Renee Zellweger has revealed the extent of her method acting as she filmed Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy in London.

The American Oscar-winner, 55, said she kept up her English accent 24/7 during filming as she was ‘lazy’ and didn’t want to wake up every morning and practice her ‘vowels.’

The star is also dating British star Ant Anstead,  who hails from Devon in south west England, with the host  no doubt helping her perfect her accent.

She said of the process: ‘I wouldn’t say it was method acting as much as it was lazy. I didn’t want to start every morning trying to make my vowels sound right. I just wanted it to be a habit. I didn’t want to work that hard!’

Discussing getting back into character as the singleton, who she has played since 2001, Zellweger said: ‘Bridget feels like an old friend. Over the years, our on-set friendships have just deepened, and it really feels like a family reunion.

‘We were familiar with how emotional the material was because the novel had been out for a while But the script was so beautifully written that the emotion just sneaks up on you. You think you’re heading in one direction that feels familiar, and then yeah, it just gets you. It’s wonderful when that happens and actually really rare.’

Renee Zellweger has revealed the extent of her method acting as she filmed Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy in London (pictured in the new movie with Leo Woodall)

The star is also dating British star Ant Anstead, who hails from Devon in south west England, with the host no doubt helping her perfect her accent

The new film, set for release on Valentine’s Day, sees Bridget adjusting to single life after the death of her true love Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).

It’s been over 20 years since Renee first played Helen Fielding’s romantic diarist, and over the past two decades some aspects of Bridget’s character and the first three film’s plotlines have not aged well.

The character first appeared in a column in The Independent and when Fielding released Bridget Jones’ Diary in 1996, it quickly became a bestseller.

The book was adapted for the screen in 2001, and the sequel The Edge of Reason followed in 2004, and then Bridget Jones’s Baby hit cinemas in 2016.

In all iterations of the franchise, Bridget is known for her obsessive calorie counting, chain-smoking and love of wearing big knickers. The character traits have come under scrutiny in recent years, with Bridget criticised as toxic.

Even Renee herself admitted in a recent interview with Vogue that ‘HR would have something to say about it’ when asked about her character’s work affair with Hugh Grant in the first film.

But in a new interview, Renee has hit back at the woke commentary surrounding her character insisting: ‘I don’t find it toxic, in my opinion. I love Bridget Jones. I’ve always loved Bridget Jones, and I love her more with every reunion.’ 

‘I never thought there was anything wrong with her,’ she added to The Sun. ‘I’d always thought of it more generally as a representation of how we pick on ourselves about things that are entirely of no consequence — because she’s not an overweight person.

She said of the process: ‘I wouldn’t say it was method acting as much as it was lazy. I didn’t want to start every morning trying to make my vowels sound right. I just wanted it to be a habit. I didn’t want to work that hard!’ 

In Mad About The Boy Bridget finds herself in the middle of a battle for her affections between boytoy Roxster, played by Leo Woodall, and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mr. Wallaker (pictured)

‘And she’s cute and there’s nothing at all wrong with her or her experiences or where she is,’ she added, pointing out Bridget’s ‘self-deprecating’ atтιтude and her ‘optimism.’

Mad About The Boy has moved on from the first movie’s weight jibes, instead focusing on Bridget’s age.

Read More Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding wants to smash the idea women have a ‘Sєxual sell-by date’

Set in the years after Mark’s tragic death, Bridget finds herself in the middle of a battle for her affections between boytoy Roxster, played by Leo Woodall, and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s teacher character Mr. Wallaker.

And Renee has words for anyone criticising the ‘cougar’ storyline, musing that ‘people are talking about all the films that are showing this dynamic as the central relationship. I have no regrets. This is nothing new in society.’

Renee recently chatted  for the new issue of British Vogue and shared a rare insight into her and Ant’s romance.

‘I live in Southern California, near San Diego, because that’s where my fellow lives, and his little boy,’ she opened up, referencing her boyfriend’s five-year-old son Hudson.

Ant shares the little boy with ex-wife Christina Haack, who is in the process of divorcing her third husband Josh Hall.

He also shares daughter Amelie, 21, and son Archie, 18, with his ex-wife Louise Anstead.

Fans have previously suspected that Renee and Ant are married as the UK-bred television personality has referred to his lady as his ‘missus’ in several social media posts.

In July 2023, The US Sun reported that the Hollywood fixture told friends she and Ant were planning a wedding.

An insider told the outlet at the time, ‘Renee and Ant are keeping their plans incredibly private, they’re not planning a big public announcement.’

It was added that, ‘She has been telling her inner circle about organizing their nuptials. Everything will be very low-key.

‘Her relationship with Ant is super strong and they’re madly in love, and they can’t wait to get hitched.’

It’s been over 20 years since Renee first played Helen Fielding’s diarist, and over two decades some aspects of Bridget’s character and the first three film’s plotlines have not aged well

After meeting her soulmate, a friend of the actress told People that Renee was ‘head over heels’ and has ‘never been happier,’ in a relationship.

‘She thinks this is the real deal. She’s never been happier. They’re a great couple,’ the insider told the outlet. ‘Sometimes two people just meet and click, and the timing is right.’

The source added: ‘Renee is creative…and often goes for guys who think out of the box…Both of them are private and dislike public scrutiny, so they have that in common. He’s a creative guy with lots of interests.’

Renee was previously married to country star Kenny Chesney for just four months, with the couple splitting in 2005.

Ahead of her short-lived marriage, she was engaged to Jim Carrey from 1999 to 2000.

And the longtime entertainer was previously romantically linked to Bradley Cooper, who she met while filming 2009’s Case 39.

She and the nine-time Oscar nominee sparked engagement rumors during their romance, but eventually split in 2011.

Zellweger was later in a long-term relationship with musician Doyle Bramhall II from 2012 to 2019.

Anstead was married to his first wife Louise from 2005 until 2017. He went on to tie the knot with Christina Haack in 2018, and they welcomed their son in 2019.

The couple divorced in 2021 and for months were embroiled in a messy public custody battle.

Anstead and Zellweger met while filming an episode of his series Celebrity IOU Joyride in April 2021.