In Entertainment today, we listen to an interview with the Oscar-winning

actress, Renee Zellweger. She talks about her new film ‘Miss Potter’.

‘Miss Potter’ tells the life story of Beatrix Potter - one of the most famous

writers of children’s books ever! Her best-loved book, ‘The Tale of Peter

Rabbit’, has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide since it was first

published in 1902!

‘Miss Potter’ reveals a determined woman who struggled for the right to an

independent life and to find a publisher for her books. She was also an active

conservationist (she worked to protect the natural environment) and she used

the money she made from her books to buy 14 farms and 4,000 acres of land in

the beautiful Lake District in the north of England - and she left this to an

organisation called the National Trust when she died.

Quite a life story! And as you’ll hear, this is what impressed Renee when she

first read the script for the film. It made her want ‘to participate in’, to take part

in, the film. As you listen, try to catch the expression Renee uses at the end of

the extract to describe how she couldn’t wait to start work on the film.

Renee Zellweger

‘This is a beautiful story and I would love to participate in this – love to. And after I read it, it

was very, very hard to believe that this was this woman’s life experience and that it was not 

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fiction. I couldn’t believe it, and then, of course, I couldn’t believe that someone was going to

make a film that was so simply told and beautiful and not sensationalised at all, and yet, it was

still so compelling and emotional. I was beside myself to get started and to dig into it and to

learn more.’

Amber: Renee Zellweger says she was ‘beside myself’ to start work on the film – if

you are ‘beside yourself’ to do something, you want to do it very much and

immediately! She was also delighted that the script for the film was not

‘sensationalised at all’. If something is ‘sensationalised’, it is exaggerated and

emphasises the most shocking aspects of a subject. And she says that Beatrix

Potter’s life seemed so fascinating, she could not believe it was not fiction – an

imaginary story.

As a girl, Renee Zellweger adored reading, especially fantasy books. She grew

up in the United States, in Texas, but her mother is from Norway and her father

is Swiss. So how much was she aware of her European heritage when she was

growing up? As you listen, try to catch the adjective she uses at the end of the

extract to describe her close, loving family.

Renee Zellweger

‘Oh tremendously aware of it – it was a big part of my identity as a child growing up. I was

very aware that I might see things just a little bit differently because of my experiences being

a bit different – my parents served as a window to the rest of the world. So my brother and I

were very fortunate in that respect. But we were far apart from the rest of our family - it was

just the four of us in America, very close-knit.’

Amber: Renee Zellweger describes her family as ‘close-knit’ – loving and supportive.

And she says her parents were like a ‘window to the rest of the world’ because

they came from different countries.

Finally, we asked Renee to talk about Bridget Jones - the character she is bestknown

for playing. Renee was nominated for an Oscar for the leading role in 

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the massively popular 2001 film ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’. What does Renee

think makes the 30-something, single, Bridget Jones such a hugely popular

character? As you listen, try to catch what she thinks is so ‘inspirational’ or

attractive about Bridget Jones.

Renee Zellweger

‘I think she’s inspirational because she is imperfect, and she reveals that she’s imperfect, and

she kind of seems to accept that she’s imperfect. And despite being imperfect, she seems to

succeed. And maybe it’s because she’s imperfect that she succeeds. And, in truth, when we

embrace our own experiences, we do better don’t we?’

Amber: So Renee believes Bridget Jones is popular because she shows us that we do

better in life if we accept that we are not perfect – that we’re imperfect - and if

we value all our experiences. Good advice!

Now here’s a list of the language we focussed on in the programme today.

an active conservationist

to participate in

to be beside yourself

sensationalised

fiction

close-knit

inspirational

imperfect