There are many people who have greatly contributed to the Chicago film industry. One of them is an actress and producer, Renée Zellweger. Her work helped Renée become a two-time Oscar winner and receive many other awards. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Read about how the woman was able to achieve success in show business at chicagovski.com.
Lost dream
Renée was born in the small town of Katy, Texas. Her father was a well-known businessman in the oil refining field and her mother was a governess. Renée is not the only child in the family. She also has a brother. From an early age, parents did not limit the freedom of their kids. Renée always looked up to her brother as a role model. Thanks to him, the girl became interested in professional sports in her teenage years. Trying herself in track and field and gymnastics, she was preparing for the Olympics. However, she had to end her sports career due to an injury.
After finishing school in her hometown, Zellweger went to Austin, where she enrolled in university, majoring in Journalism. While in the university, Renée studied dramatics in the theater and participated in several plays. Zellweger soon realized that she envisioned herself in the film industry. But she needed money to get an education in this field. Therefore, Renée started working as a waitress in a strip bar to raise the necessary sum. After collecting enough money, she signed up for professional acting courses. In 1991, Zellweger got a bachelor’s degree in film, radio and television.
The girl then started going on various auditions. Already in 1992, Zellweger appeared in an episode of the film A Taste for Killing. From that point on, her career in the film industry took off. 1994 was a challenging year for Renée. She was in the depths of despair due to endless rejections in auditions and was even ready to give up everything. Film tests for the next part of the slasher The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre became her godsend. She met Matthew McConaughey there. The man convinced Renée not to lose hope and suggested that she go to Los Angeles, believing that Zellweger could succeed there.
World fame
After moving to Hollywood, the young actress’s career began to develop actively. In 1995, she landed a role in the movie Jerry Maguire, which was positively accepted by critics and viewers. Tom Cruise, who played the leading part, was concerned about Renée. He persuaded director Cameron Crowe to cast Zellweger instead of more famous actors.
Renée did not disappoint. She coped with her role as single mother Dorothy so well that she won the Breakthrough of the Year award. Thanks to this film, she made a positive impression and contracts started pouring on her. The actress appeared in a number of popular movies, including Deceiver, and Nurse Betty, for which she received her first Golden Globe. The romantic comedy Bridget Jones’s Diary released in 2001, marked Zellweger’s debut in cinema. The young actress gained worldwide fame and the love of moviegoers.
It is interesting that Renée put on 14 kg to star in Bridget Jones’s Diary. To realistically play the part, she had to meticulously study the manners of London residents. She cemented her status as a Hollywood star by participating in the musical Chicago. In 2003, she played a supporting role in the drama Cold Mountain, for which she got a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
Personal life
Renée Zellweger has dreamed of becoming a happy woman all her life. She easily made men fall in love with her. It’s no wonder she is considered a femme fatale in Hollywood. In 1988, the actress started an affair with Sims Ellison. However, their marriage did not last long because the man abused drugs and alcohol.
In 1999, Zellweger started dating actor Jim Carrey. It seemed that the couple was deeply in love, but unexpectedly, they separated in 2000. In 2001, Zellweger had a romance with George Clooney, but she left him because he did not want to get married.
In 2005, Renée wedded Kenny Chesney. However, their marriage lasted for 4 months.
Career break and return to the cinema
Constant failures in her love life and lack of interesting work led the actress to feel extreme fatigue.
In 2010, she stopped acting. For 6 years, Renee tried to understand herself, avoided speaking with the media and rejected all invitations to social events. Only in 2016, having gained strength and rested from her problems, she starred in the third part of Bridget Jones’s Diary. Zellweger then played Judy Garland in the biopic Judy.
In 2020, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress for her efforts. That same year, the actress portrayed another bright character, Pam Hupp, in the series The Thing About Pam. After numerous setbacks in work and personal life, Renée managed to sort out her priorities. In many interviews, she claimed that she tries to put herself and her desires first.
The actress’s own personal experience led her to conclude that no man can make her happy and a career will not bring her joy until she starts loving and respecting herself. Zellweger continues to conquer show business, starring in various films and series.