Twenty-four years ago, Renée Zellweger brought the clumsy but charming protagonist from Helen Fielding’s novel “Bridget Jones’s Diary” to life on the big screen.
The 2001 film adaptation of “Bridget Jones’s Diary” starred Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a single woman in her 30s living in London who’s on a mission to get her life together — and find her perfect match.
The rom-com was a commercial success, earning $281 million at the global box office on a $25 million budget and leading to three sequels: “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” (2004), “Bridget Jones’s Baby” (2016), and, most recently, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” (2025).
“Mad About the Boy,” touted as the final chapter in the franchise, was released on Peacock on Thursday and features many returning cast members from the first movie.
Here’s a look back at the cast of the original film and where they are now.
Renée Zellweger portrayed the film’s protagonist, Bridget Jones.
At the start of the movie, Bridget makes a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, stop drinking and smoking, and find a “sensible boyfriend.”
Zellweger’s performance as Bridget was praised by fans and critics, and she earned an Oscar nomination for best actress at the 2002 Academy Awards.
Zellweger is now a four-time Oscar nominee and two-time winner.
Zellweger was already a recognized actor at the time of the first “Bridget Jones” movie, having starred in films like “Jerry Maguire.”
After “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” she went on to earn an Oscar nomination for her performance as Roxie Hart in the film adaptation of the musical “Chicago.”
Then, in 2004, Zellweger won her first Academy Award for her supporting role in the war drama “Cold Mountain.” That same year, she also reprised her role as Bridget Jones for the sequel “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.”
After a string of poorly received films, Zellweger took a six-year acting hiatus from 2010 to 2016.
When costar Hugh Grant asked what prompted the break during a recent interview for British Vogue, Zellweger replied, “Because I needed to. I was sick of the sound of my own voice. When I was working, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, listen to you. Are you sad again, Renée? Oh, is this your mad voice?’ It was a regurgitation of the same emotional experiences.”
Zellweger told Grant that she spent those years getting healthy and doing non-Hollywood things, like studying international law, building a house, and going on a cross-country road trip with her rescue dogs.
She returned to acting in 2016 with two films: the legal drama “The Whole Truth” with Keanu Reeves and “Bridget Jones’s Baby,” the third movie in the rom-com franchise.
A few years later, Zellweger won her second Oscar, for her portrayal of the legendary actor Judy Garland in the biopic “Judy.“
Now, she’s back as Bridget Jones in the fourth movie, “Mad About the Boy.” The film follows the character as a mother of two and a widow since the death of her husband, Mark Darcy, four years earlier.
Colin Firth starred as Mark Darcy, a human rights lawyer and one of Bridget’s love interests.
Bridget and Mark grew up together and reconnect at a holiday party years later. They’re not attracted to each other, but as the movie progresses, they develop feelings for each other and go from enemies to lovers.
Firth is an Oscar winner and two-time Emmy nominee.
Firth reprised his role as Mark for “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” and “Bridget Jones’s Baby.” In the latter movie, Bridget gave birth to their first child, a baby boy, and the couple finally got married.
His rom-com experience extends to the 2003 ensemble holiday movie “Love Actually” and two “Mamma Mia!” films released in 2008 and 2018.
The actor has also starred in action movies like the “Kingsman” franchise and family-friendly films like “Mary Poppins Returns.”
A year after landing an Oscar nomination for his performance in “A Single Man,” Firth won the Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of King George VI in “The King’s Speech.”
More recently, Firth starred in the film “Empire of Light” and the miniseries “The Staircase” and “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.” He earned Emmy nominations for “The Staircase” and “Conspiracy.”
Hugh Grant starred as Daniel Cleaver, a womanizer and Bridget’s boss at a publishing company.
Daniel, the editor-in-chief at a publishing company, starts dating Bridget, a publicity assistant, early in the film. But the pair don’t last long because Daniel is non-committal and cheats on Bridget.
The first “Bridget Jones” movie positions Mark and Daniel as Bridget’s main love interests. She ultimately chooses Mark because he accepts her as she is.
Grant has strayed from his rom-com roots in recent years.
In the ’90s and early 2000s, Hugh Grant was widely recognized for starring in iconic rom-coms like “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill,” “Love Actually,” and the “Bridget Jones” movies.
But his recent filmography has been far more unpredictable.
Grant starred as a villain in the family-friendly movie “Paddington 2,” had a cameo as Daniel Craig’s on-screen partner in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” acted alongside Meryl Streep in the biopic “Florence Foster Jenkins,” played another antagonist in “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” and portrayed an Oompa Loompa in “Wonka.”
He’s also a two-time Emmy nominee for his performances in “A Very English Scandal” and “The Undoing.” For his role as Mr. Reed in the 2024 horror movie “Heretic,” Grant earned his seventh Golden Globe nomination.
Grant was absent from the third “Bridget Jones” movie and told Variety that he felt his character “didn’t belong.” However, he returned for “Mad About the Boy” after writing some scenes for Daniel that enhanced the story.
Jim Broadbent played Colin Jones, Bridget’s dad.
Bridget’s parents have been married for 35 years, but their relationship hits a rough patch in “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”
Broadbent’s extensive credits include roles in “Game of Thrones,” “Moulin Rouge!” and the “Harry Potter” and “Paddington” movies.
Broadbent was already an established actor when he first portrayed Bridget Jones’s father. The same year that “Bridget Jones’s Diary” was released, the actor starred in two major movies in his filmography: “Iris” and “Moulin Rouge!”
He landed an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role in “Iris” and a BAFTA Award for his performance as Harold Zidler in “Moulin Rouge!”
Broadbent played a professor in the 2005 film adaptation of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” Dean Charlie Stanforth in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” and Professor Horace Slughorn in the “Harry Potter” franchise.
Like Grant, Broadbent is in the “Paddington” movies. He plays Mr. Gruber, the owner of an antique shop and Paddington’s best friend.
He also appeared in a couple of episodes of HBO’s hit fantasy series “Game of Thrones” during season seven and played the Duke of Leicester in the Prime Video breakout series “My Lady Jane.”
Gemma Jones starred as Pamela Jones, Bridget’s mom.
Bored by her relationship with Mr. Jones, Pamela takes a job as the assistant to a man who has a cable show on a home shopping channel and has an affair with him. Mr. and Mrs. Jones later reconcile and renew their vows in the second film.
“Harry Potter” fans may recognize Jones for her role as Hogwarts matron Madam Poppy Pomfrey
Jones played Madam Pomfrey in three “Harry Potter” films. She also portrayed Elton John’s grandmother, Ivy, in the 2019 biopic “Rocketman,” which starred Taron Egerton as the musician.
In 2015, she won a BAFTA TV Award for her supporting role in the TV movie “Marvellous.”
Shirley Henderson portrayed Jude, one of Bridget’s closest friends.
Bridget’s “urban family” consisted of three close friends, including Jude, who often gave practical advice.
Henderson has had roles in franchises like “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars.”
A year after the first “Bridget Jones” movie was released, Henderson portrayed Moaning Myrtle, the ghost of a former student who haunts Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the second “Harry Potter” film, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” She reprised the role a few years later for “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”
Henderson also voiced a droidsmith named Babu Frik in the 2019 movie “Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker” and is one of many actors who have guest-starred on the popular sci-fi series “Doctor Who.” Additionally, she had a small role in Sofia Coppola’s 2006 movie “Marie Antoinette.”
Most recently, Henderson returned as Jude for “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.”
Sally Phillips starred as Sharon, aka “Shazza,” another of Bridget’s pals.
She’s a journalist who likes to curse a lot.
Phillips returns as Shazza in “Mad About the Boy.”
Since the first “Bridget Jones” film, Phillips has appeared in various shows and films, most notably the HBO series “Veep” and the 2016 action film “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”
The actor is also an executive producer at the UK production company Captain Dolly, which she cofounded in 2020.
In 2016, Phillips, who has a son named Olly with Down’s syndrome and autism, made the documentary “A World Without Down’s Syndrome?”
She returned for all the “Bridget Jones” sequels, including the latest one.
James Callis rounded out Bridget’s friend group as Tom.
Tom was an ’80s pop icon who retired after being a one-hit wonder. Although his music career is dead, he still gets recognized in public for the record that made him famous nine years prior.
Callis is known for his role as Dr. Gaius Baltar in the sci-fi series “Battlestar Galactica.”
He first portrayed the character in the 2003 miniseries “Battlestar Galactica” and reprised the role for the re-imagined “Battlestar Galactica” series and the TV movie “Battlestar Galactica: Razor.”
Callis has guest-starred on shows like “Arrow,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Rick and Morty,” and “Star Trek: Picard.”
In recent years, he has provided voice work for the Netflix animated series “Castlevania” and its spin-off show “Castlevania: Nocturne.” Callis also appeared on season four of the Apple TV+ thriller show “Slow Horses,” which stars Gary Oldman.
He reprises his role as Tom in “Mad About the Boy.”
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