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Renee Zellweger

Renee Zellweger took time off from Hollywood to regain her health after grinding for 15 years straight.

The Academy Award-winning Cold Mountain actress didn't take on a new project for six years from 2010, marking her film return with The Whole Truth in 2016, and the star insists the long break for self-care was essential for her wellbeing.

"I'm better at taking care of myself first," she tells Time & Country magazine. "I didn't recognise that that was an option. Now, it's a priority. (Acting) doesn't have to be at the expense of my health and my life."

Renee has made a major comeback and is currently promoting her first ever television series, What / If, which was filmed for streaming site Netflix and released on Friday, but breaking into the small screen wasn't an easy task for the star.

"Everything was a surprise, which was a really interesting new way of working for me"slightly uncomfortable," she says of her confronting experience filming the programme.

Renee also took on another role of a lifetime by depicting singing legend Judy Garland for new biographical film, Judy, who she has loved and adored for most of her life.

"Life is Judy Garland," she gushes of the late Over the Rainbow signer and The Wizard of Oz actress. "(Judy) was just always there on the record player."

Renee's new film Judy is scheduled for release this fall.