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She was the chain-smoking, wine-swilling, shapewear-wearing, anti-hero that changed the course of British rom-coms.
Bridget Jones, played perfectly by Renee Zellweger, changed the lives of single millennials around the world, with psychologists crediting the ‘Bridget Jones effect’ with women choosing to settle down later in life.
The film adaptation of Helen Fielding’s successful novel was also a box office hit, with many praising the portrayal of the female ‘anti-hero’ and the fresh take on Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice.
A quarter of a century on and the film has spanned three successful sequels, with fans calling out for a fifth installment.
As this week marks the 25th anniversary of Bridget Jones’ Diary, the Daily Mail reveals all the things you may not have known about the beloved romcom.
Mark Darcy isn’t the only Pride And Prejudice reference in the film
While many will know that the book is inspired by Austen’s classic novel, the name Mr Darcy isn’t the only direct reference made.
Bridget, loosely based on Elizabeth Bennet, works for Daniel Cleaver aka Austin’s Mr. Wickham at publishing company, Pemberly Press.
Austen fans will know that Pemberley is the name of Mr Darcy’s grand estate in the novel.
The screenplay was co-written by Andrew Davies, the man behind the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice
The BBC series starred Colin Firth as Fitzwilliam Darcy, making his casting an ‘in-joke’ on the producers’ behalf.
Helen’s novel also references Bridget watching the series.
Toni Collette turned down the role of Bridget
While it would be impossible to imagine anyone other that Renee playing Bridget now, the part was originally offered up to Toni.
The Australian actress initially accepted but then had to pass on the role because of a schedule clash with her Broadway musical The Wild Party.
While the film was a success, Toni later said she has no regrets about missing out.
‘I think there are no coincidences,’ she said on Watch What Happens Live. ‘Anything that’s meant for you in life is meant to happen. I have no regrets — life happens as it’s meant to. But that is true, yeah.’
And Toni wasn’t the only A-lister considered for the role
Before the part went to a then relatively unknown Renee, Kate Winslet was also considered for the part. However, being in her 20s at her time, she was considered too young for the role.
Fellow Brit Rachel Weisz was also mentioned as a potential, yet it’s claimed that producers considered her to be too conventionally beautiful for the role.
Other names that were rumoured to be in the running for Bridget were Cameron Diaz, Helena Bonham Carter, Tilda Swinton and Emily Watson.
Sally Phillips also auditioned to play Bridget
While Sally is perfect in her role as Bridget’s best friend Shazza, Sally originally auditioned for the part of Bridget Jones herself.
However, it wasn’t a role that she was particularly pleased to be asked to read for.
‘I was single and I was living in Notting Hill and I felt really touchy when people said that I was in any way like Bridget Jones,’ she explained.
‘[I was] mildly insulted that I was called in to audition – didn’t realise it was a massive movie.’
Sally made it through three rounds of auditions before being passed up for Bridget, but was ultimately delighted to get the part of Shazza, saying: ‘Out of the friends she is the best.’
Hugh Grant told Renee Zellweger to tone down her British accent
Eyebrows were raised when Texan actress Renee was cast as the London-based reporter and none more so than her co-star Hugh.
Hugh recalled: ‘There was a whole scandal about why isn’t this a British actress? I didn’t know Renée Zellweger, and a Texan playing a British character, it did seem like a stretch.’
He added that while he thought Renee’s first audition was ‘good’ he was ‘startled’ due to the fact she sounded just like Princess Margaret.
‘She was told to kind of, well she thought she better loosen it up a bit,’ Hugh revealed, saying that just a week later, her accent was ‘bang on’.
And she refused to drop it until filming had ended
Renee was so dedicated to perfecting the British twang that she refused to drop it, even when she wasn’t filming.
Hugh shared: ‘Two weeks before we started shooting her accent came perfectly into focus.
‘It’s the best American doing English that I’ve ever heard in my life. And not once did she stop speaking with that accent, until the wrap party.’
Renee worked undercover at a publishing house before the role
In a bid to nail the British accent, Renee moved to the UK months before filming began to immerse herself.
She also took on work experience with Picador in London in order to gain experience in a publishing house.
Renee went undercover using the name of Bridget Cavendish and posing as the sister of Jonathan Cavendish, a friend of the company’s chairman, and a producer on the film.
However, she soon found it hard to avoid the publicity surrounding her casting.
Renee recalled: ‘Part of my job was to take the newspaper clippings from the daily papers and file them under Helen Fielding’s file, because they represented her.
‘And I started having to clip these articles about this “c**p American actor” who was set to play Bridget Jones!’
Hugh Grant and Colin Firth’s epic street fight wasn’t choreographed
It’s one of the most memorable scenes in the film, yet Hugh has revealed that the iconic fight sequence between Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver nearly came out very differently.
Hugh explained: ‘The big fight was to stop stuntmen getting involved. They always want to come in and choreograph the whole thing and say, “mate, it’d be great if you swing a right hook and his head’ll go back.”
‘I just thought, “yeah, in action films, cowboy films, whatever, that’s great, but these are two middle-class Englishmen, and they don’t fight like that”. I’ve seen them fight, and it’s s**t.
‘So, we managed to ban the stuntman. I think the last thing he contributed was probably the dustbin lid, and after that, it’s just me and Colin messing about.’
Bridget Jones was blamed for the drop in sales of Chardonnay
Helen Fielding’s anti-heroine was said to have caused a slump in sales of white wine, Chardonnay.
Oz Clarke, a prestigious wine expert, told The Telegraph: ‘Chardonnay has made some of the world’s greatest wines, everyone appreciated it – until Bridget Jones.
‘Bridget Jones goes out on the pull, fails, goes back to her miserable bedsit, sits down, pours herself an enormous glass of Chardonnay, sits there with mascara running down her cheeks saying, “Dear diary, I’ve failed again, I’ve poured an enormous glass of Chardonnay and I’m going to put my head in the oven.” Great marketing aid.
‘Before Bridget Jones, Chardonnay was really sexy. After, people said, “God, not in my bar”‘.
You can visit Bridget Jones’ home, sort of
While Bridget’s home scenes were filmed on a television set, the exterior of the building is real, with Bridget’s apartment located at 8 Bedale Street in Borough, London.
Those passing by can stop in at The Globe pub below it, while the flat itself was previously used as a Thai restaurant called Khao Bird.
Not everyone has seen the same ending
While you’d be hard pressed to find a millennial who doesn’t know the basic plot points of Bridget Jones’ Diary, how the film ends varies on where you’ve seen it.
In the UK, the credits roll after Bridget and Mark’s kiss, and are interspersed with the film’s characters being interviewed about the couple’s love story.
However, over in the States, the credits feature ‘home video footage’ of Bridget and Mark as children playing in the paddling pool, which is referenced throughout the movie.
Here in the UK, after Bridget and Mark’s big kiss, the credits roll and we’re treated to scenes of different characters being interviewed about their love story, while Robbie Williams’ rendition of Have You Met Miss Jones? plays.
Across the pond, though, the credits are interspersed with “home video footage” of Bridget and Mark as kids, recreating the paddling pool scene we hear so much about over the course of the film.
