Renee Zellweger 2016 Update: Why Did 'Bridget Jones' Star Choose To Come Back To Acting? [VIDEO]
What convinced Renée Zellweger to return to acting after taking several years off?
Zellweger is back with three new movies set to come out either this year or next year. The actress took time off from her career after 2010, with her last acting role being My Own Love Song.
With some speculating that Zellweger might have retired from acting, what caused her to return this year? It turns out she missed the process too much.
"I craved the creative process again," she admitted in a new interview with People. "When I stopped making films, it was because it became more depleting than rewarding. It was because of the way I was living my life, and I don't think you can be good in a creative medium if you aren't grateful for the opportunity to participate."
Zellweger chose to use the past six years to travel the world as she worked to support gender equality.
"I think traveling off the beaten path is a good idea for anybody because it's essential for understanding not just the rest of the world, but yourself," she said.
Of course, being in Hollywood can be an exhausting, negative experience, especially for actresses who are criticized for their looks. This was certainly the case in 2014 when she arrived at a red carpet event looking slightly different, causing rampant speculation she might have gotten plastic surgery.
Yet even in spite of the vicious gossip blogs, Zellweger tries to maintain a positive attitude in her day-to-day life, similar to her most popular film character, Bridget Jones.
"I smile a lot on red carpets in the midst of those moments that hopefully people won't know about," she said. "I smile through the Bridget Jones moments. There are a million of them, all day, every day, But, I'm hopelessly hopeful. I'm an optimist. I guess I just believe you gotta laugh, have some humor."
Bridget Jones's Baby is slated for theatrical release on Sept. 16.
