- Title: Renee Zellweger celebrates "heroic" Judy Garland at rainy London premiere
- Date: 30th September 2019
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 30, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ACTRESS RENEE ZELLWEGER HOLDING RAINBOW UMBRELLA, ARRIVING ON RED CARPET AND STOPPING TO POSE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS PHOTOGRAPHERS UNDER HEAVY RAIN VARIOUS OF ZELLWEGER POSING FOR PHOTOS PHOTOGRAPHERS ZELLWEGER WALKING OVER TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS, RENEE ZELLWEGER, ON HOW THE FILM CONTRIBUTES TO THE LEGACY OF JUDY GARLAND, SAYING: "This film felt like a celebration, just a celebration of the lady, her spirit and her legacy and, you know, just a sort of, I don't know, support the notion that the last chapter of her life was tragic but rather to better understand the circumstances she was grappling with, to appreciate how heroic she was and just to sort of, I don't know, I don't know, remind everybody of her importance. Not just in cinematic history or pop culture but in history in general. What an extraordinary person!" ZELLWEGER TALKING TO JOURNALISTS ZELLWEGER ON MOBILE PHONE SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS, RENEE ZELLWEGER, ON OSCAR BUZZ AROUND HER PERFORMANCE, SAYING: "I don't think about it. That's a conversation that happens in rooms that I'm not in. So, I just think about the experience, what a blessing it was and the friendships that I've made and you know what, that's plenty greedy in my opinion." VARIOUS OF DIRECTOR RUPERT GOOLD POSING FOR PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR, RUPERT GOOLD, ON WHETHER HE CONTACTED GARLAND'S CHILDREN AND IF HE HOPES THEY DECIDE TO SEE THE FILM AFTER ALL, SAYING: "Oh no, I left that up to the producers. My job was to direct the script. You know, I hope they enjoy it. I hope they respect that it's, you know, an attempt to celebrate their mother's life. I mean, my mum's here a bit later, I'm not sure I'd want someone make a film about her, either, so... You know, obviously they are really important figures culturally, anyway, Lorna and Liza, Joey too in a way, so, you know, we hope they enjoy it." GOOLD SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR, RUPERT GOOLD, SAYING: "You know, I think if some of the great developments of the last two, three years particularly, but also of the last 50 years had been in place maybe she'd still be alive now. Who knows? You know, she was a victim of a system but she was a rebel at heart. She fought back. And I think there's evidence where that happens nowadays in the modern world and also where it's needed." JUDY GARLAND'S FORMER ASSISTANT ROSALYN WILDER ARRIVING ON RED CARPET AND SHIELDING HERSELF WITH UMBRELLA AS SHE WALKS DOWN RED CARPET WILDER POSING FOR PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) JUDY GARLAND'S FORMER ASSISTANT, ROSALYN WILDER, SAYING: "She was a tired lady and very frail but make no mistake about it, when she went out on the stage she was still the greatest star there was. She was one of the great, great artists of the 20th century and she is a legend now and I hope she always will be." ACTRESS JESSIE BUCKLEY, WHO PLAYS JUDY GARLAND'S ASSISTANT, ROSALYN WILDER, IN THE MOVIE, POSING FOR PHOTOS PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS, JESSIE BUCKLEY, ON WHAT ADVISE WILDER, WHO SHE PLAYS IN THE MOVIE, GAVE HER, SAYING: "She taught me how to drink Champagne at 12 a.m. in the day which apparently was incredibly important for getting into the role. So, I did my duty in you know, method acting." ACTRESS BELLA RAMSEY, WHO PLAYS LORNA LUFT IN THE MOVIE, POSING FOR SELFIES WITH FANS AND SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS ACTOR RUFUS SEWELL, WHO PLAYS SIDNEY LUFT IN THE MOVIE SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS AND POSING FOR SELFIES WITH FANS VARIOUS OF ACTRESS DARCI SHAW, WHO PLAYS YOUNG JUDY IN THE MOVIE, TALKING TO JOURNALIST BILLBOARD FOR "JUDY" EUROPEAN PREMIERE VARIOUS OF ACTRESS GEMMA-LEAH DEVEREUX, WHO PLAYS LIZA MINNELLI IN THE MOVIE, POSING FOR PHOTOS AND LEAVING / RED CARPET ARRIVALS OUTSIDE CURZON MAYFAIR CINEMA
- Embargoed: 14th October 2019 21:22
- Keywords: Judy film Judy Garland biopic Renee Zellweger Liza Minnelli director Rupert Goold Rufus Sewell Jessie Buckley
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYUODHP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Actress Renee Zellweger led her "Judy" co-stars down on a rainy red carpet in London on Monday (September 30) evening for the Judy Garland biopic's UK premiere.
The film depicts the last six months of Garland's life, arriving in London in 1968 as part of a sold-out concert tour meant to refurbish her financial state.
Amidst a rocky custody battle with her fourth husband (played by Rufus Sewell) and accompanied on the tour by her fifth and final husband, Micky Dean (Finn Wittrock), Garland struggles with depression, anxiety and addiction.
The "Wizard of Oz" star died at age 47 of an accidental drug overdose in London in June 1969.
Zellweger, best known for the "Bridget Jones" series of comedy movies, donned prosthetics and wigs for the role. She took voice lessons for a year before filming started and worked with a choreographer to capture Garland's mannerisms in the final year of her life.
Sheltering under a rainbow-coloured umbrella, Zellweger said she hoped the film would help to better understand the circumstances Garland was grappling with "to appreciate how heroic she was" and "remind everybody of her importance. Not just in cinematic history or pop culture but in history in general".
The 50-year-old actress has won rave reviews for her heartbreaking portrayal of Garland and awards pundits are already predicting a fourth Oscar nomination. Zellweger won a supporting actress Oscar in 2004 for her role in the drama "Cold Mountain."
"I don't think about it. That's a conversation that happens in rooms that I'm not in. So, I just think about the experience, what a blessing it was and the friendships that I've made and you know what, that's plenty greedy in my opinion," she said of the Oscar buzz.
Garland's children - Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft - were not involved in the making of the film. Minnelli has distanced herself from the movie, saying she never met or spoke with Zellweger.
"I do not approve nor sanction the upcoming film about Judy Garland in any way," Minnelli wrote in a Facebook posting in June 2018.
Director Rupert Goold said he had not tried to contact the family before making the movie.
"I hope they respect that it's, you know, an attempt to celebrate their mother's life. I mean, my mum's here a bit later, I'm not sure I'd want someone make a film about her, either, so... You know, obviously they are really important figures culturally, anyway, Lorna and Liza, Joey too in a way, so, you know, we hope they enjoy it," he said.
Also attending the premiere on Monday was Garland's London assistant Rosalyn Wilder, who in the movie is portrayed by Irish actress Jessie Buckley.
"She was a tired lady and very frail but make no mistake about it, when she went out on the stage she was still the greatest star there was. She was one of the great, great artists of the 20th century and she is a legend now and I hope she always will be," Wilder said of Garland.
"Judy," which opened in the U.S. on Friday (September 27) and will be released in the United Kingdom on October 2.
(Production: Gerhard Mey, Hanna Rantala) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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