Fans were startled by the dramatic change in appearance of A-list actress Renée Zellweger when she stepped out Tuesday at Elle’s 21st annual Women in Hollywood awards.
With markedly wider eyes plus a higher forehead and cheekbones, the 45-year-old star was barely recognizable — and her looks immediately sparked speculation that she’d had several rounds of plastic surgery.
Here’s a look back at Zellweger’s Hollywood image over the last 20 years — plus some of the high- and lowlights of her professional and personal life:
1994: ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’
In her breakthrough Hollywood role as a terrified teen in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation” in 1994, Zellweger was clearly destined for bigger things — and looked every inch the fresh-faced ingénue.
1996: ‘Jerry Maguire’
Zellweger secured herself a comfortable spot on the A-list after playing a frazzled, single working mom opposite Tom Cruise in the smash-hit 1996 movie “Jerry Maguire,” about a brash sports agent branching out on his own after getting fired.
2001: ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’
Zellweger famously piled on 20 pounds to play the hapless British publishing assistant-turned-TV reporter in “Bridget Jones’s Diary” in 2001. She starred in the equally successful sequel, “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason,” three years later.
2001: Academy Awards
Throughout the 2000s, the star’s signature red carpet appearance consisted almost uniformly of skimpy, skin-tight dresses showing off her ultra-petite figure and super-toned shoulders. It made great fodder for comedienne Tracy Ullman, who often poked fun at the actress’ other trademark look — the Zellweger squint. Rarely was she photographed without one arm placed dramatically on her hip, her eyes screwed into an expression resembling a myopic mole.
2003: ‘Cold Mountain’
Zellweger’s career peaked with her 2003 Academy Award win for Best Supporting Actress in the epic Anthony Minghella Civil War drama “Cold Mountain,” co-starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law. Her earthy character, Ruby, was the opposite of the sleek, groomed image she cultivated off-screen.
2005: Marriage to Kenny Chesney
Her 2005 marriage to country singer Kenny Chesney lasted only four months, with Zellweger’s lawyers mysteriously citing the term “fraud” in the divorce papers. The couple — who looked ecstatic during their low-key, barefoot wedding on a beach near Chesney’s US Virgin Islands vacation home on St. John — nevertheless remained friends.