Renee Zellweger on Jonathan Ross: ‘I was anonymous before I returned for Bridget Jones’s Baby’

The star has spoken about being out of the public eye
Back in action: Renee Zellweger talks about her break from acting on the Jonathan Ross Show
Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce/Rex
Ben Travis9 September 2016

Rom-com hero Bridget Jones is about to return to the big screen after a 12-year absence when Bridget Jones’ Baby hits cinemas next Friday.

But it’s not just Bridget who’s back – it also marks the return of Renee Zellweger, who hasn’t starred in a film since 2010.

The actress opened up about her time away from the spotlight on the Jonathan Ross Show.

When asked if she could be anonymous before returning to films for the new Bridget Jones outing, Zellweger said: “Yes actually. When you go away and you’re out of people’s consciousness, they stop noticing you.

“It’s fantastic, you order your coffee and you get a coffee and leave. It’s really nice because I’d meet people authentically, you’d have authentic conversations on the street and I enjoyed that, that’s something that I had missed.”

Zellweger said she wanted to “shift [her] focus” in her break from the screen.

Bridget Jones' Baby UK premiere

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“There are some things that I wanted to learn and see if I had aptitude for. I wanted to go back to school, I wanted to do things that you can’t really make time for when you’re in the cycle of making films because if you’re not preparing for one, then you’re preparing for another and while you’re filming you’ll be getting ready to start what comes next.

“I had to just commit to breaking that cycle for a little bit so that I could grow as a person.”

Bridget Jones Baby arrives in UK cinemas on Friday September 16

The Jonathan Ross Show, ITV, Saturday, 9.30pm

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