Renée Zellweger Broke Down While Filming with Colin Firth for ‘Bridget Jones 4’ (Exclusive)

Renée Zellweger is back as Bridget Jones! She chatted with “Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi at the NYC premiere of “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” the fourth and final film in the series. 

The actress shared the impact that Bridget Jones has had on her, saying, “Best job in the world! I mean, changed my life creatively and personally… How weird and unique to be able to catch up with a fictional character in real time in life’s journey, and each time is like a reunion with friends that we’ve shared these 25 years together in this experience… It’s wonderful. Yeah, very lucky.”

Talking about getting back into character, Renée said, “A little weird for a little while. It’s a little awkward — fake it till you make it. All of it comes back. It feels familiar, you know, put some work into it and as the friends start showing up and we start rehearsing and stuff you know she starts showing up, too.”

Zellweger, who reunites with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth for the film, gushed, “Oh, it’s always great. Thank goodness for, you know, Hugh’s reincarnation — well, Daniel Cleaver’s reincarnation. I mean if you’re going to bring a character back from the dead let it be Daniel Cleaver.”

Bridget is a widow in the new movie, stepping back into dating after having lost husband Mark Darcy.

She said of filming with Colin, “And again, with Colin, 25 years, you know, those scenes were hard to shoot. I didn’t expect it to be so emotional. I mean, I read the book, I know what’s happening, but when I saw him there with his Mark Darcy finery and his Mark Darcy briefcase, I just welled up and couldn’t stop. It’s just like, no more, you know? This will be the last time working with Colin in that capacity, and it — yeah, it really surprised me.”

She added, “It really set in over and over when I read the book, when we read the script, and then on the day, seeing him there. It’s not a crying scene, and I just couldn’t stop. It was really rough.”

Revealing she really does stay in character and keep the accent even when she is off set while filming, she explained, “Yeah, I’m just lazy. I don’t want to start over every day. Can you imagine starting over every day? Just make a habit and that’s it.”

Mona asked if it is weird when people hear her real voice. She said, “I think so. At the end of it, it is a little weird, because Hugh and I spent more time together speaking like Bridget than not, so he always looks at me a little strangely.”