Renee Zellwegger

Renee Zellwegger has received a lot of recognition in her career, and with signs that she’s only recently hit her stride in the movie business we can all expect more great things to come from this exciting actress.

Zellwegger was twice nominated for an Oscarâ for her lead performances—once for Bridget Jones’s Diary and a second time for Chicago. Critics were bowled over by Zellwegger’s confident swagger and luscious, breathy croon throughout the film’s musical numbers—especially as she kept up with more fundamentally trained Catherine Zeta Jones. The Oscarâ finally came for her supporting role in 2004’s Cold Mountain.

Add to these achievements five Golden Globe nominations for Renee Zellwegger and three wins, and it becomes clear why Zellwegger is one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses. Renee was born April 25, 1969 in Texas. It’s likely that her almost husky speaking voice is to cover up a Texan accent (this is a trick used by fellow Texan thespian Angie Harmon of “Law & Order” fame). But apart from this trait she follows her own path as an actress, turning over many long-held conventions regarding what a female Hollywood star should look and act like. She famously and fearlessly gained weight for her Bridget Jones roles, shocking red carpet watchers.

Renee Zellwegger didn’t always land the biggest parts in her early career, but she was in many of the right movies. She had roles in both Dazed and Confused and Reality Bites, and her indie credentials were further bolstered by her appearance in offbeat comedies such as Love and a .45 and Empire Records. A starring role in the historical drama The Whole Wide World came in 1996, the year of her smash breakthrough Jerry Maguire. Just when critics were starting to pigeonhole Renee following her appearance in the heavily hyped The Bachelor, she reversed expectations by appearing in two controversial comedies in 2000—Me, Myself, and Irene and Nurse Betty.

While Renee Zellwegger has in the past been linked to such high-profile boyfriends as Jim Carrey and Jack White, for now her only love is her work.