‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ Star Renee Zellweger On Looking Too Good

It seems Renee Zellweger just can’t catch a break, when it comes to not discussing her physical appearance. Just a few short weeks after her essay asking people to stop dwelling on the change in her appearance, Zellweger is again discussing her body in a public forum, but, this time, Renee is more willing to open up.

Zellweger shares that she had been open to packing on the pounds for Bridget Jones’s Baby, much as she had done for the two previous installments in the Bridget Jones saga, but reveals that the Bridget Jones’s Baby director had other ideas in mind.

Bridget Jones’s Baby Star Renee Zellweger Stuns Sydney Fans

Renee Zellweger and Patrick Dempsey appeared before eager fans and journalists at a Sydney, Australia press call earlier Monday morning and, as Yahoo Style shares, the Bridget Jones’s Baby actress drew much of the attention. No longer criticized for the changes her iconic look has undergone, Renee stunned fans with her beauty and style, as she appeared in a dress of burgundy with white polka dots. Ms. Zellweger’s blonde hair was loosely worn down around her shoulders and her face was flattered with just small traces of make-up, proving that the subtle enhancements are enough to bring out her natural beauty.

While Ms. Zellweger arrived in Australia with her long-time love interest, Doyle Bramhall II, she spent her public appearances in the company of her on-screen love interest. Bridget Jones’s Baby leading man Patrick Dempsey had also joined the press tour, giving fans an up close look at the film’s stars.

In the film, Ms. Zellweger’s character becomes pregnant, just as she’s gearing up to celebrate her 43rd birthday. The romantic comedy dials things up, when it’s revealed that Bridget isn’t exactly sure who fathered the baby. It’s either Jack Qwant (Dempsey) or Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).

Renee Zellweger Wanted To Get Fat, But She Was Outvoted

Interviewing with The Daily Telegraph, Ms. Zellweger revealed that she had offered to gain weight for her return as Bridget Jones, but director Sharon Maguire asked her not to bother. It seems the Bridget Jones’s Baby director had other ideas in mind for the new installment in the beloved comedy franchise. Renee says her director was interested in showing that, while Bridget Jones was finally happy with her weight and her body physique, there were other parts of her life that still made living a disaster.

“I wasn’t sure about that one though because we all have something we think is wrong, that needs fixing, that in our own minds represents the ideal that we are meant to obtain,” says Zellweger about the idea of letting Bridget succeed in her weight loss goals. “And I like the idea that that stays with us throughout our lives.”

Nonetheless, Zellweger’s character does gain the weight back in a manner of speaking. Renee ends up wearing a large prosthetic belly to show Bridget Jones in mid pregnancy.

Speaking of appearances, Renee was asked about her Bridget Jones’s Baby co-star, who has been labeled a dreamboat, since his popular run as Dr. McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy. While some may think being a dreamboat is something that comes naturally to Patrick, Renee suggests it’s something he works at daily.

“He practices every day,” said Zellweger, howling in laughter. “He wakes up in the morning and works on his dreamboat chops.”

Mr. Dempsey credits his roles for that image of himself as a dreamboat, suggesting that he tends to gravitate towards the roles that accentuate his best traits.

“Because the characters that I have played are a certain archetype, it’s easy for people to project that onto — either the McDreamy character or the character in this film,” says Dempsey. “You want to live up to that. I think it forces me to work on myself and to try and be that person.”

Bridget Jones’s Baby, starring Renee Zellweger, Patrick Dempsey, and Colin Firth, is set to premiere on September 16 in theaters.

[Image by Cole Bennetts/Getty Images]