Renee Zellweger insists Bridget Jones’ weight is "perfectly normal".
The 47-year-old actress doesn’t understand why she is always under "scrutiny" for piling on the pounds to portray the popular character – who she will play for a third time in the upcoming ‘Bridget Jones’ Baby’ – because male stars never face such speculation when they gain weight or bulk up for different parts.
After she portrayed Bridget in 2001’s ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ and 2004’s ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’, Zellweger’s real-life frame shrunk – which sparked some concern from fans – and speaking about reprising the role in an interview with Britain’s Vogue Magazine, she said: "I put on a few pounds. I also put on some breasts and a baby bump. Bridget is a perfectly normal weight and I’ve never understood why it matters so much. No male actor would get so much scrutiny if he did the same thing for a role."
The new movie marks the end of a Hollywood hiatus for the actress, who found it beneficial to take time out from the spotlight and interact on a "human level" with people.
She said: "I wasn’t taking the time to recover between projects, and it caught up with me. It was time to go away and grow up a bit. I found anonymity, I could have exchanges with people on a human level and be seen and heard. Not be defined by this image that precedes me.
And boosting her life experiences goes hand-in-hand with her acting.
She added: "You cannot be a good storyteller if you don’t have life experiences, and you can’t relate to people."
‘Bridget Jones’ Baby’ will see Zellweger’s alter ego ending her relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). While Bridget is convinced she has her life under control she decides to focus on her work as a TV producer but things change when she meets handsome American newcomer Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey).
Things couldn’t be better, until Bridget discovers that she is pregnant and has no idea whether Mark or Jack is the father of her unborn tot.
Renee Zellweger defends weight gain
