Renée Zellweger has opened up about the six-year acting hiatus she took, explaining the personal and creative reasons behind her decision. The sabbatical, which started in 2010 and ended with her return in Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016, came after a challenging period in her life. Zellweger revealed that she had grown creatively exhausted and dissatisfied with the repetitive nature of her work. She felt that her performances were becoming monotonous, as she found herself expressing the same emotional experiences over and over.
In a British Vogue interview, Zellweger explained, “Because I needed to. I was sick of the sound of my own voice. When I was working, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, listen to you. Are you sad again, Renée? Oh, is this your mad voice?’ It was a regurgitation of the same emotional experiences.” This reflection led to her decision to step away and take time for herself.
During her time away from Hollywood, Zellweger stayed busy with a variety of personal and creative projects. She immersed herself in music, studied international law, took on housebuilding, and adopted rescue dogs. She also co-founded a production company, organized a fundraiser to help a friend in need, and spent more time with her family, godchildren, and pets.
Her comeback in 2019, with her Oscar-winning performance as Judy Garland in Judy, earned her critical acclaim. Zellweger’s return to the Bridget Jones franchise will be marked by the release of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy in February 2025. This sequel, based on Helen Fielding’s novel, portrays Bridget in her 50s as a newly widowed woman navigating modern life.