Trivia

Here you’ll find all sorts of Trivia about Renée Zellweger and her career. Have fun reading this and feel free to contribute additional trivial information about Renée Zellweger if you have any.

Early Years Trivia:

Renée Kathleen Zellweger is born in April 25, 1969, in Katy, Texas.

Her nickname is Zelly.

Zellweger´s father, Emil Erich Zellweger, is born in Switzerland in a village called Au in the canton of St. Gallen. Zellweger´s grandparents, Dorothy and Emil Zellweger, left Switzerland right after World War II and moved first to Australia and then to the U.S.A.

Zellweger´s mother, Kjellfrid Irene Andreassen, is Norwegian of Sami origin and met her father on a boat during his crossing to the USA. Zellweger herself has many typical Sami features, such as strong cheekbones and slanted eyes.

She also has an older brother, Drew who is to years older (born on February 15, 1967) and which she greatly admired. Drew works in the marketing business.

While attending Katy High school, she was a member of the Bengal Brigade, the basketball team, track, and cheerleaders.

When senior in Katy High school, she was nominated for Homecoming Queen.

After graduating from Katy High School in 1987, she went to the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in English.

She got interested in acting in high school while working on the drama club.

Was considered for the role of Jessica Kimble in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday.

She was considered an excellent student, and made the Dean’s List of students who have attained high academic rank several times.

While in college, Zellweger appeared in several commercials.

Worked as cocktail waitress in a strip club, called Sugars” while trying to catch roles in acting.

Career Trivia:

In 1993, she had a non-speaking role in Dazed and Confused.

After graduating from University, she wanted to continue acting, instead of moving to Hollywood, she decided to stay in Texas and audition for roles around Houston.

First on-screen kiss was in 1994 with Ethan Hawke in Reality Bites.

Her role in The Whole Wide World (1996) led to her big break because when Cameron Crowe, heard of her performance, he auditioned her Jerry Mcguire. Crowe had been considering Cameron Diaz, Bridget Fonda, Winona Ryder, and Marisa Tomei for the role but after Zellwegers audition, he was sure he had found the right actess.

Visited Argentina in 1996 to promote, along with Vincent D’Onofrio, the film The Whole Wide World in Mar del Plata Film Festival, where she won the Best Actress Award.

Starred in 1998 with Meryl Streep and William Hurt in One True Thing and two years later in the comedy, Me, Myself & Irene along with Jim Carrey.

After Me, Myself and Irene, Renee starred in the dark comedy Nurse Betty along with Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock and for that performance, she won her first Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical.

Won the Golden Globe for her performance in Nurse Betty, and was in the bathroom when they called her name.

renee4 Chosen in 2001 by the “People Magazine” as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.

Named one of E!’s list of “Top 20 Entertainers of 2001.”

Got the leading role in Bridget Jones Diary, beating out Kate Winslet and Elizabeth Hurley.

Received her first Academy Award nomination for her role in Bridget Jones Diary.

She learned how to perform for Chicago by watching co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones but she also took training regime of vocal coaching and dance training for 10 months to rise to professional standards. The effort clearly paid off, because she won her second Golden Globe Award and received a second Academy Award nomination as best actress in a leading role for her role in the musical Chicago.

Played the character of Barbara Novak, in the romantic comedy Down with Love along with Ewan McGregor in 2003.

The year of 2003 was also the year of Cold Mountain, where Zellweger played Ruby Thewes, a young woman in the days of the American Civil War, who has lived a hard-scrabble life but is very adroit. For her role in Cold Mountain, Zellweger got the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award as best supporting actress.

In 2004 she was reprised for her famous role, Bridget Jones in the sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Hugh Gant and Colin Firth had both reprised their role. The movie proved to be another success for Renee and she was nominated the fifth Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy.

She was the voice of Angie in the animated movie Shark Tale.

Worked with Russell Crowe in Cinderella Man in 2004 and for that role she had to dye her hair brown.

In 2007, Zellweger was the voice of Vanessa Bloom in the animation film Bee Movie.

She also reunited with Ewan McGregor in Miss Potter, which brought her the sixth Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy nomination.

Starred in the 2008 western film Appaloosa, where she plays the character of Allison French, a pretty, refined, and good-natured widow that arrives in town and causes jealousy between two long-term friends. And the same year she played Lexie Littleton in the comedy Leatherheads along with Georg Clooney and John Krasinski, where she plays Lexie Littleton.

Honoured as Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year for 2009 on February 5, 2009.

Trivia – Various Subjects:

Designer Carolina Herrara makes the majority of Renee’s wardrobe, including her wedding gown.

Friend of Reese Witherspoon.

Has had her agent, John Carrabino, for a long time.

Is fluent in German.

Is one of six actresses to have won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance.

She admits to being a hopeless romantic.

She is 5′5″ tall.

A huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

Often confused with the singer Jewel because they look so much alike.

She loves to say the word “awesome.”

Once had a crush on Paul McCartney.

Prefers to sleep in over-sized men’s pyjamas.

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame in 2005.

Was the co-host for Revlon’s Annual New York City 5km run/walk.

Favourite holidays are Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Admits that she actually misses her fuller figure she had while filming the Bridget Jones films because she got more attention from men when she was heavier.

Became the first one to win 2 individual SAG awards in film catagories.

Lived with actor Rory Cochrane for four years.

Was encouraged to change her name to one that would be more marketable, but she refused to do so because she and her brother were the first Zellwegers born in the States.

Discovered two small lumps in her right breast in 1996, which were found to be benign tumours called fibroadenomas. She underwent surgery and had the tumours removed immediately.

Dated Jim Carrey while they were filming the movie Me, Myself and Irene but they later broke up.

Lost her dog, a collie-golden retriever mix named Dylan whom she had owned for 12 years, in November 2003.

Named in September of 2003 by People Magazine the Best Dressed Celebrity.

Met her boyfriend, Jack White during the filming of the Cold Mountain but they ended their relationship over the Christmas holidays in 2004.

During filming of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, she became a big fan of the Chelsea FC soccer team and disguised herself so she could go to the matches.

Met her future husband Kenny Chesney at a tsunami relief benefit in January 2005 and married him on May 9, on the resort island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands the same year. Her wedding ceremony lasted only 15 minutes and she wore a gown designed by her favourite designer, Carolina Adriana Herrera. The marriage lasted only 4 months and the annulment was finalized on December 20, 2005.

Listed as number 10 on Blackwell’s list of worst-dressed women in 2005.