Rupert Goold speaks about casting Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland for the film Judy

By Monica Yadav -

January 27, 2020 - 6:45 PM IST

Renee Zellweger has been the front runner for Best Actress at every award show this season for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Judy. She already won Best Actress at Golden Globes 2020 followed by SAG Awards 2020. As the fans are rooting for her to bag the Academy Award in Best Actress category, director Rupert Goold reveals why he decided to cast Renee.

Rupert Goold speaks about casting Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland for the film Judy

“We needed somebody who has a bit of the comedienne about them because Judy was hilarious and known for it,” said Goold. “I think because Renée has done a lot of hugely high-profile comedies, people may forget about films like Cold Mountain, for which she won an Oscar, and some of the other dramatic films she’s made. She has something that, despite the fact that she is extraordinarily beautiful and talented, reaches out and connects to real people at some level.”

Rupert Goold was equally impressed by Zellweger’s physical transformation, “One of my favorite parts of her performance is how she holds her shoulders. Judy had this curvature of the spine and it made her look much older and frailer than she really was in the later part of her life. On the first day, I thought ‘Oh wow, THIS is a proper actor, this is somebody who is playing a role, not just putting on an outfit’.”

Directed by Rupert Goold, Judy is loosely based on Peter Quilter’s play End of the Rainbow. The story revolves around Judy Garland’s sold-out run at a London nightclub months before she dies in June 1969 due to accidental drug overdose.