The actress says new Bridget Jones statue is “sweet”, noting, “She’s sweeter than me.”
The Oscar-winning actress has described the freshly installed statue of Bridget Jones as “endearing”, adding, “In my opinion, she’s a lot sweeter than me.”
Zellweger was commenting as the new statue honoring the beloved figure she played for over two decades was uncovered in the heart of the city on Monday.
Bridget Jones was first imagined in the mid-1990s by writer Helen Fielding, and first adapted for the big screen in 2001. The fourth film came out earlier this year.
Talking at the reveal, Fielding refused to rule out writing more, saying you should “never say never.”
The star added that everyone can relate to Bridget, which explains her enduring charm.
“Her vulnerability, her authenticity,” she said. “We identify in her, we connect in her challenges.
“It reassures us for the rest of us to be authentically who we are. Real.”
The persona of Bridget Jones touched many women’s hearts, who felt understood in her trials and tribulations.
From her embarrassing work mishaps, to her notorious granny pants, Bridget resonated with a demographic who identified in her—and has recently won over a fresh wave of Gen Z followers too.
The new installment in the franchise, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was debuted in early this year, and depicts Bridget portrayed as a widowed mom and tackling today’s relationships.
It received divided opinions, but secured the strongest theatrical launch ever for a romantic comedy in the UK and Ireland, according to data.
The film was promoted as the last installment in the series—but speaking at the event, two longtime enthusiasts, Faye and Wayne, said they were certain there would be a next chapter.
“There are so many things that were open-ended at the finale of the latest installment,” said Faye.
“Her character keeps evolving. I’d love to be with Bridget Jones all the way to the nursing home,” said Wayne.
When asked about the possibility of a future story in Bridget Jones’ journey, Fielding said: “Never say never. Ideas arrive as a writer. So if a concept was inspired that I thought was real and engaging and new then I would write it.”
Some think the struggling and human lead, who’s preoccupied by her body image and love life, is not the ideal inspiration.
And Fielding herself has previously admitted that certain aspects of the narrative have not aged well.
“Bridget Jones’s Diary couldn’t be written in the present day, placed in modern times, because all those workplace characters would be fired,” she said in the past. “That was a completely other era.”
But commenting on the unveiling day, she said she hoped the overarching idea of the novel would still resonate for readers.
“In my view, to have the solace of watching a persona that you can relate to, because they are real and human and emotionally honest, it’s like having the friend you can be true with,” she said.
The monument is the first to celebrate a love story on the landmark’s Scenes in the Square trail.
The public art display first debuted in recently with the introduction of multiple figures featuring comedy legends, Mary Poppins, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Don Lockwood, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and Wonder Woman.
Since then, statues of the boy wizard, the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, the giant canine and Indiana Jones have been included.