Net Worth →
Fast Facts

Renée Zellweger: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Renée Zellweger? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Renée Zellweger
Siebbi via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Renée Kathleen Zellweger ( rə-NAY ZEL-weg-ər; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Born and raised in Texas, Zellweger studied English literature at the University of Texas at Austin. Initially aspiring for a career in journalism, she was drawn to acting following her brief work on stage while in college. Following minor roles in Dazed and Confused (1993) and Reality Bites (1994), her first starring role came with the slasher film The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995). She rose to prominence with starring roles in the romantic comedy Jerry Maguire (1996), the drama One True Thing (1998), and the black comedy Nurse Betty (2000), winning a Golden Globe Award for the last of these. For her portrayal of Bridget Jones in the romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) and Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago (2002), Zellweger gained consecutive nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a loquacious farmer in the war film Cold Mountain (2003). She reprised her role as Jones in the sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and, following a career hiatus, in Bridget Jones's Baby (2016). In 2019, Zellweger starred in her first major television role in the Netflix series What/If, and portrayed Judy Garland in the biopic Judy, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress. She has since starred as Pam Hupp in the NBC crime miniseries The Thing About Pam (2022) and played Jones again in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025).

Quick facts about Renée Zellweger

  • Full name: Renée Zellweger
  • Born: 1969-04-25
  • Nationality: United States
  • Known as: Actor
  • Wikidata ID: Q122614

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Renée Zellweger?

Renée Kathleen Zellweger ( rə-NAY ZEL-weg-ər; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress.

What nationality is Renée Zellweger?

Renée Zellweger is United States.

When was Renée Zellweger born?

Renée Zellweger was born on 1969-04-25.

Sources

More in Celebrities