What Is Renée Zellweger's Net Worth?
Renée Zellweger is an award-winning American actress and producer who has a net worth of $90 million. Renée Zellweger began her professional journey in the early 1990s with appearances in low-budget films and television roles. However, her star truly began to rise with a breakout role in "Jerry Maguire" (1996), in which she played the romantic lead opposite Tom Cruise. Her memorable line "You had me at hello" became an instant classic.
The actress further showcased her range by embracing the world of British romantic comedies, taking on the title role in "Bridget Jones's Diary" (2001). Zellweger's portrayal of Bridget Jones, complete with a British accent and notable weight gain to fit the character, earned her an Academy Award nomination. She reprised the role in two sequels, cementing Bridget Jones as a cultural icon of the 2000s.
Zellweger's dedication to her craft was again evident when she transformed herself to play Roxie Hart in the musical "Chicago" (2002). Her performance, demonstrating not only her acting prowess but also her singing and dancing abilities, was lauded by critics and fans alike. This period of her career was particularly noteworthy, culminating in a Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for her role in "Cold Mountain" (2003).
After a brief hiatus in the 2010s, Zellweger made a triumphant return to the screen with "Judy" (2019), a biographical film where she portrayed the legendary Judy Garland. Her performance, capturing the vulnerability and strength of Garland, won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
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Early Life
Renée Zellweger was born Renée Kathleen Zellweger on April 25, 1969, in Katy, Texas. Her father, Emil Erich, is from the Swiss town of Au, St. Gallen, and was a mechanical engineer, and her mother, Kjellfrid, was a nurse and midwife who moved from Norway to the U.S. to work as a governess for a Norwegian family in Texas.
Zellweger was a very active athlete during her time at Katy High School, participating in cheerleading, soccer, football, and other sports and activities. She was also active in drama and speech. She went to UT Austin after high school, working as a cocktail waitress after her father lost his job and was unable to support her, and graduated with an English degree in 1991.
With a sparked interest in acting, she began getting small roles, her first being a Coors Light commercial.
Early Career
Zellweger auditioned for films around Austin and Houston, landing several small roles in indie and low-budget films. In 1994, she appeared in Ben Stiller's "Reality Bites" in a non-speaking role. Her first big role was the 1994 horror film "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation." She played a teenager alongside Matthew McConaughey. Her next film was the crime comedy "Love and a .45", which garnered some local Austin critic praise, and earned her an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. Renée relocated to Los Angeles shortly after her win and was promptly cast in 1995's now-cult-classic "Empire Records."
Big Break
Zellweger's big break came when she scored a role opposite Tom Cruise in 1996's "Jerry Maguire." The film was unanimously loved by critics and audiences alike and grossed over $273 million worldwide. Cruise himself chose her to play his love interest, crediting her with "revealing the core humanity of the movie." Their chemistry was excellent, and Renée shone bright with her sensitive and charming portrayal of a single, widowed mother. She was nominated for her first Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role. The next few years were a bit of a letdown in Zellweger's career following her massive success and recognition for her work in "Jerry Maguire." She starred in one flop after the next until she landed a role alongside Jim Carrey in the Farrelly brothers comedy "Me, Myself & Irene" in 2000. The film made $149 million worldwide, finally breaking the low-grossing streak. Renée won her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in "Nurse Betty," a black comedy directed by Neil LaBute.
(Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)
Critical Acclaim
The prestigious lead role of Bridget Jones went to Zellweger in 2001, and she starred opposite Hugh Grant and Colin Firth in "Bridget Jones's Diary," based on the 1996 novel of the same name. Her casting came with controversy because she was a) not British and b) a nonsmoker who was not overweight, all important characteristics of the titular character. Zellweger quickly began the process of gaining 20 lbs and learning how to do an English accent while getting used to smoking herbal cigarettes. Her performance was critically acclaimed and earned her a second Golden Globe nomination, and both her first Oscar and BAFTA nomination for Best Leading Actress. The movie was a box office hit, earning $281 million worldwide.
Renée went on to star in the 2002 musical "Chicago," which was internationally acclaimed and won Best Picture at the Oscars that year. She earned her second Academy Award and BAFTA nominations and won her second Golden Globe award for her work. Next up, she appeared in "Cold Mountain" opposite Nicole Kidman and Jude Law. The film was another critical success, and Zellweger took home the Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress.
After hitting a bit of a slow career decline throughout the mid-2000s, Renée decided to take a career hiatus following a straight-to-DVD release of 2010's "My Own Love Song." After six years off from acting, she made her career comeback in the third installment of the Bridget Jones series, "Bridget Jones's Baby" in 2016. It got positive reviews and grossed $211 million worldwide. In 2019, Zellweger made an even bigger comeback playing Judy Garland in the massively critically acclaimed biopic "Judy." She performed her own vocals, including songs filmed in one take in front of a live audience. Critics have called her performance a career-best. She won numerous awards for her work, including the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Oscar for Best Actress.
Over the years, Zellweger has appeared on the covers of many popular magazines, including "Vogue" and "Harper's Bazaar." She is often praised for her style at awards shows and red-carpet events and has earned herself the reputation of a style icon over her years in the spotlight. Renée was ranked #20 in "Forbes" magazine's "20 Richest Women in Entertainment" list in 2007.
Salary Highlights
Renée earned $3.75 million for the very first installment of "Bridget Jones's Diary" in 2001. Three years later, she would earn $11 million to reprise the role in "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." In 2002, she made $10 million for her role in "Chicago." In 2003, she earned $15 million (and an Academy Award) for her work in "Cold Mountain." In 2005, she made $5 million for "Cinderella Man".
Today for a big-budget studio film, Renée might earn $10 – $15 million. Thanks to her multiple blockbuster successes and major award wins, she is able to take independent film roles for nominal paydays while still maintaining her position as one of the highest-paid actresses in the world.
Personal Life
Zellweger was engaged to Jim Carrey from 1999 to 2000. She married singer Kenny Chesney in May 2005, but the marriage was annulled four months later. Renée dated Bradley Cooper from 2009 to 2011. From 2012 to 2019, she was in a relationship with Texas-born musician Doyle Bramhall II.
Zellweger is active with the GREAT Initiative, which is a gender equality foundation, and she visited Liberia with the organization in 2011. She collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger in 2011 to design a handbag to raise money for the Breast Health Institute.
Real Estate
In 2004, Renée paid $1.32 million for a 40-acre farm in Connecticut. She has attempted to sell this property on a number of occasions but is still the owner as of this writing.
She previously owned a complex of apartment units in New York City, which she offloaded in 2011 for $7.4 million.
In 2003, she sold a house in LA's Bel Air neighborhood to actress Debra Messing for $7 million.
Also in 2003, Renée picked up a home in East Hampton, New York, for $2.15 million. She listed this home for sale in 2014 for $4.45 million. She ultimately sold this house in December 2014 for $4.65 million.
In April 2015, Zellweger paid $3.35 million for a home in Topanga, California. She listed this home for sale in October 2021 for a little less than $6 million. She ultimately accepted $6.4 million for the property.
In 2020, Renée paid around $3 million for a lakefront property on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas.
