The Bridget Jones films are airing on BBC One over the next three nights, starting with the original movie tonight, Saturday, August 8, at 10.20pm. The sequels, The Edge of Reason and Bridget Jones's Baby, follow on Sunday and Monday. The fourth film, Mad About the Boy, is not scheduled.
Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones
Renee Zellweger, now 57, was a controversial choice for the role because she is from Texas, not England. She worked hard to perfect an English accent. Before Mad About the Boy, she said: "I had a lot of help...I just came to learn how specific all of the dialects are. It's not unlike in America, regionally...there's a hundred from different regions, even from within the same state."
She added: "We worked three times a day, everyday...I found it really challenging this time because we didn't have as much time to live here on the schedule. This time it was bam, go. It was process and practice."
Since Bridget Jones, Zellweger has starred in Chicago, Miss Potter, Leatherheads, and Judy, as well as series like What/If, The Thing About Pam, and Only Murders in the Building.
Colin Firth as Mark Darcy
Colin Firth, who plays Mark Darcy, has appeared in Love Actually, The King's Speech, the Kingsman films, Young Sherlock, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. He also took a darker role in HBO's The Staircase in 2022.
Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver
Hugh Grant, known for romantic comedies like Notting Hill, has recently explored darker roles in the horror film Heretic and the thriller The Undoing. He has also been in the Paddington films and The Gentlemen.
Supporting Cast
Shirley Henderson, who plays Jude, is known for Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter, and has appeared in T2 Trainspotting and I Swear. James Callis, who plays Tom, has roles in 12 Monkeys, Castlevania, and Slow Horses. Sally Phillips, who plays Shazzer, starred in Miranda and has her own series The Hairdresser Mysteries.
Jim Broadbent, who plays Bridget's dad, has been in Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Paddington. Gemma Jones, who plays her mum, was in Harry Potter and Spooks. Celia Imrie, who plays Una, has appeared in Calendar Girls and The Thursday Murder Club.
