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More Renée Zellweger Bios & Profiles

 

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Biography #2 (for Miss Potter)

Academy Award winner (for COLD MOUNTAIN) and three time nominee (for BRIDGET JONES' DIARY and CHICAGO), Texan Renée Zellweger only took an acting class to ensure graduating with a literature degree from the University of Texas.

Her Academy Award for her role in Cold Mountain was accompanied by a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, a BAFTA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress. Directed by Anthony Minghella, the film is about a confederate soldier's journey home after the American Civil War. Zellweger starred opposite Jude Law and Nicole Kidman.

In addition to her Academy Award nomination for her role in Chicago, Zellweger also won the 2003 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Lead Role as well as a 2003 Golden Globe Award for Lead Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. She was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for Lead Actress.

After some television experience, she made her feature debut while still in Texas in Richard Linklater's coming of age movie, DAZED AND CONFUSED. Other roles immediately followed, including Ben Stiller's REALITY BITES, THE RETURN OF THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK.

She starred with Jim Carrey in ME, MYSELF AND IRENE and with Chris Rock and Morgan Freeman in the dark comedy NURSE BETTY. She starred with William Hurt and Meryl Streep in the critically acclaimed ONE TRUE THING and opposite Robin Wright Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer in WHITE OLEANDER.

Zellweger's breakthrough role was in 1996 in Cameron Crowe's JERRY MAGUIRE opposite Tom Cruise as a widowed mother who joined sports agent Maguire in his quest for principled representation. She was named best breakthrough performer of 1996 for her performance.

Most recently Zellweger has starred with Russell Crowe in CINDERELLA MAN, the story of Depression era boxer Jim Braddock. She played his loving and devoted wife Mae.

Zellweger lent her voice to DreamWorks Pictures SHARK TALE alongside Jack Black, James Gandolfini, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese and Will Smith.

As well as starring as Beatrix Potter in MISS POTTER, Zellweger shoulders responsibilities as executive producer of the movie.

Bio courtesy Weinstein Co. for "Miss Potter" (10-Mar-2007)


Biography #3 (for Cinderella Man)

Renée Zellweger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the role of the rough-hewn Ruby in Anthony Minghella's Civil War epic Cold Mountain. In 2003, her outstanding portrayal of Roxie Hart in the smash hit musical Chicago garnered her widespread critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. In addition, she won the 2003 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Lead Role as well as a 2003 Golden Globe Award for Lead Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Zellweger was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for Lead Actress.

Zellweger recently again starred as the heroine of singletons everywhere in the international hit Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. The role of Bridget Jones began for Zellweger with 2001's runaway hit Bridget Jones's Diary, for which Renée was nominated for a 2002 Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor's Guild Award, among many others. Her recent films also include the DreamWorks animated comedy Shark Tale, joining an all-star cast including Jack Black, James Gandolfini, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese and Will Smith; and Down with Love, a satirical homage to the 1960s sex comedies that starred Rock Hudson and Doris Day, alongside Ewan McGregor.

Considering that she took her first acting class to ensure graduating from the University of Texas with a literature degree, Zellweger's rise to leading lady status has been rapid and continually met with praise. After appearing in such television projects as the USA Network telefilm A Taste for Killing and the Showtime Drive-In Classics series Shake, Rattle and Rock, she made her film debut while still in Austin in Richard Linklater's coming-of-age film Dazed and Confused. This was followed by Ben Stiller's Reality Bites, Love and a .45 (for which she received her first Independent Spirit Award nomination), 8 Seconds, The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Empire Records and My Boyfriend's Back.

Her other film credits include 20th Century Fox's comedy Me, Myself, and Irene, directed by the Farrelly brothers starring opposite Jim Carrey; The Bachelor, a romantic comedy in which she stars opposite Chris O'Donnell; and director Neil LaBute's dark comedy Nurse Betty, with Chris Rock and Morgan Freeman, for which she won a 2000 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Renée also starred in Universal's critically acclaimed One True Thing, with William Hurt and Meryl Streep, and opposite Robin Wright-Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer in White Oleander.

She received acclaim for her vulnerable performance opposite Tom Cruise in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire, which also earned her Best Breakthrough Performer of 1996 by the National Board of Review, a Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy and a SAG Award nomination.

Bio courtesy Universal Pictures for "Cinderella Man" (06-Jul-2005)


Biography #4 (for Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason)

Renee Zellweger won the 2001 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role as Betty Sizemore in 2000' s hit film Nurse Betty. Zellweger followed this outstanding achievement with an amazing performance as Bridget in 2001' s smash hit Bridget Jones' s Diary which garnered international acclaim. It was for this role that she was nominated for a 2002 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a BAFTA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy, a Golden Satellite Award, an Empire Award, an MTV Movie Award and a Screen Actor' s Guild Award. She starred opposite Hugh Grant in this tongue-in-cheek comedy about a British woman' s determination to improve herself as she looks for love while filling her personal diary with her quirky thoughts and experiences.

She can be seen in Warner Bros.' s White Oleander based on the best selling novel by Janet Fitch about a teenage girl' s journey through a series of foster homes after her mother goes to prison. She starred opposite Robin Wright-Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison Loehman.

Zellweger recently finished production on 20 th Century Fox' s film Down With Love, a satirical hommage to the 1960s sex comedies that starred Rock Hudson and Dorris Day. She stars opposite Ewan McGregor as the best-selling advice author Barbara Novak. The film is set for release in April 2003.

Zellweger is now in production on Miramax Film' s drama Cold Mountain in which she stars opposite Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. Directed by Anthony Minghella, the film is about a confederate soldier' s journey home after the American Civil War. It is set for release in late 2003. In 2004, Zellweger can be heard in DreamWorks' s animated comedy Sharkslayer. She lends her voice to an all-star cast including Jack Black, James Gandolfini, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese and Will Smith in this film about the shark mafia in the sea underworld.

Considering that she took her first acting class to ensure graduating from The University of Texas with a literature degree, Renee Zellweger' s rise to leading lady status has been as rapid as it has been unexpected. After appearing in such television projects as the USA Network telefilm A Taste for Killing and the Showtime Drive-In Classics series Shake, Rattle and Rock, she made her film debut while still in Austin in Richard Linklater' s coming-of-age film Dazed and Confused. This was followed by Ben Stiller' s Reality Bites, Love and a .45 (for which she received her first Independent Spirit Award nomination), 8 Seconds, The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Empire Records and My Boyfriend' s Back.

Her other film credits include 20 th Century Fox' s comedy Me, Myself, and Irene directed by the Farrelly brothers starring opposite Jim Carrey, New Line' s The Bachelor, a romantic comedy in which she stars opposite Chris O' Donnell, and director Neil Labute' s dark comedy Nurse Betty with Chris Rock and Morgan Freeman and Universal' s critically acclaimed One True Thing with William Hurt and Meryl Streep. She also received much acclaim with her vulnerable performance opposite Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Directed by Cameron Crowe, she played Dorothy Boyd, a dedicated widowed mother who joins sports agent Maguire in his quest for principled representation. For her performance she was named Best Breakthrough Performer of 1996 by The National Board of Review, received a Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy and was nominated for a SAG Award.

According to Crowe, Renee' s appeal is that she is just Renee, quirky and heartfelt. When I told her ‘ You got the part' [in Jerry Maguire], there was a silence. Then she said, ‘ What makes you think I' ll take it?'

Bio courtesy Universal Pictures for "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" (25-Apr-2003)