Renée Zellweger | Success Story of the Academy Award-Winning Actress

Renée Zellweger is one of the most prominent names in Hollywood. She has been a part of the entertainment industry for over three decades. Renée has won two Academy Awards, two BAFTA, four Golden Globes, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards in her long and successful career. She rose to fame during the late 1990s after starring in Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire alongside Tom Cruise. Her success continued throughout the early 2000s with movies like Nurse Betty, Cold Mountain, and Bridget Jones’ Diary. 

About

Renée Zellweger is an American actress famous for her outstanding acting skills. She began her acting career in 1992 with the thriller A Taste for Killing. In 2019, Renée’s acting skills gained wider recognition after starring in the biopic Judy. In the movie, she portrayed the American actress Judy Garland. For her stunning performance, Renée won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Recently, she starred in NBC’s The Thing About Pam. In her career, Renée has worked with iconic artists like Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Matthew McConaughey, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Hugh Grant, Russell Crowe, and Keanu Reeves.

Early Life

On the 25th of April 1969, Renée Kathleen Zellweger was born in Katy, a suburb of Houston, Texas, USA. Her father, Emil Eric Zellweger, comes from a Swiss background. In contrast, her mother, Kjellfrid Irene, is of Norwegian descent. Renée’s father left Europe after the Second World War and moved to the USA. He met Renée’s mother before emigrating. Upon moving, he worked in an oil-refining company as an engineer. At the same time, Kjellfrid, a trained nurse by profession, worked as a nanny. Renée grew up with a religious family. As a child, she was involved in many extracurricular activities. 

For schooling, Renée attended Katy High School. She was one of the most athletic girls in her class during her schooling years. Renée was a part of the cheerleading squad, gymnastics team, and debate club. She was also an active participant in the school’s football team. For higher studies, Renée enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin.  At the university, she chose drama as an elective course. As a result, she started inclining toward acting. In 1992, Renée graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. While she was still in college, her father lost his job. Consequently, Renée started working as a cocktail waitress to provide for herself. 

Beginning of Career

While working as a cocktail waitress in Austin, Renée learned much about life. Simultaneously, she began auditioning for roles. She ended up getting a part in a Coors Light commercial. Later, she got a minor part in Bob Balaban’s My Boyfriend’s Back. However, her role got cut. After graduation, Renée landed her first official job. She acted in a beef commercial and continued auditioning for other parts. In 1992, Renée landed an acting opportunity in the thriller movie A Taste for Killing. She continued to appear in several low-budget and independent films between 1992-93. Renée also had a minor part in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused. It was in 1994 when Renée got her first credited role in a movie. It was Ben Stiller’s directorial debut, Reality Bites. The same year, Renée got her first leading role. Kim Henkel cast her in the horror movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. 

Initial Years

Renée’s debut as a leading star failed to impress the audiences. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation was a critical and commercial failure. The same year, she starred in the crime drama Love and a .45 alongside Gil Bellows. The film succeeded in earning positive reviews. Later, Renée appeared in the coming-of-age drama Empire Records. The film failed at the box office but later gained a cult following. After these roles, Renée started gaining recognition. However, it was in 1996 when her popularity grew. In the sports-comedy Jerry Maguire, Cameron Crowe cast Zellweger as a single mother, Dorothy. Tom Cruise himself chose Renée to play the role of Dorothy. The movie was a massive commercial and critical success. Jerry Maguire received an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. There was no looking back for Renée after the film’s success.

Worldwide Recognition

After Jerry Maguire’s success, Renée starred in critical hits like A Price Above Rubies and One True Thing. In 2000, she appeared in two black comedies, Nurse Betty and Me, Myself & Irene. Both films achieved commercial success. For Nurse Betty, Renée won her first-ever Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. After these significant hits, she played the titular role in Bridget Jones’ Diary. For the character, Renée gained 20 pounds and learned an English accent. The film went on to achieve worldwide recognition. Through the movie, Renée earned her first Oscar nomination. Later, she acted in blockbuster movies like Chicago, Cold Mountain, Cinderella Man, and Judy. After these massive successes, Renée Zellweger became one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars.

Also read: Cate Blanchett | Success Story of the Academy Award-Winning Actress