OSCAR STAR BACK ON TOP AFTER
A trail of famous lovers in her wake
RENéE Zellweger looked a million dollars in a one-shoulder white sequinned Armani Privé gown as she collected her Oscar last Sunday for her role in Judy.
Fabulous at 50, she was light years away from her dowdy, dumpy alter ego Bridget Jones, having escaped her romcom past and reinvented herself in spectacular fashion.
One studio executive said: “As one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, and an unquestioned dramatic powerhouse, she can play the bombshell, the tragic heroine or the woman next door. It’s an incredible career transformation.”
But her success has come at a price. Backstage at the Dolby Theatre, looking down at the golden statuette in her hands, Renée said: “You can’t know how extraordinary a person is until you know what they struggle with and what they overcome.”
EXILE
She was talking about Judy Garland, but could just as easily have been speaking about herself.
Renée has overcome a fading career, depression, a six-year self-imposed exile from Hollywood, and rumours of cosmetic surgery that made her almost unrecognisable.
“I wasn’t healthy,” she confessed. “I wasn’t taking care of myself. I was the last thing on my list of priorities.”
After so long away from the spotlight it was a surprise when she was cast as the legendary actress and singer in her twilight years.
Todd McCarthy, chief film critic of the Hollywood Reporter, says of Renée: “Her career peaked and she probably made a few bad career choices and dropped out of sight. She might never have been heard of again.
“But after winning the Best Actress Oscar she can do anything she wants. It’s an astonishing reinvention...a re-blossoming that happens very rarely for an actress.
“Many actresses trade on their looks and charm, but their careers can fade with age, so breaking through with a role like this is very exciting. Now the
With singer Kenny Chesney
RENÉE’S love life has often been as bumpy as her career.
She was linked to comedy actor Jim Carrey for a year in 1999-2000. He reportedly gave her a £150,000 “friendship” ring but they parted ways, saying they wanted different things.
She found love again with rock star Jack White in 2002. The White Stripes front man was writing music for her film Cold Mountain and they met on the location shoot in Romania.
They made an appearance together at the Oscars in 2004, but the relationship was reportedly volatile and did not last.
In 2005 she married US country singer Kenny Chesney after a whirlwind romance, but filed for annulment just four months later, citing “fraud” as the reason.
She dated film star Bradley Cooper for two years, parting as her career began to slow down and his was picking up.
In 2012 she began a five-year relationship with guitarist Doyle Bramhall II and in his divorce proceedings two years later it was revealed that Renée was financially supporting him.
Their split was reported last May and she is
now single.