Renée Zellweger Doesn't Think of Bridget Jones as 'Not Fit': 'She's Just Different from Me ... I Run for My Sanity'

Renée Zellweger has more things in common with her character Bridget Jones than people might think.

In a new interview with her Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy costar, Hugh Grant, 64, for British Vogue's February issue, Zellweger, 55, was questioned about people not seeing Bridget as very "fit." The term "fit" is used in British slang to mean physically and superficially attractive. However, Grant pointed out that Zellweger, on the other hand, is "frighteningly fit."

"Oh, I don’t think that Bridget is not fit. She’s just different from me," the actress — who starred as the character in 2001's Bridget Jones’s Diary, 2004's Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason and 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby, as well as the upcoming fourth installment — told Grant.

"In fact, she’s got some nice things in nice places that don’t occur on me naturally without a little extra effort. I run for my sanity," Zellweger added.

Related: Renée Zellweger Smiles on the Set of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy in London

As Grant — who is returning as Lothario Daniel Cleaver in the fourth flick, after not starring in the third movie — asked how far Zellweger could run, she responded, "I’ll sprint a mile."

"Not every day. Three times a week," the Judy actress said while discussing her workout regime.

When asked about sit-ups, Zellweger quipped, "I have to. I have herniated discs."

Bridget's obsessive calorie counting — which author Helen Fielding has said came directly from her own university diaries — has been among the things criticized about the character through the years.

While speaking to PEOPLE in June 2024, Fielding, 66, insisted, “Bridget has come in for criticism from the very moment she was published — particularly from people who don’t understand irony. My feeling is that if we as women can’t be ironic, or laugh at our imperfections then we haven’t got very far at being equal, have we?”

“And let’s face it, women worrying about body image was a reality when I first wrote Bridget and is even more of a reality now,” she added.

“To me, the ability to laugh at yourself is a mark of strength not weakness. The origin of writing Bridget was honest and from the heart. There was no grand sociological intention behind it. The fact that it resonated with so many people spoke for itself — there was clearly some truth there. I think it’s better to look at the reasons why the voice resonates than to complain about its existence,” Fielding continued.

Zellweger, who gained weight to play Bridget in the first two films, notably did not put on weight for her role in 2016's Bridget Jones' Baby, telling the Daily Telegraph at the time that it was a decision from director Sharon Maguire.

"Sharon was hoping we could show that Bridget had achieved her ideal weight, but at the same time it didn’t mean her life was perfect,” Zellweger told the outlet at the time.

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Related: Hugh Grant Teases 'Funny' New Bridget Jones Sequel: Renée Zellweger 'and I Always Seem to Click' (Exclusive)

The upcoming Bridget Jones installment is expected to focus on the character as she navigates life as a single mother of two, following the death of her husband, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). She will also consider reentering the dating pool.

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Emma Thompson (who played Bridget's doctor in the third installment) will also be among the returning cast members. Meanwhile, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Isla Fisher, Josette Simon, Nico Parker, Leila Farzad and Leo Woodall are joining the cast.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy begins streaming exclusively on Peacock Feb. 13, 2025.

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