:Renée Zellweger

Renée Kathleen Zellweger was born on April 25, 1969,{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dRIRAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Ren%C3%A9e+Kathleen+Zellweger%22 | title=Time: Almanac 2008| isbn=9781933821214 | publisher=Time | date=November 27, 2007}} in Katy, Texas.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20473449,00.html|magazine=People|title=Renée Zellweger: I Never Planned to Be Famous|first1=Alicia|last1=Dennis|date=March 12, 2011|access-date=September 20, 2015|archive-date=September 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922003037/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20473449,00.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/renee-zellweger-9540674|title=Renee Zellweger Biography|date=April 2021 |publisher=biography.com}} Her father, Emil Erich Zellweger, is from the Swiss town of Au, St. Gallen.{{cite web |url=http://www.filmreporter.de/stars/feature/1302;Renee-Zellweger-hats-geschafft |title=(german) |publisher=Filmreporter.de |date=May 9, 2006 |access-date=March 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304093003/http://www.filmreporter.de/stars/feature/1302;Renee-Zellweger-hats-geschafft |archive-date=March 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }} He was a mechanical and electrical engineer who worked in the oil-refining business. Her mother, Kjellfrid,{{cite magazine|title= Renée Zellweger Reveals Her Mom Played with Hand Grenades as a Child During WWII in Norway|url=https://people.com/movies/renee-zellweger-reveals-her-mom-played-with-hand-grenades-as-a-child-during-wwii-in-norway/|date=January 9, 2020|access-date=July 22, 2023|magazine=People|quote=Zellweger named her mom Kjellfrid as her hero}} is Norwegian of Kven{{Cite book|title=Modern Finland|last=Haarmann|first=Harald|date=2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-6202-2|language=en}} and Sámi descent.{{Cite web|title=Suomalaistaustaisia Hollywoodin tähtiä|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/suomalaistaustaisia-hollywoodin-tahtia|access-date=2021-08-15|website=www.goldenglobes.com|language=fi|archive-date=September 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926070158/https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/suomalaistaustaisia-hollywoodin-tahtia|url-status=dead}} Kjellfrid grew up in Ekkerøy near the town Vadsø in the northern part of Norway.[http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kommentatorer/dragnes/article3827442.ece#.T25b_WKP24Y "Biskopen, stjernen og minoritetene"]. Aftenposten.no. September 26, 2010. She was a nurse and midwife who moved to the United States to work as a governess for a Norwegian family in Texas.Agelorius, Monica. [http://www.scene-magazine.com/archive/filmarchive.php?filmarcid=8 "Bridget Jones's Diary LA junket"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212143108/http://www.scene-magazine.com/archive/filmarchive.php?filmarcid=8 |date=February 12, 2009 }}. scene-magazine.com March 17, 2001.[http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/renee_zellweger_biog.html "Renee Zellweger Biography"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221163220/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/renee_zellweger_biog.html |date=February 21, 2009 }}. Tiscali.co.uk. February 6, 2008. Referring to her religious background, Zellweger has described herself as being raised in a family of "lazy Catholics and Episcopalians".

Zellweger attended Katy High School, where she was a cheerleader and active in athletics.{{cite web|title=Renee Zellweger|url=https://www.biography.com/actors/renee-zellweger|access-date=July 22, 2023|website=Biography|date=April 2021 }} She also participated in soccer and powderpuff football. In 1986, her academic paper, "The Karankawas and Their Roots", won third place in the first-ever Houston Post High School Natural Science Essay Contest.{{Cite news|url = http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/bayou-city-history/article/The-Oscar-winner-and-the-Karankawas-6468233.php|title = The Oscar winner and the Karankawas|last = Gonzalez|first = J.R.|date = September 3, 2015 |work=Houston Chronicle|access-date = September 14, 2015}} After high school, she enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.[http://www.askmen.com/women/actress/43_renee_zellweger.html "Actress of the Week: Renee Zellweger"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720134412/http://www.askmen.com/women/actress/43_renee_zellweger.html |date=July 20, 2008 }}. Askmen.com. 2008-02-06, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110117002218/http://www.askmen.com/celebs/women/actress/43_renee_zellweger.html WebCitation archive]. While at the university, she took a drama course as an elective, which sparked her interest in acting.[http://www.bravotv.com/Inside_the_Actors_Studio/guest/Renee_Zellweger "Inside the Actors Studio"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070804043757/http://www.bravotv.com/Inside_the_Actors_Studio/guest/Renee_Zellweger |date=August 4, 2007 }}. Bravotv.com. Season 9, Episode 912. May 9, 2003.

In her junior year, her father lost his job and was unable to support her at college, so she took a job as a cocktail waitress in Austin, Texas.[https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019230/bio "Renee Zellweger"]. Yahoo! Movies. February 6, 2008. She said of the job, "I learned a lot. As much as I did in my classes that that club paid for... I learned not to judge people, [and] that things are not black and white." She began getting small parts acting, and earned her Screen Actors Guild card for doing a Coors Light commercial.Lovece, Frank. [http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/renee-zellweger-talks-about-my-one-and-only-1.1395879 "Renee Zellweger talks about 'My One and Only'"], Newsday, August 26, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20111126024207/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/renee-zellweger-talks-about-my-one-and-only-1.1395879 WebCitation archive]: "I got my SAG card on my Coors Light commercial. Yeah! Coors Light paid for college!" Also while in college, she did "a bit part ... as a local hire" in the Austin-filmed horror-comedy film My Boyfriend's Back, playing "the girl in the beauty shop, maybe two lines. But the beauty shop [scene] got cut." Her first job after graduation was working in a beef commercial, while simultaneously auditioning for roles around Houston, Texas.

While still in Texas, Zellweger appeared in several independent and low-budget films. One was A Taste for Killing (1992), followed by a role in the ABC miniseries Murder in the Heartland (1993). Also in 1993, she had an uncredited role in Dazed and Confused.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-11 |title=Every Future Movie Star In Dazed And Confused |url=https://screenrant.com/dazed-confused-movie-future-stars-mcconaughey-affleck-jovovich/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US}} In 1994, she appeared in Reality Bites,{{cite news |title='Reality Bites': Where Are They Now?|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/reality-bites-gallery-1.100460?pmSlide=8|work=New York Daily News |date=July 11, 2011|access-date=September 2, 2012}} the directorial debut of Ben Stiller,{{cite news |last=Piazza|first=Jo|title=Sundance 2012: Ben Stiller Revisits Reality Bites|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/sundance-2012-ben-stiller_n_1224473.html|work=The Huffington Post|date=January 23, 2012|access-date=September 2, 2012}} and in the biographical film 8 Seconds, directed by John G. Avildsen.{{cite web |title=Renee Zellweger |url=http://beta.blockbuster.com/movies/renee-zellweger.html |publisher=blockbuster.com |access-date=September 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330043900/http://beta.blockbuster.com/movies/renee-zellweger.html |archive-date=March 30, 2013 }} Her first main role in a movie came with the 1995 horror film The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, alongside Matthew McConaughey, playing a teenager who leaves a prom early with three friends who get into a car accident, which leads to their meeting a murderous family, led by the iconic Leatherface. While the film went unnoticed,{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/texas_chainsaw_massacre_the_next_generation/|title=Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation|date=October 7, 1994|website=Rotten Tomatoes}} Joe Leydon for Variety magazine lauded Zellweger, calling her "the most formidable scream queen since Jamie Lee Curtis went legit."{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/the-return-of-the-texas-chainsaw-massacre-1200441001/|work=Variety|date=March 19, 1995|access-date=March 10, 2015|author=Leydon, Joe|title=Review: "The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre"}}

In her next film, the crime comedy Love and a .45 (1994), Zellweger played a woman who plans a robbery with her boyfriend. Although the film received a limited release in theaters,{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/love_and_a_45/|title=Love and a .45|date=November 23, 1994|website=Rotten Tomatoes}} Marc Savlov of Austin Chronicle applauded the main cast saying they were "all excellent in their roles" and noted that "Zellweger's character – all squeals and caged sexuality – seems a bit too close to Juliette Lewis' Mallory Knox (of Natural Born Killers) to be as fresh as it should be".{{cite news |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/film/1994-11-25/138391/|title=Love & a .45|work=The Austin Chronicle}} The part earned her an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. She subsequently relocated to Los Angeles, a move she had postponed several times because she believed she lacked the talent and experience to be a competitive actor in that city. She would next appear in the coming-of-age drama Empire Records (1995). Rotten Tomatoes' consensus was: "Despite a terrific soundtrack and a strong early performance from Renee Zellweger, Empire Records is mostly a silly and predictable teen dramedy."[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/empire_records Empire Records Movie Reviews, Pictures]. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2011.

Zellweger came to wider recognition through her role in Jerry Maguire (1996), playing a single mother and the romantic interest of a glossy sports agent (Tom Cruise). The film grossed over US$273 million worldwide.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/news/a2448/renee-zellweger-interview-photos/|title=Renee Zellweger Interview - Renee Zellweger Photos|author=Suzan Colon|magazine=Marie Claire}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=jerrymaguire.htm|title=Jerry Maguire (1996) - Box Office Mojo|website=www.boxofficemojo.com}} It was Cruise who chose her to play his love interest and later credited her with "revealing the core humanity of the movie".{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/apr/13/awardsandprizes.culture|title=The Friday interview: Renée Zellweger|author=LibBrooks|work=The Guardian}} Roger Ebert, acknowledging Zellweger's and Cruise's chemistry, wrote: "The film is often a delight, especially when Cruise and Zellweger are together on the screen. He plays Maguire with the earnestness of a man who wants to find greatness and happiness in an occupation where only success really counts. She plays a woman who believes in this guy she loves, and reminds us that true love is about idealism."{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jerry-maguire-1996|title=Jerry Maguire|author=Roger Ebert|date=December 13, 1996|publisher=rogerebert.com}} For her performance, Zellweger was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

In the religious drama A Price Above Rubies (1998), Zellweger starred as a young woman who finds it difficult to conform to the restrictions imposed on her by the community.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120793/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl|title=A Price Above Rubies (1998)|website=IMDb}} The film flopped at the box office,{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=priceaboverubies.htm|title=A Price Above Rubies (1998) |website=Box Office Mojo}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/price_above_rubies/|title=A Price Above Rubies|date=March 25, 1998|website=Rotten Tomatoes}} but Zellweger was applauded by some critics such as Ebert, who wrote that she gave a "ferociously strong performance".{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-price-above-rubies-1998|title=A Price Above Rubies|author=Roger Ebert|date=April 3, 1998|publisher=rogerebert.com}} That same year, she also starred in the drama One True Thing, opposite William Hurt and Meryl Streep. She played a woman, based on author Anna Quindlen, forced to put her life on hold in order to care for her mother, who is dying of cancer. One True Thing took in a modest US$23 million in the US,{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=onetruething.htm|title=One True Thing (1998) - Box Office Mojo|website=www.boxofficemojo.com}} but had a favorable critical response;{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/one_true_thing/reviews/?page=2&sort=|title=One True Thing - Movie Reviews |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{cite web|url=http://www.reelingreviews.com/reel188.htm#onetruething|title=Show #188 of Reeling: The Movie Review Show with Robin and Laura Clifford|publisher=reelingreviews.com}} Variety magazine's Todd McCarthy stated about Zellweger, "Projecting gravity and impatience that she hasn't shown before, Zellweger is outstanding as the smart young woman who resents the interruption to her life's momentum but ends up growing in ways she never would have expected."{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/one-true-thing-2-1200455293/|title=One True Thing|author=Todd McCarthy|work=Variety}}

After playing the female lead opposite Chris O'Donnell in the little-seen romantic comedy The Bachelor (1999),{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bachelor.htm|title=The Bachelor (1999) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=November 26, 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1093976-bachelor/|title=The Bachelor|date=November 5, 1999|website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=November 26, 2014}} Zellweger starred in the Farrelly brothers comedy Me, Myself & Irene (2000), with Jim Carrey,{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183505/releaseinfo|title=Me, Myself & Irene (2000) : Release Info|website=IMDb|access-date=December 6, 2015}} as a woman on the run for what she believes is a false accusation set up by her mob-connected ex-boyfriend. It was a commercial success,{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2000/06/25/me-myself-irene-tops-box-office|title=Me, Myself & Irene tops the box office|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} grossing US$149 million worldwide.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=memyselfandirene.htm|title=Me, Myself and Irene (2000) |website=Box Office Mojo}}

In the black comedy Nurse Betty (2000), directed by Neil LaBute and starring Morgan Freeman, Zellweger played a Kansas waitress who suffers a nervous breakdown after witnessing her husband's murder.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nurse_betty/|title=Nurse Betty|date=September 8, 2000|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{cite web|url=http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=5184&s=Reviews|title=Urban Cinefile NURSE BETTY|publisher=urbancinefile.com.au|access-date=June 25, 2015|archive-date=June 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626111725/http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=5184&s=Reviews|url-status=dead}} San Francisco Chronicle found the actress to be "a performer who emanates kindness and a pure heart",{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/GOOD-MEDICINE-Winsome-Renee-Zellweger-leads-an-3238442.php|title=GOOD MEDICINE / Winsome Renee Zellweger leads an outstanding cast in the twisted comedy 'Nurse Betty'|work=San Francisco Chronicle}} and Variety remarked: "Few actresses can convey the kind of honesty and humanity that Zellweger does here — it's hard to imagine the film without her dominant, thoroughly credible performance".{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/nurse-betty-1200462310/|title=Review: 'Nurse Betty'|first=Emanuel|last=Levy|date=May 12, 2000}} She won her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, but she was in the bathroom when future co-star Hugh Grant announced her name. She later protested: "I had lipstick on my teeth!"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1130453.stm "Zellweger's flush of success"]. BBC News. February 7, 2008.

In 2001, Zellweger gained the prized lead role of Bridget Jones, opposite Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, in the British romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Diary, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Helen Fielding. The casting of Zellweger came amid much controversy since she was neither British nor plump, and did not smoke. During casting, Zellweger was told she was too thin to play the cherubic, chain-smoking Bridget, so she quickly embarked on gaining the required weight (20 pounds) and learning to speak in an English accent while she smoked herbal cigarettes.{{cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/13/arts/13BRID.html?ex=1203310800&en=d24402979583bd46&ei=5070 |title='Bridget Jones's Diary' - 120 Pounds and 1,000,000 Cigarettes Later |location=London |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 13, 2001 |access-date=August 30, 2015}} In addition to receiving dialect coaching to fine-tune her accent, part of Zellweger's preparations involved spending three weeks working undercover in a "work experience placement" for British publishing firm Picador in Victoria, London.{{cite web|url=http://www.iofilm.co.uk/feats/interviews/r/renee_zellweger.shtml |title=Interview transcription (TXT) |publisher=Iofilm.co.uk |access-date=August 30, 2015}} Her portrayal of Jones led Stephen Holden of The New York Times to comment, "Ms. Zellweger accomplishes the small miracle of making Bridget both entirely endearing and utterly real." The role earned her a second Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and her first Academy Award and BAFTA Award nominations for Best Leading Actress. Bridget Jones's Diary was a major commercial success, earning US$281 million worldwide.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bridgetjonessdiary.htm|title=Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) |website=Box Office Mojo}}

Zellweger took on the role of a former actress serving as a foster mother, alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, in the drama White Oleander (2002), for which she received a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Drama.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283139/awards|title=White Oleander (2002) : Awards|website=IMDb|access-date=December 6, 2015}} She also portrayed Roxie Hart in the 2002 musical film Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall and co-starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, and John C. Reilly. The film won Best Picture at the 75th Academy Awards.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41879-2002Dec26.html |title=Pure Razzmatazz |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 27, 2002 |access-date=August 30, 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2003|title=The 75th Academy Awards | 2003|website=Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 5, 2014 }} Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Tim Robey labeled Chicago the "best screen musical [since 1972's Cabaret]",{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4729504/This-jailhouse-rocks.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4729504/This-jailhouse-rocks.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=This jailhouse rocks|first=Tim|last=Robey|date=December 27, 2002}}{{cbignore}} and the San Francisco Chronicle commented, "Zellweger is a joy to watch, with marvelous comic timing and, in her stage numbers, a commanding presence".[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/27/DD41828.DTL&type=movies "That's showbiz / 'Chicago' sparkles with sexy women, jazz energy and spectacular numbers"], December 27, 2002. She earned her second Academy Award and BAFTA Award nominations for Best Leading Actress, winning her second Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.

In 2003, following the success of Chicago, Zellweger starred with Ewan McGregor in the little-seenLyman, Rick Summer Movies, Looking for the Look of "Love", The New York Times, May 11, 2003 romantic comedy Down with Love, as a woman advocating female independence in the 1950s and early 1960s,LaSalle, Mick Up with "Down"/ Behind retro-fluff look is a smart view of sex, American style San Francisco Chronicle, May 16, 2003 Archived: [http://m.sfgate.com/movies/article/Up-with-Down-Behind-retro-fluff-look-is-a-2647963.php]{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2003/05/30/box-office|title=BOX OFFICE|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=May 30, 2003|access-date=February 19, 2020|archive-date=November 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123113940/http://www.ew.com/article/2003/05/30/box-office|url-status=dead}} and appeared in Anthony Minghella's war drama Cold Mountain, opposite Nicole Kidman and Jude Law, playing a woman who helps a farmer following her father's death. The film garnered several award nominations and wins for its actors; Zellweger won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 76th Academy Awards, the 61st Golden Globe Awards, the 10th Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the 57th British Academy Film Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159365/awards|title=Cold Mountain (2003) : Awards|website=IMDb|access-date=December 6, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/bestactress2.html|title=Academy Awards Best Actress and Supporting Actress - Winners|publisher=filmsite.org}}{{cite book |author=Sati Achath |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b4PWUvujOAgC&q=did+renee+zellweger+best+supporting+actress+golden+globe+cold+mountain&pg=PA47 |title=Hollywood Celebrities: Basic Things You've Always Wanted to Know |publisher=AuthorHouse |year=2011 |isbn=9781463411572 |page=47}}{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/22/sprj.aa04.sag.awards.reut/|title=CNN.com - Depp a surprise win at SAG awards - Feb. 23, 2004|publisher=CNN}}{{cite news |author=Reynolds |first=Nigel |last2=Griffin |first2=Zoe |date=February 16, 2004 |title=Lord of the Rings casts its spell on the Baftas |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3612485/Lord-of-the-Rings-casts-its-spell-on-the-Baftas.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3612485/Lord-of-the-Rings-casts-its-spell-on-the-Baftas.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}

In 2004, Zellweger provided her voice for the DreamWorks Animation film Shark Tale,{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shark_tale/|title=Shark Tale|date=October 1, 2004|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=sharktale.htm|title=Shark Tale (2004) |website=Box Office Mojo}} and reprised her title role in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, which made US$262 million around the globe{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bridgetjones2.htm|title=Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) |website=Box Office Mojo}} and earned her a fourth Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy nomination.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1018051,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320033146/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1018051,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 20, 2008|title=Golden Globes: A Foxx-y and Swank-y Night?|magazine=People}} In 2005, she played the wife of world heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock in Ron Howard's drama Cinderella Man, opposite Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cinderella_man/|title=Cinderella Man|date=May 29, 2005|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=cinderellaman.htm|title=Cinderella Man (2005) |website=Box Office Mojo}} In his review for the film, David Ansen of Newsweek, wrote that the actress "has an uncanny ability to make us swallow even the most movie-ish moments".{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=116922|title=Empire's Cinderella Man Movie Review|publisher=empireonline.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629170725/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=116922|archive-date=June 29, 2015}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newsweek.com/against-ropes-120053 |title=Against The Ropes |author=David Ansen |magazine=Newsweek |access-date=August 30, 2015}} On May 24, 2005, Zellweger received a landmark star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the motion picture industry.{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/renee-zellweger/photos/renee-zellweger-receives-star-on-the-walk-of-fame-hollywood-ca-68795.aspx|title=Renee Zellweger - RENEE ZELLWEGER receives Star on the 'Walk of Fame' Hollywood, Ca (1442656)|publisher=buddytv.com|access-date=June 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623234729/http://www.buddytv.com/renee-zellweger/photos/renee-zellweger-receives-star-on-the-walk-of-fame-hollywood-ca-68795.aspx|archive-date=June 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4577927.stm|title=BBC NEWS - Entertainment - Walk of Fame star for Zellweger|publisher=BBC}}

Zellweger portrayed author Beatrix Potter in the biographical comedy Miss Potter, with Emily Watson and Ewan McGregor. She also served as an executive producer as she wanted to get more involved in the production.{{cite web |url=http://www.thecinemasource.com/celebrity/interviews/Renee-Zellweger-Miss-Zellweger-interview-424-500.html |title=Renee Zellweger Interview |access-date=December 16, 2008 |last=Passafuime |first=Rocco |publisher=The Cinema Source |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070422043639/http://www.thecinemasource.com/celebrity/interviews/Renee-Zellweger-Miss-Zellweger-interview-424-500.html |archive-date=April 22, 2007 }} William Arnold of Seattle Post-Intelligencer concluded that Zellweger "strikes just the right chord of inspiration, eccentricity and uncompromising artistic drive."{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Zellweger-embodies-Beatrix-in-Miss-Potter-1224267.php|title=Zellweger embodies Beatrix in 'Miss Potter'|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}} For her portrayal, she earned her sixth nomination for the Golden Globe Award (and her fifth one in the category of Best Actress – Musical or Comedy). In 2007, Zellweger lent her voice to the animated family comedy Bee Movie and was awarded the Women in Film Crystal award.[https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-06-15-lucy-awards_N.htm "Renée, 'Grey's' light up Crystal/Lucy Awards"] June 16, 2007, USA Today

With George Clooney in his directorial venture, the period comedy Leatherheads (2008), about the early years of professional American football, Zellweger portrayed a Chicago Tribune newspaper reporter.{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/01/box.office.ew/index.html?iref=nextin|title='Taken' steals No. 1 slot at box office - CNN.com|first=Joshua|last=Rich|website=CNN}}{{cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1918193,00.html|title=Box-Office Weekend: The Basterds Are Glourious|magazine=Time|first=Richard|last=Corliss|date=August 24, 2009|via=content.time.com}} The film received largely mixed reviews and made US$13.5 million in its opening weekend, described as "disappointing" by website Box Office Mojo.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leatherheads/|title=Leatherheads|date=March 24, 2008|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=leatherheads.htm|title=Leatherheads (2008) |website=Box Office Mojo}} MTV.com praised the actress for "displaying an unexpected gift for drawling sarcasm",{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1584798/story.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407213345/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1584798/story.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 7, 2008|title='Leatherheads': Semipro Life, By Kurt Loder|publisher=MTV News}} but Kevin Williamson for website Jam! criticized her role, remarking that she, "as the kind of lippy heroine epitomized by Rosalind Russell, is miscast in a role that demands snark, not sleepy-eyed sweetness".{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1584798/leatherheads-semipro-life-by-kurt-loder/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624000109/http://www.mtv.com/news/1584798/leatherheads-semipro-life-by-kurt-loder/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 24, 2015|title='Leatherheads': Semipro Life, By Kurt Loder|publisher=MTV News}} In the western Appaloosa (2008), Zellweger played a beguiling widow opposite Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. The film grossed US$20 million at the North American box office.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008785-appaloosa/|title=Appaloosa|date=October 3, 2008|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2008/10/06/chihuahua-top-dog-box-office|title='Chihuahua' is top dog at box office|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=appaloosa.htm|title=Appaloosa (2008) |website=Box Office Mojo}} Zellweger produced the made-for-television feature Living Proof, starring Harry Connick Jr., about the true story of Denny Slamon. It was co-produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and premiered in October 2008 on Lifetime Television.[http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2008/05/harry_connick_jr_to_star_in_ne.html "Harry Connick Jr. to star in New Orleans-shot movie for Lifetime"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405112836/http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2008/05/harry_connick_jr_to_star_in_ne.html |date=April 5, 2011 }}, The Times Picayune, May 2, 2008.

File:Renée Zellweger (Berlin Film Festival 2009, cropped).jpg]]

Her next film was the 2009 comedy New in Town, in which she played a Miami high-powered consultant adjusting to her new life in a small Minnesota town. The movie rated poorly with reviewers and made a lackluster US$16 million in its domestic theatrical run.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/new_in_town|title=New in Town|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2542&p=.htm|title='Taken' Captures Super Bowl Weekend - Box Office Mojo|website=www.boxofficemojo.com}} Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian stated that her "rabbity, dimply pout – surely the strangest facial expression in Hollywood – simpers and twitches out of the screen in this moderate girly flick that adheres with almost religious fanaticism to the feelgood romcom handbook".{{cite web |title = New in Town (2009) |url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/new_in_town/ |website = Rotten Tomatoes}} In 2009, she also provided her voice for a supporting character in DreamWorks' animated film Monsters vs. Aliens,{{cite news |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2008-03-10-monsters-aliens_N.htm|title=First look: 'Monsters vs. Aliens' is the ultimate; a 3-D 'first' |work=USA Today}} and starred as the mother of actor George Hamilton in the comedy My One and Only,Press notes, "Herrick Entertainment Presents 'My One and Only', A Film by Richard Loncraine" which despite being distributed for a limited release to certain parts of the United States only.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=myoneandonly.htm|title=My One and Only (2009) |website=Box Office Mojo}} Bill Gray, of Entertainment Weekly felt that she played her part "to her strengths",{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2009/08/28/my-one-and-only|title=My One and Only - EW.com|author=Charlie Peters|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} and reviewer Mick LaSalle found her performance to be a "standout".{{cite news |url=https://www.chron.com/entertainment/movies/article/My-One-and-Only-1721637.php|title=My One and Only|work=Houston Chronicle}}

Zellweger took on the role of a social worker assigned to a mysterious girl in Case 39, a supernatural thriller she had filmed in 2006. The title had a lengthy post-production and was not released in theaters in the United States until 2010.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2010/08/19/renee-zellwegerbradley-cooper-film-case-39-finally-gets-a-release-date|title=Renee Zellweger/Bradley Cooper film 'Case 39' finally gets a release date|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795351/releaseinfo|title=Case 39 (2009) : Release Info|website=IMDb|access-date=December 6, 2015}} It was universally panned by critics and only earned US$5.3 million in its opening weekend,{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/case_39/|title=Case 39|date=October 1, 2010|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=case39.htm|title=Case 39 (2010) |website=Box Office Mojo}} leading Indiewire to write that Zellweger "faces an [u]ncertain [f]uture" as she was in "an unforgiving industry that doles out few juicy roles for women over 40."{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2010/10/zellweger-faces-uncertain-future-as-case-39-flops-238326/|title=Zellweger Faces Uncertain Future as Case 39 Flops - IndieWire|first=Anne|last=Thompson|website=www.indiewire.com|date=October 3, 2010}} The road drama My Own Love Song, in which she played a former singer suffering from paralysis, was screened at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival,{{cite web|url=http://www.jason-bailey.com/2010/04/tribeca-my-own-love-song.html|title=Fourth Row Center: Film Writings by Jason Bailey|author=Bailey|work=jason-bailey.com}} and released for DVD.{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/07/renee-zellweger-the-whole-truth_n_4918572.html|title=Renée Zellweger's First Movie In Four Years May Be 'The Whole Truth,' Opposite Daniel Craig|work=The Huffington Post}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193507/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ov_inf+|title=My Own Love Song (2010) : Release Info|website=IMDb|access-date=December 6, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.filmgatereviews.com/2011/05/my-own-love-song-movie-review.html|title=Film Gate Reviews|author=Anne Campbell|publisher=filmgatereviews.com}}{{cite web|url=http://reelfilm.com/mini113.htm#my|title=Mini Reviews (May 2011) - Reviews by David Nusair|publisher=reelfilm.com}}

After My Own Love Song was released, Zellweger took a four-year hiatus from screen acting, as she found the time to "go away and grow up a bit". Reflecting on this period of time in a July 2016 interview with British Vogue, she explained: "I was fatigued and wasn't taking the time I needed to recover between projects, and it caught up with me [...] I got sick of the sound of my own voice".{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/renee-zellweger-interview-gender-inequality-921947/|title=Renee Zellweger on Aging in Hollywood, Gender Inequality, Politics and Her Six-Year Break|first1=Laurie|last1=Sandell|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 24, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/06/renee-zellweger-acting-break|title=Renée Zellweger Explains Her Six-Year Hollywood Hiatus|first=Julie|last=Miller|website=Vanity Fair|date=June 6, 2016}} In 2013, Zellweger co-created and executive produced Cinnamon Girl, an original drama series set in the Hollywood movie and music scenes of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the Lifetime network passed on the pilot.{{cite magazine|title=Lifetime Passes On Renee Zellweger's Pilot 'Cinnamon Girl'|url=https://deadline.com/2013/02/lifetime-passes-on-renee-zellweger-produced-pilot-cinnamon-girl-432118/|magazine=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=December 28, 2013|date=February 15, 2013}} That same year, she was considered for a supporting role in the film August: Osage County alongside Andrea Riseborough but the role ultimately went to Juliette Lewis.

File:Renee Zellweger 2016 avp BJ.jpg in 2016]]

Following a four-year hiatus from acting, Zellweger took on the pivotal role of Loretta Lassiter, an abused, yet devious wife. She plays the mother of a teenage son who is accused of murdering his wealthy father in a courtroom crime drama, The Whole Truth, directed by Courtney Hunt and with Keanu Reeves ostensibly playing her son's defense lawyer. Principal photography of the film, which is set in New Orleans, commenced in July 2014. The film was released following extensive post production, in the US during 2016.{{Cite web |last=Sneider |first=Jeff |date=2014-06-14 |title=Keanu Reeves to Replace Daniel Craig in Courtroom Drama 'The Whole Truth' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/keanu-reeves-to-replace-daniel-craig-in-courtroom-drama-the-whole-truth/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2014-07-14 |title=On The Set For 7/07/14: Owen Wilson & Kristen Wiig Start Relativity Armored Car Project, Mel Gibson Wraps on Blood Father |work=Studio System News |url=http://www.studiosystemnews.com/on-the-set-for-70714-owen-wilson-kristen-wiig-start-relativity-armored-car-project-mel-gibson-wraps-on-blood-father/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714151829/http://www.studiosystemnews.com/on-the-set-for-70714-owen-wilson-kristen-wiig-start-relativity-armored-car-project-mel-gibson-wraps-on-blood-father/ |archive-date=July 14, 2014 }}

Zellweger made her trilogy comeback, opposite Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey in the romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), the third Bridget Jones franchise, portraying Jones as single and in her forties discovering that she is pregnant and must figure out, exactly who the father is. The film was met with a positive response by critics and grossed US$211.9 million worldwide.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bridget_joness_baby_2016|title=Bridget Jones's Baby|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bridgetjonessbaby.htm |title=Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) |website= Box Office Mojo |access-date=22 June 2024}} Village Voice found the movie to be "the warmest and most satisfying of the series" and concluded that Zellweger's "wise, light-hearted performance anchors this happy reunion, a surprising and refreshing gift from a creative well that seemed to have run dry".{{Cite web |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/09/13/bridget-jones-presses-on-into-adulthood-and-her-best-film-yet/ |title=Bridget Jones Presses On Into Adulthood — And Her Best Film Yet |first=Serena |last=Donadoni |date=September 13, 2016 |work=The Village Voice}}

In Same Kind of Different as Me (2017), a film adaptation of the autobiographical book by the same name, Zellweger starred with Djimon Hounsou, Olivia Holt and Jon Voight, as the wife of an art dealer whose struggling relationship is changed for the better by a homeless man.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-renee-zellweger-same-kind-of-different-as-me-new-movie-20141028-story.html |title=Renee Zellweger begins shooting 'Same Kind of Different as Me' |first=Oliver |last=Gettell |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 28, 2014}}{{cite news |first=Dave |last=McNary |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/pierce-brosnans-moon-and-the-sun-april-10-release-1201456981/ |title=Pierce Brosnan's 'Moon and the Sun' Pulled from Schedule |work=Variety |date=March 20, 2015 |access-date=April 11, 2015}} The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a moderate commercial success. The Wrap, nevertheless, remarked: "Zellweger, in fact, delivers a gentle, thoughtful, yet headstrong performance as the wife who digs in her heels to get human decency out of the people she cares for the most".{{Cite web | url=https://www.thewrap.com/same-kind-of-different-as-me-review-renee-zellweger-djimon-hounsou/ | title='Same Kind of Different as Me' Review: Renee Zellweger Brings Grace to Faith-Based True Story | first=Dave | last=White | work=TheWrap | date=October 20, 2017}} She played the friend of a New York City singer who gets a life-changing medical diagnosis in the independent drama Here and Now (2018), opposite Sarah Jessica Parker.{{Cite web | url=https://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/blue-night-2018 | title=Blue Night | Tribeca Film Festival | access-date=May 30, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823180631/https://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/blue-night-2018 | archive-date=August 23, 2019 | url-status=dead }}{{Cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/11/06/here-and-now-review-sarah-jessica-parker/ | title='Here and Now' is a bleary, boring misstep for Sarah Jessica Parker: EW review | first=Dana | last=Schwartz | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | date=November 6, 2018}} Dana Schwartz of Entertainment Weekly praised the appearance of Zellweger, describing the film as "heightened by the magnetic Renée Zellweger, barely concealing her suburban rage behind a cheerfully swirled glass of wine."

File:Renée Zellweger at the 2019 TIFF premiere of Judy (48816507828).jpg at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival]]

Zellweger obtained her first major television role when she was cast as Anne Montgomery, a mysterious venture capitalist, in the Netflix thriller miniseries What/If (2019).{{Cite news |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-05-01/what-if-netflix-release-date-cast-plot-trailer-renee-zellweger/ |title=When is What/If released on Netflix? What's it about? Who's in the cast? |last=Harrison |first=Ellie |work=RadioTimes |date=June 11, 2019 |access-date=April 2, 2025 |language=en}} Although the show received mixed reviews from critics, Zellweger's performance was praised, with Haider Rifaat of The Express Tribune writing, "Not to forgo the incredible acting prowess of Zellweger, who impeccably embraces the character of Anne. Subtle gestures, symbolic interaction and character development are some commendable aspects that intensify the actors' performances."{{Cite web |url=https://tribune.com.pk/article/83732/whatif-defying-the-norms-of-conventional-television |title=What/If: Defying the norms of conventional television |first=Haider |last=Rifaat |work=The Express Tribune |date=June 6, 2019 |language=en-US |access-date=January 7, 2020}}

Her next role was that of Judy Garland in 2019's biographical drama Judy. Based on the West End and Broadway play End of the Rainbow, the film chronicles the last years of Garland's life, shortly before her death in 1969. Zellweger performed her own vocals in the film and her songs had to be performed in front of a live audience. Judy premiered to positive reviews at the Telluride Film Festival, and certain critics considered it to be the finest performance of her career.{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-41725603 | title=Renee Zellweger to play Judy Garland| work=BBC News| date=October 23, 2017}} It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2019.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/toronto-film-festival-joker-ford-v-ferrari-hustlers-lineup-1203275868/ |title=Toronto Film Festival: 'Joker,' 'Ford v Ferrari,' 'Hustlers' Among Big Premieres |work=Variety |first=Brent |last=Lang |date=23 July 2019 |access-date=23 July 2019}} Zoe Gahan of Vanity Fair found her "witty, sharp and devastating in the title role" and added that "it is hard to tell where Garland stops and Zellweger starts".{{cite news|date=October 3, 2019|last=Gahan|first=Zoe|title=Review: Judy Laugh and weep, bawl your eyes out—Judy deserves every tear|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/london/2019/10/review-judy-garland-film |work=Vanity Fair| access-date=October 4, 2019}} Peter Travers of Rolling Stone opined, "Zellweger performs miracles playing Judy Garland: singing her heart out, baring her bruised soul and acting with a ferocity that ultimately rises to a state of grace."{{cite magazine|date=September 24, 2019|last=Travers|first=Peter|title='Judy' Review: Renée Zellweger Goes Over the Rainbow|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/judy-movie-review-889110/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=October 4, 2019}} For her portrayal of Garland, Zellweger won numerous awards and accolades, including the Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, BAFTA Award and Academy Award. Zellweger's win made her just the seventh actress to win an Oscar in both acting categories and the fourth to win Best Actress after Best Supporting Actress. The film's soundtrack additionally earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.{{cite news|last1=Fekadu|first1=Mesfin|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/grammys-announce-1st-batch-of-nominees-for-2021-show/2020/11/24/54ccf1fe-2e78-11eb-9dd6-2d0179981719_story.html|title=A Grammys 'Savage': Beyoncé leads with 9 nominations|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=24 November 2020|access-date=24 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124181238/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/grammys-announce-1st-batch-of-nominees-for-2021-show/2020/11/24/54ccf1fe-2e78-11eb-9dd6-2d0179981719_story.html|archive-date=24 November 2020|url-status=live}}

Two and a half years later, in 2022, Zellweger took on her first starring role in network television in the NBC crime drama miniseries The Thing About Pam.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/renee-zellweger-star-the-thing-about-pam-nbc-true-crime-limited-series-blumhouse-jessika-borsiczky-1234687624/|title=Renée Zellweger To Star In NBC True-Crime Limited Series The Thing About Pam From Blumhouse|date=February 4, 2021|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929002712/https://deadline.com/2021/02/renee-zellweger-star-the-thing-about-pam-nbc-true-crime-limited-series-blumhouse-jessika-borsiczky-1234687624/|archive-date=September 29, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=September 29, 2021}} She starred as Pam Hupp, who was involved in the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. The part required her to wear face and body prosthetics, which took 80 minutes to apply.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/tv/renee-zellweger-unrecognizable-as-convicted-killer-pam-hupp/|title=Renée Zellweger Is Unrecognizable as Convicted Killer Pam Hupp on Set of The Thing About Pam|date=October 15, 2021|first=Glenn|last=Garner|website=People|access-date=October 18, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018172628/https://people.com/tv/renee-zellweger-unrecognizable-as-convicted-killer-pam-hupp/|archive-date=October 18, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://parade.com/1340128/walterscott/renee-zellweger-the-thing-about-pam-hupp-dateline/|title=Renée Zellweger on Bringing Murderer Pam Hupp To Life, Why We Love True Crime and How She Physically Prepared for the Role|date=March 4, 2022|first=Walter|last=Scott|website=Parade|access-date=March 9, 2022|archive-date=March 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307032112/https://parade.com/1340128/walterscott/renee-zellweger-the-thing-about-pam-hupp-dateline/|url-status=live}} The series and her performance received mixed reviews from critics.{{cite Metacritic|title=The Thing About Pam|type=tv|id=the-thing-about-pam|season=1|access-date=March 12, 2022}} IndieWire{{'}}s Ben Travers called her performance "exaggerated", while John Doyle of The Globe and Mail said that she "brings an equal amount of vinegary exuberance to the work".{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/the-thing-about-pam-review-renee-zellwegers-true-crime-cartoon-1234704895/|title=The Thing About Pam Review: Renée Zellweger's True-Crime Cartoon|date=March 7, 2022|first=Ben|last=Travers|website=IndieWire|access-date=March 10, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/article-the-thing-about-pam-making-fun-of-murderous-women/|title=The Thing About Pam: Making fun of murderous women|date=March 7, 2022|first=John|last=Doyle|author-link=John Doyle (critic)|website=The Globe and Mail|access-date=March 10, 2022}}

Zellweger played Jones again in the sequel Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which released in 2025.{{cite web |title=The New Bridget Jones Movie Has Wrapped, See The Studio's Celebratory Post |website=CinemaBlend |first=Sarah |last=El-Mahmoud |date=August 8, 2024 |access-date=August 8, 2024 |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/the-new-bridget-jones-movie-wrapped-see-studio-celebratory-post}}

File:Renee Zelwigger, Walk Of Fame (3882882784).jpg]]

Zellweger has appeared on the covers and photo shoots of several magazines throughout her career; she appeared on the September 1997 cover of Vanity Fair, and in subsequent years, the list has grown to include Vogue, Detour, Allure and Harper's Bazaar.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000250/publicity?ref_=nm_pdt_pub_sm|title=Renée Zellweger - Publicity|website=IMDb|access-date=December 6, 2015}} Zellweger often draws attention for her style at award ceremonies and red carpet events,{{cite web|url=http://marybawa.com/historyofashion/herrera.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403195726/http://marybawa.com/historyofashion/herrera.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 3, 2015|title=History of Fashion Designer Carolina Herrera|publisher=marybawa.com}} specifically for her frequent use of dresses designed by Carolina Herrera,{{cite web|url=http://www.instyle.co.uk/celebrity/pictures/best-oscar-dresses-of-all-time/renee-zellweger-in-carolina-herrera-dress-at|title=Renee Zellweger in Carolina Herrera dress at Oscars 2003|date=February 22, 2013|publisher=InStyle UK|access-date=June 24, 2015|archive-date=June 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624063949/http://www.instyle.co.uk/celebrity/pictures/best-oscar-dresses-of-all-time/renee-zellweger-in-carolina-herrera-dress-at|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bustle.com/articles/46582-renee-zellwegers-style-transformation-from-carolina-herrera-gowns-to-carolina-herrera-gowns|title=Bustle|date=October 30, 2014 |publisher=bustle.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.instyle.com/awards-events/red-carpet/oscars/10-best-oscar-dresses#177841|title=10 Best Oscar Dresses|publisher=InStyle.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.jewelsdujour.com/2014/03/most-memorable-oscar-jewels-of-all-time/|title=Most Memorable Oscar Jewels of All Time|publisher=Jewels du Jour|date=March 2, 2014|access-date=June 24, 2015|archive-date=June 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624064426/http://www.jewelsdujour.com/2014/03/most-memorable-oscar-jewels-of-all-time/|url-status=dead}} a close friend who has worked with the actress for over fifteen years after they met at a Costume Institute gala.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/caroline-herrera-has-a-lovely-working-relationship-with-renee-zellweger/2015/06/12/ba8532f4-1119-11e5-a0fe-dccfea4653ee_story.html|title=Caroline Herrera has a 'lovely' working relationship with Renee Zellweger|date=June 12, 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post}} She is also a frequent attendee at New York Fashion Week, among other fashion events.{{cite news|last=La Ferla |first=Ruth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/27/nyregion/front-row.html |title=Front Row |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 27, 2003 |access-date=August 30, 2015}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/interviews/a27258/renee-zellweger-at-miu-miu/|title=Renee Zellweger on Dressing Up and the Scrutiny of the Red Carpet|author=Leah Chernikoff|magazine=Elle}}{{cite news |url=http://okmagazine.com/photos/renee-zellweger-radiant-front-row-carolina-herrera-show/photo/159263/|title=Renee Zellweger Is Radiant in Front Row of Carolina Herrera Show|work=OK! Magazine}}

In April 1997, Vanity Fair named her part of "Hollywood's Next Wave of Stars".{{cite web|url=http://theheritagestudio.com/2013/11/from-the-archives-annie-leibovitzs-photography-for-vanity-fair-s-annual-hollywood-issue/|title=From the archives: Annie Leibovitz's photography for Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue|publisher=The Heritage Studio|date=November 27, 2013}} She was placed on E!'s "Top 20 Entertainers of 2001" list and was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in 2003.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.people.com/people/renee_zellweger/biography/|title=Renée Zellweger|magazine=People}} She also ranked number 72 in the "Top 100 Celebrities" list made by Forbes in 2006,{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/53/NSBB.html|title=Renee Zellweger, The Top 100 Celebrities |work=Forbes}} and the following year, she was placed at 20 among "the 20 richest women in entertainment", by the magazine.{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/01/17/richest-women-entertainment-tech-media-cz_lg_richwomen07_0118womenstars_lander.html|title=The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment|author=Lea Goldman and Kiri Blakeley|date=January 18, 2007|work=Forbes}}

Following her performance on Jerry Maguire, Israeli singer songwriter Ariel Horowitz wrote, composed and performed a song called "Renee" in 2001, after watching the film. Horowitz said he was stunned by her performance.{{Cite web |date=2001-11-12 |title=רנה של הורביץ |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-1303668,00.html |access-date=2021-09-15 |website=www.ynet.co.il |language=he}} The song tells the fantasy in which he meets Zellweger, they fall in love and return to live in Israel, and she becomes a local movie star.{{Cite web |date=2014-09-16 |title=Renée Zellweger: Life in pictures |url=https://www.latimes.com/la-et-bio-rzellweger-pg-photogallery.html |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} The song was one of the most popular songs in Israel in 2002.{{Cite web |date=2002-09-09 |title=אפשר להירגע: שיר השנה הוא "דרכנו" |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/article/2108039 |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=ynet |language=he}}

After Zellweger attended the 21st annual Elle Women in Hollywood Awards in October 2014, there was media and social commentary that she was hardly recognizable, which prompted speculation that she had undergone cosmetic surgery.{{cite news|last1=STAFF|title=Is that you, Renee Zellweger?|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/21/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/renee-zellweger-new-look/index.html|access-date=October 21, 2014|publisher=CNN| date=October 21, 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Simpson Browne|first1=Kit|title=Renée Zellweger's Transformation Needs to Be Seen to Be Believed|url=http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/10/21/renee-zellweger-s-transformation-needs-to-be-seen-to-be-believed-2366756?lt_source=external,manual,manual|access-date=October 21, 2014|publisher=Moviepilot|date=October 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024000031/http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/10/21/renee-zellweger-s-transformation-needs-to-be-seen-to-be-believed-2366756?lt_source=external,manual,manual|archive-date=October 24, 2014|url-status=dead}} Zellweger responded, "Perhaps I look different. Who doesn't as they get older?! Ha. But I am different. I'm happy."{{cite news|last1=Heyman|first1=JD|title=Renée Zellweger to People: 'I'm Glad Folks Think I Look Different'|url=http://www.people.com/article/renee-zellweger-speaks-out-different-look|access-date=October 22, 2014|work=People|date=October 22, 2014}}

From 1999 to 2000, Zellweger was engaged to Jim Carrey.{{cite magazine |title=Jim Carrey opens up about ex Renee Zellweger: 'She was special to me'|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/jim-carrey-opens-about-ex-ren-e-zellweger-she-was-t186891|magazine=Today.com|date=July 15, 2020 |access-date=July 28, 2020}} In 2003, she had a brief relationship with musician Jack White.{{cite news|last1=Warrick|first1=Pamela|title=Renée Zellweger and Rocker Boyfriend Split|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1012420,00.html|access-date=December 19, 2014|work=People|date=December 27, 2004|archive-date=January 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118235759/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1012420,00.html|url-status=dead}} In May 2005, Zellweger married singer Kenny Chesney.[https://web.archive.org/web/20111103190835/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2098279_2098285_2098288,00.html "Top 10 Short-Lived Celebrity Marriages – Renée Zellweger and Kenny Chesney"] Time Magazine Special Four months later, Zellweger obtained an annulment.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/renee-zellweger-opens-rumors-surrounding-kenny-chesney-divorce/story?id=41973608|title=Zellweger Opens Up About Rumors Surrounding Chesney Divorce|date=September 9, 2016|website=ABC News}}

From 2009 to 2011 she was in a relationship with Bradley Cooper, after having met on the set of Case 39 which was filmed in 2006.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-body/news/why-bradley-cooper-and-renee-zellweger-called-it-quits-2011233|title=Why Bradley Cooper, Renee Zellweger Called It Quits|date=March 23, 2011|magazine=US Magazine}}{{cite magazine |url=https://people.com/celebrity/renee-zellweger-bradley-cooper-split/|title=Renee Zellweger, Bradley Cooper Split : People.com|magazine=People}}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-bradley-cooper-suki-waterhouse-split-break-up-single-20150319-story.html|title=Bradley Cooper, Suki Waterhouse reportedly split up |date=March 19, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times}}

She was previously in a relationship with musician Doyle Bramhall II.{{cite web|date=June 2, 2017|title=Renee Zellweger: My Boyfriend Is 'a Very Special Person'|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/renee-zellweger-gushes-over-her-boyfriend-doyle-bramhall-ii-w485571}}{{cite news|title=Renée Zellweger Opens Up About Boyfriend|publisher=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/rene-zellweger-opens-boyfriend-doyle-bramhall-ii/story?id=30499115|date=April 22, 2015}}{{cite news|author=Jonathan Van Meter|title=Renée Zellweger's Lost Decade|publisher=Vulture|url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/renee-zellweger-judy-garland.html|date=September 3, 2019}} In June 2021, Zellweger began dating English television presenter Ant Anstead whom she met filming Celebrity IOU: Joyride.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-16|title=Renee Zellweger and Ant Anstead's Relationship Timeline|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/renee-zellweger-ant-ansteads-relationship-timeline-photos/|access-date=2021-09-20|website=Us Weekly|language=en-US}}{{Citation |title=The Ant Anstead interview PART 1 - the private life and project cars of a Wheeler Dealer | date=September 29, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9BrgNvDVXk |access-date=2023-12-06 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Ant Anstead Leaves a Clue for Fans That He May Have Spent Thanksgiving with Girlfriend Renée Zellweger |url=https://people.com/ant-anstead-reveals-he-spent-thanksgiving-with-renee-zellweger-8406922 |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}

Zellweger took part in the 2005 HIV prevention campaign of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.[http://www.lovelife.ch/stopaids.php "Swiss Government AIDs campaign"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430184224/http://www.lovelife.ch/stopaids.php |date=April 30, 2010 }} (Flash: click "Campaign", then choose "2005")

Zellweger is one of the patrons for gender equality foundation The GREAT Initiative; in 2011 she visited Liberia with the charity.{{cite news|url=http://www.peacewomen.org/news_article.php?id=3616&type=news|title=AFRICA: Renée and I are Shouting Loudly for the Rights of Women in War|work=Evening Standard|date=May 18, 2011|access-date=October 16, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415153944/http://www.peacewomen.org/news_article.php?id=3616&type=news|archive-date=April 15, 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thegreatinitiative.com/|title=The Great Initiative|date=May 19, 2011|access-date=October 16, 2012}} In April 2011, she collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger to design a handbag to raise money and awareness for the Breast Health Institute.{{cite news|title=Renee Zellweger – Renee Zellweger Designs Bag For Charity|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news/renee-zellweger-designs-bag-for-charity_1211582|access-date=April 20, 2013|newspaper=Contactmusic.com|date=April 7, 2011}} "Because of the experiences of close friends and family members who have had to endure and battle the challenges of breast cancer, I am a passionate supporter of breast health education and charitable causes", Zellweger stated about joining the campaign.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion/518892/exclusive-renee-zellweger-fronts-tommy-hilfiger-charity-campaign.html|title=EXCLUSIVE! Renee Zellweger fronts Tommy Hilfiger charity campaign|magazine=Marie Claire|access-date=June 24, 2015|archive-date=June 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624074740/http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion/518892/exclusive-renee-zellweger-fronts-tommy-hilfiger-charity-campaign.html|url-status=dead}}

{{Main article|List of awards and nominations received by Renée Zellweger}}

Among her numerous accolades for her acting work, Zellweger has received two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Critics' Choice Movie Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, an Independent Spirit Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, a British Independent Film Awards, and awards from the London Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics, New York Film Critics Circle, and Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Zellweger is only the fourth actress, after Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange, and Cate Blanchett, to win Best Actress after winning Best Supporting Actress and the seventh actress to win in both categories after Ingrid Bergman, Maggie Smith, Helen Hayes, Streep, Lange, and Blanchett.{{cite web |url=http://www.goldderby.com/news/5056/cate-blanchett-meryl-streep-jessica-lange-film-news-13579086.html |title=Will Cate Blanchett join Meryl Streep and Jessica Lange in Oscars upgrade lounge? |publisher=Goldderby.com |access-date=November 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023604/http://www.goldderby.com/news/5056/cate-blanchett-meryl-streep-jessica-lange-film-news-13579086.html |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=live }}

• Chicago: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture (2002)
• Judy (2019)

{{Portal|Film|United States}}

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories
• List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Renée Zellweger}}

• [https://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?view=Actor&id=reneezellweger.htm Renée Zellweger] at Box Office Mojo
• {{IMDb name}}
• {{Tcmdb name}}
• {{Guardian topic}}
• {{NYTtopic|people/z/renee_zellweger}}

{{Navboxes

|title = Awards for Renée Zellweger

|list =

{{Academy Award Best Actress}}

{{AcademyAwardBestSupportingActress 2001-2020}}

{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actress}}

{{American Riviera Award}}

{{BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role}}

{{BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress 1985-2009}}

{{BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film}}

{{Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress}}

{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress}}

{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress}}

{{Golden Globe Award Best Actress Motion Picture Drama}}

{{Golden Globe Award Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy}}

{{GoldenGlobeBestSuppActressMotionPicture 2001-2020}}

{{Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year}}

{{Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress}}

{{IndependentSpiritBestFemaleLead}}

{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year}}

{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actress}}

{{National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance}}

{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress}}

{{Satellite Award Best Actress Motion Picture}}

{{ScreenActorsGuildAward FemaleLeadMotionPicture 2001–2020}}

{{ScreenActorsGuildAward FemaleSupportMotionPicture}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zellweger, Renee}}

Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American actresses

Category:21st-century American actresses

Category:Actresses from Austin, Texas

Category:Actresses from Houston

Category:American cheerleaders

Category:American film actresses

Category:American people of Kven descent

Category:American people of Norwegian descent

Category:American people of Sámi descent

Category:American people of Swiss descent

Category:American television actresses

Category:American voice actresses

Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners

Category:Best Actress BAFTA Award winners

Category:Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners

Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners

Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners

Category:Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award winners

Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners

Category:Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead winners

Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners

Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners

Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners

Category:People from Katy, Texas

Category:University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni