Bridget Jones’s Diary > Trivia

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  • To prepare for the role, Renée Zellweger gained 25 pounds, then worked at a British publishing company for a month. Using an alias and a posh accent, she was apparently not recognized. She also kept a framed picture of her then-boyfriend Jim Carrey on her desk. Her coworkers found the photo odd, but never mentioned it, fearing it would embarrass her.
  • Sally Phillips auditioned for the title character, but was turned down. However, she impressed the producers, who offered her the part of Shazza.
  • The casting of Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones sparked considerable controversy, with many fans of the books outraged that an American actress would play the very British Bridget. However, this quickly faded after Zellweger’s performance received near-unanimous praise and an Academy Award nomination.
  • Renée Zellweger worked on her accent with Barbara Berkery, who had helped Gwyneth Paltrow with Shakespeare in Love (1998).
  • In 2008, the Bridget Jones character was accused of contributing to the decline in Chardonnay sales. Oz Clarke, one of Britain’s best-selling wine writers, said the character’s association with the wine had hurt its reputation; “Until Bridget Jones, chardonnay was really sexy. After, people said, ‘God, not in my bar’.”
  • Bridget’s flat is above The Globe Tavern pub, located at 8 Bedale Street in London.
  • The fight scene between Hugh Grant and Colin Firth wasn’t choreographed. It was improvised between the actors.
  • When Lara, the American girlfriend, is discovered naked in Daniel’s bathroom, she is holding a large book with the Pemberley Press name and logo printed in gold. The logo bears a striking resemblance to Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's grand estate in the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice.
  • Bridget Jones’s Diary is a loose retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.