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Renee Zellweger

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason has plenty to offer fans
of the harried and sometimes confused heroine.

Picking up one month after we last left Bridget, Colin Firth returns as her earnest boyfriend, with Hugh Grant reprising his role as the caddish rival for her affections.

As once again, we're plunged into Bridget's frenetic and bittersweet world, the star Renee Zellweger opens up to Jan Janssen about her ongoing fascination with Bridget Jones, extra pounds and all, life after her best supporting actress Oscar for Chicago, and her own relationship follies.

Renee on Bridget Jones

Renee, as much as you might find it engaging to get back into Bridget Jones's head, getting back into her body is probably less enticing?
(Laughs) It's getting back into my body which is the hard part! Gaining the weight is not that hard except that you begin to worry that maybe it's not all that healthy. But I had gone through the experience once before and I knew what to expect and that made it easier.

I also kind of enjoyed getting rounder and more bosomy again, so it was like becoming a different kind of woman not just psychologically but also physically. So I never felt complex about changing my look even though it was nice to get back down to my usual weight because I feel healthier without the extra pounds.

Was it easier to do the accent this time around?
Yes, because I knew the voice and knew where I needed to go back to on that level. But the real challenge of becoming Bridget again isn't the accent, it's her sensibility and her struggle to become the person she wants to be. There's a very touching and sweet side to her that you have to find as an actress and I worked hard to find that side to Bridget in the first film and obviously I wanted to make sure I found that level again.

Did you feel that Bridget's character is much more evolved in The Edge of Reason?
We see more sides of her and get to know her better since we've already seen what she's gone through in the first film. So I think the audience is more comfortable with who she is and that makes it more challenging for me because I don't want to disappoint people who have developed an attachment for Bridget. So I treated this film as a way of exploring her growth as a woman and again dealing with men and the whole issue of relationships and what makes them work or not.

Why do you think the public has a soft spot in their hearts for Bridget?
Because she's flawed and yet she's so enthusiastic and kind of lovably determined to get through life no matter how many roadblocks are in her way. There's a sweet naturalness to her in the way she gets her hopes up and wants to please people and find love. I think that we all feel that we share so many of the embarrassments and disillusionments she experiences.

She's a fighter, above all else, and even though she goes through a lot of self-questioning and unhappiness, she's still wiling to throw herself into the fray and make her way through life. She has a lot of character and I think we all love that about her.

How was it working with Colin Firth and Hugh Grant again?
Oh, it was great. Often in this business you don't get a chance to renew friendships with other actors because your paths just don't cross unless you're at some film event or a festival. So there's this wonderful sense of catching up with your colleagues and seeing where their lives are at now. It's also nice to see that Colin's career has really started rolling in the last few years and I'm so happy for him.