Hugh Grant and Renée Zellweger reveal what they really think of each other

Nine years after playing Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy, Hugh Grant and Renée Zellweger sat down with British Vogue and did something actors rarely do: they actually said what they think of each other.

Grant was disarmingly honest. "With a lot of other actors, you think they're really great, and then suddenly you see a little glint of steely, scary ambition, and you realize this person would trample their grandmother to get what they want in this business," he said. "But I've never seen that glint coming off you. So either it's very well disguised, or you are quite nice."

Zellweger matched his candor. "You're hilariously brilliant at everything you hate," she told him. "And, though you hate humans, you're a very good and loyal friend. I like you very much. And I love working with you."

What makes this exchange worth noting isn't just that they're kind to each other — it's that they're specific. Grant didn't say "you're talented." He said she lacks the particular hunger that eats actors from the inside. Zellweger didn't say "you're funny." She said he's brilliant at things he despises, which is a different thing entirely.

Why Bridget Jones Still Matters

When asked why the films have endured, Grant offered an observation that feels increasingly relevant: "In a nutshell, I say it's an antidote to Instagram. Instagram is telling people, especially women, 'Your life's not good enough.' It's not as good as this woman's or that woman's, making you insecure. Whereas what Helen did with Bridget is celebrate failures, while making it funny and joyful."

Zellweger expanded on this. "I think maybe folks recognize themselves in her and relate to her feelings of self-doubt. Bridget is authentically herself and doesn't always get it right, but whatever her imperfections, she remains joyful and optimistic, carries on, and triumphs in her own way."

There's something quietly radical about a character who fails publicly and doesn't disappear. Who gets her accent wrong, her outfit slightly off, her timing a beat late — and still ends up loved. In an era of curated perfection, that matters.

The conversation also revealed the small, genuine friction of long collaboration. Grant complained about Zellweger's "longest emails I've ever received" written in "some curious language that I can't really understand." She shot back that if he wrote something funny, she'd circle back to it — and if he forgot he'd written it, that wasn't her problem. It's the kind of banter that only happens between people who've actually spent time together, not just publicity partners.