Renée Zellweger Kept Her British Accent While Filming NewBridget JonesMovie for This Reason (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Renée Zellweger at the “Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy” world premiere in London, Jan. 29.Photo:Samir Hussein/WireImage

Samir Hussein/WireImage

“Bridget feels like an old friend,” Zellweger says of getting back into character, along with all of her original costars likeHugh GrantandSally 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 wasmethodacting 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!”

Renee Zellweger in “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”.Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures

Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures

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.)

“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.

Leo Woodall (left) as Roxster, Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones in “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”.Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures

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.Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

“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 theJonesuniverse. “And I was thrilled to play Mr. Walliker. He’s a bit uptight, but he’s a great person.”

“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.”

source: people.com