Yahoo Lifestyle Renée Zellweger Kept Her British Accent While Filming New “Bridget Jones” Movie for This Reason (Exclusive)
The Texan actress says she didn't bother going back to her American twang until filming wrapped on 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy'
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Renée Zellweger at the "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy" world premiere in London, Jan. 29It's been nearly 10 years since we last saw Renée Zellweger starring as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones's Baby, but the Texan actress tells PEOPLE she had no hesitation about returning to the role for the fourth film Mad About the Boy (now streaming on Peacock) — and no problem returning to Bridget's British accent.
“Bridget feels like an old friend,” Zellweger says of getting back into character, along with all of her original costars like Hugh Grant and Sally Phillips, plus a few newcomers.
"Over the years, our on-set friendships have just deepened, and it really feels like a family reunion," Zellweger says of returning to set. As for the accent, she admits she kept it the whole time they were filming in and around London.
“I wouldn’t say it was method acting as much as it was lazy,” she says with a laugh. “I didn’t want to start every morning trying to make my vowels sound right. I just wanted it to be a habit. I didn’t want to work that hard!”
Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures
Renee Zellweger in "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy"However, Zellweger says this iteration of Bridget Jones felt different than the others, and it was — in both this book and film, Jones is still reeling from the death of her husband Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) who died four years previously during a humanitarian trip to the Sudan.
“We were familiar with how emotional the material was because the novel had been out for a while,” says Zellweger, 55, of knowing Darcy had died. (Firth does show up in this movie, but only in Bridget's mind.)
Related: Hugh Grant Says the New Bridget Jones Sequel 'Made Me Cry': 'It's Got a Huge Amount of Heart'
“But the script was so beautifully written that the emotion just sneaks up on you. You think you’re heading in one direction that feels familiar, and then yeah, it just gets you. It’s wonderful when that happens and actually really rare," she shares.
Of course, Bridget Jones movies are rom-coms, and you can’t have one without some, well, romance. After four years of mourning, Bridget decides it’s time to learn to live again — which means returning to work as a TV producer, running a brush through her hair and letting her friend put her on Tinder.
Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures
Leo Woodall (left) as Roxster, Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones in "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy"She matches with a hot 29-year-old student named Roxster, played by The White Lotus breakout star Leo Woodall. The two have a sexy summer romance, and at the same time she strikes up a friendship with her son's science teacher Mr. Walliker, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor.
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From left: Hugh Grant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Helen Fielding, Renee Zellweger, Michael Morris and Leo Woodall attend the ""Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy" premier in Paris Jan. 27"I was very excited to be asked — a little intimidated, to be honest, because it’s so beloved. But it was such a welcoming experience, especially from Renée," Ejiofor, 47, says of joining the Jones universe. "And I was thrilled to play Mr. Walliker. He’s a bit uptight, but he’s a great person.”
Surrounding yourself with great people, after all, is the theme of the movie and one that resonates with Zellweger, who has been dating British TV presenter Ant Anstead for four years.
Related: Renée Zellweger and Ant Anstead's Relationship Timeline
“I’ve always referred to those people as the ones who define your life,” Zellweger says of her own chosen family. “They define who you are and how you experience the world. They’re so important.”
Read the original article on People
