Renée Zellweger calls out 'fixation' on her weight in 'Bridget Jones'

Patrick Ryan, USA TODAYSat, June 13, 2026 at 6:10 PM UTC

0

NEW YORK – In 2001, Mark Darcy told Bridget Jones that he likes her just as she is.

Twenty-five years later, "Bridget Jones's Diary" remains one of the most enduring romantic comedies this century, keenly excavating a woman's interior life as it traces the love triangle between the bumbling Bridget (Renée Zellweger), reserved Mark (Colin Firth) and caddish Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant).

But at the time of the movie's release, much of the attention was around Bridget's figure. Zellweger gained nearly 20 pounds to play the character, who drinks often and exercises intermittently. A New York Post article published at the time called her a "heroine with cellulite" who was "more fabulous than flabulous."

Roughly three years later, headlines from CBS News and The Guardian used phrases like "packing on pounds" and "fattens up" when describing Zellweger's preparation for the 2004 sequel, "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason."

We definitively rank: Every 'Bridget Jones' movie

Renée Zellweger in 2001's "Bridget Jones's Diary," for which she earned her first best actress Oscar nomination.

At a Tribeca Festival Q&A June 12 for the movie's 25th anniversary, journalist H. Alan Scott called the tabloid chatter "ridiculous," saying, "Why the hell were we so stupid to think that Bridget Jones was plus-size?"

"What you said is so true," Zellweger responded, joined onstage by director Sharon Maguire. "The fixation goes back to what Sharon said earlier: Most romantic comedy heroines are polished and fit a particular paradigm for beauty in that moment." But Bridget "was a normal girl and she looked like her lifestyle. She liked to have an extra helping, and she liked her chardonnay. She didn't go the gym every day, and she's gorgeous anyway."

Advertisement

Renée Zellweger attends the "Bridget Jones's Diary" 25th anniversary screening during the 2026 Tribeca Festival on June 12 in New York.

Because Bridget is "so very herself, that makes her more attractive and it broke a norm," Zellweger said. "When people talk about her weight, there's nothing here to fix. ... She shifted our expectations of what a leading lady can look like."

Zellweger, 57, said it was "so liberating" to play someone like Bridget, not having to worry about things like pimples, messy hair or smudged mascara. And after four films – including last year's "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" – it's still the character she is asked most about.

"It changed my life, in terms of sharing something in common with people everywhere in the world who love that character," Zellweger said. "That was really surprising to me. Making the film, I don't think we thought it would have that effect in the long run. Everyone shares their Bridget Jones stories with you – it's a huge blessing, really."

Throughout the Q&A, Maguire looked back at the initial "outrage" over the casting of Zellweger, a Texas native, as the beloved British TV producer. She also reflected on the casting of the movie's dreamy leading men, whose nicknames for each other were "Mrs. Firth" and "Mrs. Grant."

Zellweger recalled being particularly starstruck by Grant when she met him. The two-time Oscar winner said she swooned watching him in 1991's "Impromptu."

"He was hot then," Scott said.

"He's hot now!" Zellweger insisted, laughing. "I'm a huge fan of Hugh! I was so awkward and stuttering and terrified to meet him. We sat at a pub after rehearsal the first day and I couldn't say a word. Honestly, I think he thought I was Bridget Jones – I think he was really shocked when he heard I could put a sentence together!"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Renee Zellweger 'really shocked' Hugh Grant making 'Bridget Jones'

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”