'Bridget Jones' Auditions - 12 Actresses in the Running Before Renee Zellweger (See Who was Deemed 'Too Beautiful' for the Role)

Renee Zellweger‘s performance as Bridget Jones is so great that the franchise is still going strong two decades later. However, she had to audition for the role like every other actor, and she faced some stiff competition.

The actress landed the titular role in 2001′s beloved British rom-com Bridget Jones’s Diary. Her casting was controversial to some as Renee is American and did not necessarily reflect the character, who is based on a novel.

Despite some of the reservations, Renee proved to be expertly cast in the role, which she has reprised in 2004′s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and 2016′s Bridget Jones’s Baby.

She’s back in action for a fourth project – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which is due to arrive in 2025 and features several other familiar faces.

With the recently announced fourth movie starting filming, we decided to revisit the iconic franchise and its beginnings. We did some digging to see who else might have been playing Bridget again in 2024.

Interestingly, only a few actresses have confirmed that they were in the running for the role. However, a dozen were mentioned as being considered at various points in the casting process.

Director Sharon Maguire deemed one of the contenders “too beautiful.” Another of them landed a different role in the franchise. One star even revealed a second role that they lost to Renee after having to pass on the series.

Scroll through the slideshow to see who else was in the running to play Bridget Jones…