Zellweger, Renée (1969– )

US actor. She initially played sweet, naive characters in films such as Jerry Maguire (1996) and Nurse Betty (2000) but went on to show the breadth of her talent in a diversity of roles, such as devious dancer Roxie Hart in Chicago (2002; Academy Award nomination) and tough country girl Ruby Thewes in Cold Mountain (2003; Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress). She also starred in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) and its sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004).

Zellweger appeared in several films in the mid-1990s, such as Reality Bites (1994), Love and a .45 (1994), and Empire Records (1995), but she got her first major break after writer/director Cameron Crowe, impressed by her performance in The Whole Wide World (1996), cast her opposite Tom Cruise in the successful comedy Jerry Maguire. Other films include Me, Myself, and Irene (2000), White Oleander (2002), Down with Love (2003), Cinderella Man (2005), and Leatherheads (2008).

She was born in Katy, Texas, to a Swiss father and Norwegian mother. She became interested in acting during high school and took an acting class at the University of Texas. Auditioning in Houston, she landed roles in her early films, moving to Los Angeles in the mid 1990s.