Renee Zellweger on how she’s changed: ‘I’m better at taking care of myself first’

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Several years back, Renee Zellweger got some work done. I don’t think that’s up for debate, even if she never confirmed it and wanted to pretend it never happened. People Botox all the time, people go in for little tweaks here and there, and most of the time, we probably can’t even see much of a difference. But Renee truly looked unrecognizable for the better part of two years (2013-14) until the work softened a bit or maybe the injectibles wore off a bit too. Well, Renee has a feature in the latest issue of Town & Country and I feel like she’s still trying out some stuff on her face? This time, it just looks like Botox to me. She’s back to looking like Classic Renee, just frozen. Anyway, Renee spoke to Town & Country because she’s promoting her Netflix limited series What/If, which is supposed to be like a modern twist on The Graduate, with Renee playing the “Mrs. Robinson” character. You can see T&C’s feature here. Some highlights:

On her character Anne Montgomery in What/If: “She was a treat. Every day, she says that thing that you wish you could say, but you wouldn’t dare. But Anne does….we could all use a little of Anne’s audacity, couldn’t we?”

On What/If being her first TV series: “Everything was a surprise, which was a really interesting new way of working for me—slightly uncomfortable.”

On the importance of self-care: “I’m better at taking care of myself first. I didn’t recognize that that was an option. Now, it’s a priority. [Acting] doesn’t have to be at the expense of my health and my life.”

On Judy Garland: “The combination of gifts that she was born with are just indescribably important in terms of what she inspires in other artists,” she says. But does she think Garland would fare better in today’s different though equally cutthroat entertainment industry? Zellweger considers the question seriously. “Perhaps,” she says finally. “And perhaps I don’t know. Because then you see stories like Amy Winehouse and you just wonder why?”

[From Town & Country]

This isn’t Renee’s fault, but I dislike that sort of “would Judy Garland have fared better in today’s world?” question. Garland was a product of the studio system (which doesn’t exist now) and she was largely a vocal talent who did not write her own songs. If anything, the “Judy Garland” model does not exist anymore. And if she did, she would probably just be relegated to stage work and not film or television. As for Renee… it’s obvious that she largely lives an undercover life and she’s not paying attention to pop culture or even the comings and goings of her industry. It’s weird to me that she still seems so disconnected, even if she says the disconnect was purposeful, for her own health.

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Photos courtesy of Adam Amengual for Town & Country, photos sent from promotional T&C email.

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28 Responses to “Renee Zellweger on how she’s changed: ‘I’m better at taking care of myself first’”

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  1. KidV says:

    She’s beautiful, but I would not have known this was Renee had her name not been in the title.

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      I think she definitely had her eyes done, most likely for vision problems. They seem to be looking like her “old” eyes, just a bit more open/wide.
      Also, she’s only 50 years old, so she’s hardly decrepit. She’s always wearing a hat outside and seems to take care of her skin.

      • Jenn says:

        Yeah, it was an upper blepharoplasty for her eyesight — elective, but not really cosmetic. Anyway, she looks great.

    • Eliza says:

      I thought it was Kare Blanchet

    • SM says:

      I know, right? Did she go away for a while hoping we would forget what she looks like?

  2. Justwastingtime says:

    I sat next to her once in a nail shop.. didn’t know it was her ( until a photographer started clicking away at her from outside and they hustled her upstairs ). But I should have guessed she was an actress, super thin even for LA, brought a salad she was picking at, and had a baseball cap covering most of her face. Check. Check. Check. She seems to be in a healthier place so good for her.

  3. Justwastingtime says:

    I sat next to her once in a nail shop.. didn’t know it was her ( until a photographer started clicking away at her from outside and they hustled her upstairs ). But I should have guessed she was an actress, super thin even for LA, brought a salad she was picking at, and had a baseball cap covering her face. Check. Check. Check. She seems to be in a healthier place so good for her.

  4. tealily says:

    I think she looks lovely here. Whatever she’s done, it’s looking good on her. Her skin looks absolutely flawless. (And those gams!!)

    You know, I like Renee more now than I did at the height of the Bridget Jones days, but I really have no desire to watch a Netflix rehash of The Graduate. Looking forward the the Judy Garland pic though.

    • lucy2 says:

      I like her too, she’s pretty quiet and stays out of the spotlight except for work, and she does look great. I feel bad she was defensive about the work she had done, because she does look great, and it was necessary for her eyes, a common thing many people do. I would hate the non-stop scrutiny of being a public figure, especially a woman.

      What If is nothing like the Graduate, it’s more over the top soap opera.

      • tealily says:

        Worth a watch, would you say? There is so much content out there these days, I can’t usually bothered without a recommendation.

      • lucy2 says:

        It was sort of trashy fun, but not great.

      • Jenn says:

        My friend knows her from their first movie and is fiercely protective of her. Says she is a sweetheart.

    • Carol says:

      She’s got some amazing legs!

  5. lana86 says:

    I just remember that she lives with some alfons guy and pays his debts while he doesn’t want to pay his own alimony

  6. Jb says:

    Whenever I think about getting Botox or some sort of injectable I think of Renee and then I think wrinkles can’t be all that bad. Anyways my sis watched What If and it’s more of Indecent Proposal and not the graduate. Renee is Robert Redfords character & there in a lot more sex and naked ppl. She said it was enjoyable but trashy!

    • Giddy says:

      A friend of mine began getting Botox for wrinkles around her eyes and she looked great. But then came the time when evidently a shot was placed wrong, and it resulted in a very noticeable droopy eyelid. A droopy eyelid that lasted for months. That convinced me to never do it.

  7. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    The thing about society speculations is that they have to be just that…a study in what-if. You can’t pluck people out of their timeline and say they’d fare better at some other time. There’s a lot of cogs turning all around us at every second that contribute to who we are and who we want to be. I would imagine taking someone’s mid-century sensibilities would explode from all the unnatural noise and overwhelming sense of urgency from all of us lol.

  8. Lala11_7 says:

    Garland was a child actress…and the infrastructure for child stars is still very much still alive…and as horrific and soul destroying now…as it was then…

    So given Garland’s parents…and the unspeakable things that happened to her as a child by Industry power monsters…and the system that fostered her talents STILL being a vital part of today’s world…

    I truly don’t see how her story would be any different….unfortunately….

  9. DiegoInSF says:

    I actually loved her in What/If, she’s deliciously wicked as the villain. The show is such a summer guilty pleasure that doesn’t take itself seriously.

  10. FHMom says:

    “Classic Renee, just frozen. “ I can’t stop laughing.

  11. smcollins says:

    I’ve always had a soft spot for Renee, she just seems so sweet & vulnerable. I’m looking forward to seeing her in the Judy Garland film and I’ll have to check out What/If, sounds like a fun watch.

  12. Harryg says:

    Sorry, I thought What/If was so bad. I like Rene though.

  13. Kyra WEGMAN says:

    facelift on top of the lid-lift. looks like blanchett. i really don’t get why actors do this to themselves. she doesn’t look younger or more appealing. and it won’t work, career-wise.

  14. Sorella says:

    My sister and 2 friends said watching What If was hard due to Renée’s pulled face. I haven’t watched it but will try it. I just finished Dead to Me which I loved . And I love how Cristina Applegate seems to be aging naturally and looks great!! And her acting is WOW in that!!

  15. Clairej says:

    I love Renee. She always seemed the sweetest of then all. I didn’t know this show existed, but will now look it up. She has been so good in so many things. I remember that boxing one with Russell Crowe and she was his wife and they were so lovely together. Plus I still have a soft spot for Jerry Maguire and Bridget Jones. Hope she is happy!