American actress Renee Zellweger is adored as the iconic and relatable role of Bridget Jones, but before she landed the lead, there were a few other names reportedly in the mix…

Renee Zellweger has made a triumphant return to her role as Bridget Jones for the fourth movie, Mad About the Boy, set to be released on 14 February. While it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the iconic role of Bridget as she navigates dating and societal pressures, there were once a few rumoured stars that could have taken on the role.

The world of Bridget Jones was first introduced in 1995 through a hugely successful column in The Independent by Helen Fielding. This followed her own book series for the character just a year later, in 1996. With popularity growing, the movie adaptation was confirmed, and the hunt for the lead role began. Director Sharon Maguire previously revealed that several names were in the mix for who would play the lead role before Renee, now 55, was considered.

Just a few years after the release of Titanic, Kate Winslet was among the British names considered for the role of Bridget Jones. However, she was believed to be too young for the role, having been just 24 years old when filming began – six years younger than Renee.

Other names in the mix included Emily Watson and Helena Bonham Carter, who is famed for her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in the final four Harry Potter films. Rachel Weisz’s name reportedly also came up, but she was claimed to be “too beautiful” to be Bridget.

When it came to stars in the US, Cameron Diaz was reportedly amid the talks of taking on the role, with her success in movies There’s Something About Mary and Charlie’s Angels. Australian actress Cate Blanchett was also said to be considered for the role, having won a BAFTA for a British role as Queen Elizabeth I in the movie Elizabeth.

Cate is famed for her role as Lady Galadriel in Lord of the Rings, which was filmed at around the same time, so it’s possible that the schedule played a part in not becoming the iconic Bridget. Another Aussie who was thought of is Toni Collette, known for her roles in Little Miss Sunshine and About A Boy.

Toni said she turned down the role of Bridget due to her commitment on Broadway as she was starring in Michael John LaChiusa’s musical The Wild Party. Little did Toni know that turning down Bridget could have seen her miss out on a role in the 2002 movie Chicago. The actress told Miami Herald in 2006, “While I was doing Wild Party, I turned down Bridget Jones’s Diary, because I didn’t know when Wild Party was going to close.”

She added, “And that movie was a huge success for Renee Zellweger, and Harvey Weinstein was producing Chicago, and he was keen for her to do it. And that’s the way it went.”

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