Renee Zellweger will always be that lovable actress we grew to adore.

Fresh from her Golden Globe win for best actress in a motion picture – drama for Judy and an Oscar nod for leading actress in the same film, Zellwegger was at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to accept the American Riviera Award last night.

She related to Judy Garland by saying, “I understand the toll it can take on your personal life, if you don’t pay attention of the opportunity to take care. I understand the vast gulf between the public perception of a persona and the truth of life.”

For a few years, she took a break from acting in 2010 until 2015. She was in the spotlight in the 2000s with Bridget Jones’s Diary, Chicago and Cold Mountain. She returned with Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016 and the television show What/If. Judy is the latest Oscar nomination since her Oscar win for best actress in 2004’s Cold Mountain. She was also nominated for Chicago and Bridget Jones’s Diary.

“I took a break because I left a few very important things out of the equation, like my health. I didn’t realize it at the time – it took me a while to recognize the chaos…..I needed to step back for a minute and recalibrate. And it didn’t really matter at a certain point what the result of that decision would look like in my life. It was essential. And like anybody who has a job, you don’t complain about the amount of work that comes your way. This is your job, this is your profession and what you do for a living,” she explained. “If you’re lucky enough to do what you love for a living then you certainly don’t complain.” It’s thrilling. It’s rewarding. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward…..there’s very little reason to say no to things that teach you something…..that’s what I was greedy for.”

LRM Online was also present on the red carpet to speak very briefly to Renee Zellweger on the carpet and with other filmmakers for day two of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Watch the interviews below.

Source: SBIFF, LRM Online Exclusive