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MAD ABOUT IT!
Bridget Jones star Renee Zellweger defends her character from woke mob and reveals why most Brits love her
Renee, whose boyfriend Ant is a decade younger than her, also opens up on women fancying youthful men
THE calorie-counting, ideal-man-seeking Bridget Jones is the latest target for woke warriors.
This much-loved comic creation of Helen Fielding’s best-selling books has been denounced as “misogynistic” and “toxic” because she does not find happiness in being single.
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But Renee Zellweger, who has played the bumbling Brit for nearly a quarter of a century, thinks that is nonsense.
Ahead of the release of the fourth and final Bridget Jones romcom tomorrow, the 55-year-old American actress says: “I don’t find it toxic, in my opinion. I love Bridget Jones. I’ve always loved Bridget Jones, and I love her more with every reunion.”
Renee argues that women identify with Bridget, who is a regular size, does the school run in her pyjamas and experiences relationship difficulties like most people do.
She says: “I never thought there was anything wrong with her.
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“I’d always thought of it more generally as a representation of how we pick on ourselves about things that are entirely of no consequence — because she’s not an overweight person.
“And she’s cute and there’s nothing at all wrong with her or her experiences or where she is.
“It’s just that relatable sort of universal experience of being afraid that you won’t measure up.”
The backlash against Bridget has grown at pace in the past few years.
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Love Actually director Richard Curtis, who co-wrote the screenplay for 2001 original movie Bridget Jones’s Diary, apologised for making “fat” jokes after his feminist daughter Scarlett called him out.
There has also been criticism of Hugh Grant’s sexist boss Daniel Cleaver in the first film, who Bridget lusted after despite him commenting on how nice her “t**s” looked in her new top.
Renée Zellweger's changing face through the years as star reprises Bridget Jones role 20 years after original
But perhaps the politically correct critics are taking this 1990s comic creation too seriously.
As Renee points out, Bridget is someone who is able to laugh at the strange situations she finds herself in.
She says: “I think the way she manages it is funny because she’s self-deprecating in a way we hear that voice in our own heads about whatever it might be.
“But her optimism . . . she’s never defeated by it, she’s self-scrutinising and self-deprecating — but she’s laughing.”
Audiences certainly loved the light, bawdy humour about “big pants” because Bridget Jones’s Diary was a box office success, earning £225million worldwide.
It was also praised by critics, with Renee picking up a Golden Globe award nod and an Oscar nomination.
I don’t find it toxic, in my opinion. I love Bridget Jones. I’ve always loved Bridget Jones, and I love her more with every reunion
Renee Zellweger
Fans lapped up the follow-ups too, with 2004’s The Edge Of Reason grossing £215million at box offices, and 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby making £170million.
The new movie, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, is expected to do even better than the previous three in Britain, with ticket pre-sales stronger than smash-hit Barbie two years ago.
It also sees Hugh Grant reprise his role as Daniel, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scott, a teacher at Bridget’s kids’ school, and Isla Fisher as Bridget’s feisty new neighbour Rebecca.
It isn’t difficult for Renee to put herself into Bridget’s shoes because the actress has endured more than her share of trouble finding Mr Right.
Comic actor Jim Carrey described Renee as his “last great love” after dating her for a year in 2000.
Her marriage to country singer Kenny Chesney was annulled after just four months in 2005 and she dated Hollywood star Bradley Cooper for two years until 2011.
Between 2012 and 2019 she was in a relationship with musician and former heroin addict Doyle Bramhall II.
For the past four years she has been dating the twice-divorced British TV presenter Ant Anstead.
Father-of-three Ant, 45, who she shares a home with in the US, joined Renee at the premiere of the movie in London last month.
Commenting on Bridget’s approach to men, Renee says: “It gives everybody permission to be who we are and to feel like, ‘Yeah, I don’t have to get it right.
"And I can still be happy, and I can still get the guy, and I can still do well. Even if it looks messy on the outside, I’m still good at what I do. And I’m still apparently cute enough for these handsome men to want to share my life.’ You know?”
That message is likely to be appreciated by audiences when the fourth movie arrives in cinemas tomorrow, the day before Valentine’s Day.
Mad About The Boy does appear to steer clear of weight issues, with a slimmer Bridget not poking fun at her size.
Instead, the jokes are more aimed at the character’s age.
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Having been widowed when husband Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) died during a humanitarian mission, Bridget is pursued by a far younger man.
Hot Londoner Leo Woodall, 28, plays Roxster, who doesn’t seem to be worried about dating the fictional mother of two young kids.
The “cougar” storyline was also seen in recent hit Babygirl, with Nicole Kidman’s high-powered CEO character seduced by an intern.
Renee, though, whose boyfriend Ant is a decade younger than her, thinks there is nothing new in women fancying more youthful men.
She says: “I wonder why it’s a novelty? People are talking about all the films that are showing this dynamic as the central relationship.
‘I have no regrets’
“This is nothing new in society. We were talking about all the songs that have been written about it, Mrs Robinson, Me And Mrs Jones, Mad About the Boy.”
The fourth installment is the first film Renee has made since her Oscar-winning performance as singer Judy Garland in the 2019 biopic Judy.
In between the two projects she also portrayed real-life killer Pam Hupp in the 2022 TV series The Thing About Pam.
In 2010 she took a six-year break from acting due to fatigue, having made four movies in a year in 2009.
She’s cute and there’s nothing at all wrong with her. It’s just that relatable sort of universal experience of being afraid you won’t measure up
Renee Zellweger
Explaining why she quit back then, Renee says: “I was bored with myself, and I felt like I was redundant, and I couldn’t stand listening to myself talk about the same things over and over.”
But she was tempted back by Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016. “It’s the best job in the world,” she said.
The actress thinks it was a good decision to take a rest from the industry 15 years ago.
Renee says she would step back once more, “if it feels necessary or if there’s something else that seems important to explore.
“And I wasn’t wrong. I have no regrets about it.”
The big-budget Mad About The Boy is a world away from the Texan’s first experience of being in front of a camera.
Having first become interested in acting when taking a drama course while studying English literature at university, Renee auditioned for a beer advert.
Just like Bridget, the wannabe took a “fake it until you make it” approach to land the role.
Renee told the ad makers she could rollerblade, even though she had never been on the wheeled boots.
With a smile, she recalls: “I rented some rollerblades, gave it a shot, thought, ‘I’m definitely going to die’.”
She finds a way through whatever it is, and triumphs in the end — despite the execution of things not going to plan. And I think that’s inspirational
Renee on Bridget
At the audition she was told, “Here, put on this bikini. Put these skates on. Carry this 12-pack on your shoulder and start at the top of that hill.”
Renee adds: “Thank God they blocked the street below because if there was oncoming traffic, we would not be having this conversation today.
“But it’s a really good way to leave the world if you’re going to exit. You know what I mean? Buried under a pile of beer.”
That’s the kind of mishap, minus the untimely demise, you can just imagine befalling boozy Bridget.
It is why the character is just as popular today as she was when Fielding started writing about her in a fictional newspaper column in 1995.
Like most people, Bridget bounces back no matter what curveballs life throws at her.
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As Renee says: “She finds a way through whatever it is, and triumphs in the end — despite the execution of things not going to plan. And I think that’s inspirational.”
- Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is in cinemas tomorrow.
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