Renee Zellweger lived out of a suitcase at the height of her acting career and didn’t unpack until she was 41.
The Bridget Jones’s Diary star, 55, admits she was incredibly busy for most of her 30s and didn’t really find the time to settle in once place until she took a hiatus from Hollywood back in 2010.
When asked to give her younger self some advice, Renee told the Guardian newspaper: ‘Girl, slow down. Moving from place to place, constantly living out of your suitcase – I never unpacked until I was probably 41.’
Renee went on to insist she has no regrets about taking a six-year break from her movie career.
She added: ‘There was a lot to treasure… I scrutinized myself. And because I wasn’t taking care of myself in my 30s, I didn’t make great choices all the time.’
The girlfriend of Ant Anstead also said: ‘It’s really easy to forget yourself in the mix.’
Renee Zellweger lived out of a suitcase at the height of her acting career and didn’t unpack until she was 41. The Bridget Jones’s Diary star, 55, admits she was incredibly busy for most of her 30s and didn’t really find the time to settle in, she told The Guardian; seen on January 29
In her 30s she made films like Bridget Jones’ Diary which was a massive hit
It comes as Renee prepares to launch her fourth Bridget Jones movie – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy – in cinemas in February.
The actress admits she can empathize with the character over the pressure on women to get married and have children.
Renee – who was married to musician Kenny Chesney for five months in 2005 and has no kids – added: ‘To choose not to have children isn’t that exceptional, is it? I think it’s quite common [these days].’
She added of the character – created by writer Helen Fielding in a newspaper column in the 1990s: ‘Isn’t that a cool thing that Helen created this character that people want to talk about for 30 years?
‘I think people see themselves in her imperfections, vulnerability and fear. Her authenticity and transparent humanity make it easy for folks to feel that “I know her.”‘
This comes after Zellweger said she is ‘in denial’ about the end of the Bridget Jones franchise.
The star reprises her role as the titular character in the fourth and final movie in the series, but has her ‘fingers crossed’ that her alter ego returns.
Seen here in high school before she got her break in Love And A 45
Speaking at the film’s premiere in London, Zellweger told the BBC: ‘Let me live in denial for a little longer.’
The new flick sees Bridget living as a widow following the death of her husband Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) as she adjusts to being a single mother and the world of modern dating. The story is partially inspired by author Helen Fielding – whose husband Kevin Curran passed away in 2016. Zellweger said: ‘(The film) is a beautiful story and really the most personal for Helen.
She is sharing about her own experiences about loss, grief and finding new happiness, it’s a pretty special one.’ The ‘Chicago’ star added that she has always felt ‘really, really lucky to get the part’ of Bridget and ‘was just trying not to get fired’.
Bridget begins a relationship with 29-year-old Roxster (Leo Woodall) in the movie and Zellweger is supportive of the character becoming romantically involved with a younger man. She told Variety: ‘I mean, I think it’s nothing new. ‘But maybe the social taboos are melting away… it’s never a bad thing.
When asked to give her younger self some advice, Renee told the Guardian newspaper: ‘Girl, slow down. Moving from place to place, constantly living out of your suitcase – I never unpacked until I was probably 41. Because I wasn’t taking care of myself in my 30s, I didn’t make great choices all the time.’ Seen on January 31
Renee with co-star Leo Woodall in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, directed by Michael Morris
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‘There’s certain things that we probably don’t need to have opinions about, and where people find love… why would that ever be a problem?’ Woodall concurred and believes it is important for audiences to ‘get used to it’.
The One Day star said: ‘It’s a real relationship that happens a lot and you know, we’re just not used to seeing it on screen.’
Bridget’s other love interest in the film is school teacher Mr. Wallaker and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor hinted that there is plenty of complexity to his character.
The 47-year-old star said: ‘He’s quite stern in his own way, he has a kind of sense of the world.
‘At the same time, he’s really able to communicate with Billy, Bridget’s son, and understand that he’s going through something and trying to figure out ways of helping that. There’s a lot of layering to him.’
Meanwhile, Fielding is proud that a character she created in the 1990s continues to appeal to young audiences today. The novelist said: ‘When I do a signing half the audience are Gen Z’s. They’re the first generation who have lived through a world crisis for ages. They’re very similar to Bridget in their emotional fragility, their ability to share and cry on TikTok. ‘And they have their same little rituals, Bridget has ice cream and vodka and they have sleep routines and things like that. ‘I think they’re a really interesting and lovely generation. I can’t wait until they start writing more novels.’