Renee Zellweger watched the British soap ‘EastEnders’ in preparation to play Bridget Jones.
The award-winning actress has revealed she immersed herself in British popular culture in order to play the iconic literary character, whom she has reprised in the much-anticipated ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’.
The 47-year-old American star explained: "I listened to ‘The Archers’, I watched ‘EastEnders’ and ‘Ali G’ on TV. I watched the news.
"I read magazines to see who were the current-day icons in English culture, to get an idea about who she might aspire to emulate.
"After a while I was humming along to Spice Girls songs."
Famously, Renee also had to pile on the pounds for the role.
The actress – who first played the part in the 2001 hit ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ – told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "I don’t think about it like weight gain.
"She just needed to look like her lifestyle, and this is a girl who loves her ice cream. She drinks a lot of chardonnay, smokes a lot and goes to the bar not the gym.
"It’s like cutting her hair or wearing those black boots or the black bra with the see-through top – it’s about creating this character."
Renee Zellweger explains her EastEnders inspiration
