3 days ago
2
Christina Hall's Ex Ant Anstead Gives Girlfriend Renée Zellweger a 'Bridget Jones' Shoutout
Renée Zellweger just wanted a little time away from her own voice.
In 2010, the 55-year-old became noticeably absent from film after having one of the biggest runs in Hollywood. And now she’s sharing why.
“Because I needed to,” The Bridget Jones Diary actress told Hugh Grant in an interview with British Vogue published Jan. 15. “I was sick of the sound of my own voice. When I was working, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, listen to you. Are you sad again, Renée? Oh, is this your mad voice?’ It was a regurgitation of the same emotional experiences.”
Renée quietly remained out of the spotlight from six years. And while she was away, she filled her time with things that mattered the most.
“I wrote music and studied international law,” she revealed. “I built a house, rescued a pair of older doggies, created a partnership that led to a production company, advocated for and fundraised with a sick friend, and spent a lot of time with family and godchildren and driving across the country with the dogs. I got healthy.”
The Oscar winner made her return in 2016 with The Whole Truth and has gotten back in the stride of Hollywood appearing on both the big and small screen as she returned for the third installment of the Bridget Jones franchise, won her second Academy Award for her role in Judy and returned to television for 2022’s The Thing About Pam. This year, fans will have a chance to see her step back into the role of Bridget Jones for the film’s fourth installment, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
Carlo Allegri / Staff
“I love her,” Renée—who is dating Ant Anstead—said about returning to her iconic role. “And her story is not finished. As long as Helen [Fielding] puts pen to paper, she’s alive. How much are we allowed to say about it?”
Stepping back into the role 30 years later, Renée understands why the fans love Bridget just as much she does.
"What I think is, don’t you meet a lot of people who say, 'I am Bridget Jones!?'" she said. "I think maybe folks recognize themselves in her and relate to her struggles and feelings of self-doubt. Bridget is authentically herself and doesn’t always get it right, but whatever her imperfections, she remains joyful and optimistic, carries on and triumphs in her own way."
Keep reading to look back at Renée through the years…
Dave Lewsi/Shutterstock
1999
Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
2000
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
2000
Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
2001
Miramax/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock
2001
David James/Miramax/Producers Circle/Storyline/Kobal/Shutterstock
2002
Merrick Morton/20th Century Fox/Regency/Kobal/Shutterstock
2003
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
2003
Stuart Atkins/Shutterstock
2004
Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock
2005
Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock
2005
Fotos International/Getty Images
2006
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
2007
Melinda Sue Gordon/Casey Silver Prods/Smoke House/Kobal/Shutterstock
2008
Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage
2009
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
2011
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
2013
Earl Gibson III/Getty Images
2015
Clemens Bilan/Getty Images
2016
Earl Gibson III/Getty Images
2015
Clemens Bilan/Getty Images
2016
Matt Baron/Shutterstock
2017
Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
2019
David Hindley/BBC Films/Kobal/Shutterstock
2019
Rob Latour/Shutterstock
2019
David Fisher/Shutterstock
2020
David Fisher/Shutterstock
2020
David Fisher/BAFTA/Shutterstock
2020
Skip Bolen/NBC
2021
2022
Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.
English (US) ·