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Sometimes we get so swept up by an actor’s performance that we almost forget that’s not who they really are - especially when they do an accent.
People are regularly left baffled when they realise Sarah Lancashire doesn’t speak like a Yorkshire copper or when they remember Christian Bale isn’t American.
And another key culprit causing this level of confusion is of course Renée Zellweger, Miss Bridget Jones herself.
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Following her appearance on The Graham Norton Show last night (31 January), viewers were once again left seriously confused after hearing her real voice.
It’s certainly not the first time either, as people regularly forget that Zellweger doesn’t speak like a true Brit who raps to 'Jump Around' in pyjamas around her London flat.
Watching her on the BBC talk show, viewers said hearing the star’s real accent ‘is like hearing Santa doesn’t exist’.
The 55-year-old was chatting to Norton ahead of the return of the iconic character as Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy releases on 14 February.
“I’ve only ever watched Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones so I'm not used to her regular accent!” one viewer wrote on X.
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While many people may be used to her playing the Brit, the star has a list of impressive credits from her Oscar-winning role as Judy Garland in Judy to Roxie Hart in Chicago.
She’s also appeared in Cold Mountain, Miss Potter, What/If and The Thing About Pam.
But no matter what, people still seem shocked when they remember (or learn for the first time) that Zellweger is actually American.
Born and raised in Texas, the BAFTA winner speaks very much with an undeniable American accent.
“It still feels weird to me Renée Zellweger isn't a Brit & does the whole accent perfectly,” someone else said.
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With some learning for the very first time that Zellweger is a Yank, another wrote: “I’m thinking the same! How did I not know?”
While one said she ‘seems to be more Texan than ever’ on last night’s show.
“Renee plays a brilliant British accent considering she's actually American lol,” another fan praised.
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The upcoming Bridget Jones film has been billed as the fourth and final one in the series but Zellweger said at the premiere earlier this week that she’s got her ‘fingers crossed’ that’s not the case.
It’s been almost 24 years since the first movie came out and the star says she’s ‘in denial’ that it may be coming to an end.
Topics: BBC, Celebrity, The Graham Norton Show
Jess Battison