How Renee Zellweger Achieved a Net Worth of $90 Million
In 2016, Renee Zellweger’s net worth was estimated at around $60 million, yet as of 2021, it stood at $90 million. That is an incredible leap of $30 million within three years which indicates that you can expect her wealth will grow in the next few years. She is mainly known as an actress, so most of her money has been from her acting career, but she has also been in the real estate industry for long and knows how to pick winners. Here’s a detailed look into how she achieved the $90 million net worth.
Giving Up the Desire to be a Writer
According to The Guardian, the actress wanted to be a writer as a child. Therefore, she would always wish for sharp pencils and ruled paper. Zellweger explained writing had endless possibilities because she could write stories or poems. For this reason, when she was of age, she attended the University of Texas, aiming to graduate with a degree in journalism. However, she took up a drama course which slowly steered her away from journalism and lured her into acting. Zellweger now claims that she became an actor because she failed at being a journalist. This statement refers to her acknowledging that she could never make it in journalism because it involves tearing down people sometimes. The actress explained she would not want the responsibility of hurting someone with public disclosure.
Thankfully, her interest in acting paid off. Her acting career began with a beef commercial before transitioning into movie roles. She was cast in “8 Seconds,” Reality Bites, “A Taste for Killing,” and many more but was not on the A-list celebrity yet. Still, the movies were enough to pay her bills. In 1995, she lived in a garage apartment with her dog, Dillon. Life was getting better, and the actress knew the future had the best in store for her. She was not wrong because soon, she was cast in the movie that made her famous: “Jerry Maguire.” According to Vanity Fair, Cameron Crowe was looking for the perfect person to play Dorothy, and not even Gwyneth Paltrow and Mira Sorvino came close to what he wanted. The casting director, Gail Levin, suggested Zellweger. She had chemistry with Tom Cruise, and it landed her the role. The film debuted at number one and grossed $273.55 million on a budget of $50 million.
More Movies, More Money
Zellweger continued landing roles for other films such as “Deceiver,” “The Bachelor,” and “A Price Above Rubies.” By 2000, she had made enough to afford a $1.5 million home in Nichols Canyon. Her love life was also at its best since she was dating Jim Carrey, with whom she had co-starred in “Me, Myself and Irene.” Through it all, Dillon was there by her side, and the actress said she was in a good place in her acting career. Hollywood had already got their favorite actress by then. Consequently, Zellweger became the lead in “Bridget Jones Diary” in 2001. She threw herself into the role by going undercover as a trainee in the publicity department of a London publisher.
She also had to gain weight, and it was worth it because she reportedly earned $3.5 million for her portrayal of Bridget Jones. In 2003, a sequel to the movie was being made and the actress had to look as she did in the first film. A source told The Age that the actress would earn almost $15 million. Furthermore, Zellweger had to put on weight since she had shed off the extra pounds gained during the first installment. Consequently, the producers guaranteed her a $225,000 bonus for every two pounds she gained. The deal to star in the “Bridget Jones Diary” sequel was worth $21 million since she had also agreed to be in “Cinderella Man.”
In 2007, Zellweger made the list of the top 10 highest-paid actresses. Along with Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, and Nicole Kidman, she was estimated to make between $10 million and $15 million for every movie role. Zellweger proved to be a great on-screen and voice actor when she lent her voice to “Shark Tale” and “Bee Movie.” Unfortunately, in 2010 she took a break from acting as she went through depression. Zellweger said she needed the time for self-care. She returned to the industry in 2016, ready to reprise her Bridget Jones character in the third installment of the movie. Of course, she was paid much more than the first two movies. Since then, she has been cast in other films, and the latest one is “Judy,” released in 2019.
Real Estate
Velvet Ropes discloses how the star has made her millions buying and selling houses. In 2002 she moved from her $1.8 million home to a $6.8 million house in Bel-Air. She, however, sold it after a year for a $200,000 profit. She then bought a house in the Hamptons for $2.15 million in 2003. After holding on to it for over a decade, she put it up for sale in 2014. As per the article, the house was in such high demand that there was a bidding war, and she ultimately sold it for $4.45 million, making $250,000 more than she had anticipated. In 2004, the actress added another property worth $1.32 million to her portfolio. It sat on 38 acres of land in Connecticut, and Zellweger was ready to part with it in 2014 for $1.6 million. The price was low, and after a few considerations, she felt it was not worth selling it. In 2021, the actress made almost double the amount she had spent on a house acquired in 2014. According to Architectural Digest, the Hacienda-style home she bought for $3.4 million sold for $6.4 million, nearly $500,000 more than the asking price.
