Renée Zellweger

Renée Kathleen Zellweger (/rəˈneɪ ˈzɛlwɛɡər/; born April 25, 1969[1][2]) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. She was one of the world’s highest-paid actresses by 2007, and was named the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year in 2009.[3][4]

Born and raised in Texas, Zellweger studied English literature at University of Texas at Austin. Initially aspiring to a career in journalism, she was drawn to acting following her brief work on stage during college. Following her minor roles in the 1993 coming-of-age comedy film Dazed and Confused, and the 1994 romantic comedy-drama film Reality Bites, Zellweger’s first starring role came with the 1994 slasher film Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. Receiving praise for her performances in the independent films Love and a .45 (1994) and The Whole Wide World (1996), she rose to prominence with starring roles in the 1996 romantic comedy-drama sports film Jerry Maguire, the 1998 drama film One True Thing, and the 2000 black comedy films Me, Myself and Irene and Nurse Betty, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her portrayal of Betty Sizemore in the last of these.