. There were RENÉE maybe four or five
IN LOVE
of us who were on her cast and crew and she needed some actors and I… got the bug. I didn’t understand why this felt very important to me, but I couldn’t wait for the next opportunity to act. Then, not long afterwards, you landed a part in a horror film… Yes, I was in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre [in 1995] with Matthew McConaughey – and not long after that he moved to Los Angeles. At the time, I wanted to stay [at home] in Texas. I was getting some work but there wasn’t a lot of film that came to town, so my opportunity to grow as an artist was a little stifled. But eventually I realised I would need to go where there were more opportunities.
How often do people say to you, Renée split with country ‘You had me at hello’? singer Doyle Bramhall II Not enough! I don’t go out much (left) in May 2019 after so, you know, it would be weird if seven years together. She’s I heard it a lot. I’ve heard it maybe also been linked to Jim a couple of times, but it still touches Carrey and Bradley me. What a cool thing when you get Cooper. a line like that!
How did Jerry Maguire and the three Bridget Jones movies change your life? I guess in ways I didn’t really see at the time. After I was cast in Jerry Maguire [alongside Tom Cruise], it was announced in Variety mag the very next day and that’s when I knew it was kind of a big deal. My brother went out to buy the mag and came back with a whole stack – so sweet. I could cry just thinking about it even now. Then Bridget. I’ve done three Bridget films and I think she’s been so special to me because, you know, what’s not to love about a woman who has so
