Renee Zellweger Reveals Her Thoughts About Wearing a Body Prosthetic To Become Pam in NBC's 'The Thing About Pam'

NEW YORK -- In her new NBC limited series, “The Thing About Pam,” Renee Zellweger wears prosthetics and padding to appear heavier in the role of a convicted killer. It's a decision that some critics have questioned, arguing a larger actor could have filled the role.Zellweger famously gained weight twice for “Bridget Jones's Diary” in 2001 and “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” in 2004.

Renee Zellweger has returned to the limelight following a hiatus and is back portraying Pam Hupp for the crime drama The Thing About Pam.MORE: Renee Zellweger gives rare insight into family lifeThe notoriously private actress made a revelation about her time out of the spotlight during a recent interview on Today.Renee revealed that the reason she took time off was due to "personal" reasons, explaining to hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb: "I don't know if I have reflected on it that much but it is different. I needed to step away and kind of grow as a person and work on some things that were not related to work, that's one of my favorite things about the work, that you have an opportunity to learn things that you wouldn't otherwise have occasion to explore."VIDEO: Watch Renee Zellweger in The Thing About PamWhat's more, the actress even spent some time studying too during her work hiatus.MORE: Renée Zellweger's childhood home looks like a boutique hotel - see insideREAD: Catherine Zeta-Jones pays sweet tribute to Chicago co-star Renee Zellweger"I went to school and just took some time out.

Michael Appler Renée Zellweger and showrunner Jenny Klein gathered on Monday at the chic Whitby Hotel in New York City to fete the release of their NBC series “The Thing About Pam.”In “The Thing About Pam,” a limited series based on the viral “Dateline” episode and true crime podcast of the same name, Zellweger plays Pam Hupp, a sadistic, yet unassuming Missouri woman who was charged with the murder of her best friend Betsy after framing Betsy’s husband. But the real Hupp looks nothing like the two-time Oscar winner.

ABC’s The Bachelor and CBS’ FBI were the standouts for Tuesday primetime, which also featured season finales and a series premiere for NBC.

From Pamela Anderson’s always-iconic Baywatch bathing suit and Tommy Lee’s itty-bitty thongs to the couple’s wedding day attire, the wardrobe on Pam and Tommy checked off all the boxes. 

Hulu series , star Sebastian Stan truly transformed into legendary rocker Tommy Lee. However, Stan says the most challenging part becoming the Mötley Crüe drummer had nothing to do with getting the look right.The 39-year-old star walked the red carpet at the premiere screening of the finale at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and he spoke with ET's Lauren Zima about the acclaimed series and portraying the real-life music legend.When asked what the hardest part of becoming Lee really was, Stan admitted it was «the drums.»«Because I don't play the drums.

Who knew so many celebs wanted to become lawyers?!

Judy actor told NBC’s Today that she took a break to “grow as a person” and “learn some things not related to work”. She added that politics are one of her “favourite things”.Zellweger explained she took her break in 2010, going on a six-year hiatus before reprising her role in Bridget Jones’s Baby.“(I) went to school and just took some time out, and decided to participate in a different way,” the actor explained.Renée Zellweger catches up with @SavannahGuthrie and @HodaKotb about starring in #TheThingAboutPam on @NBC pic.twitter.com/5Rz5UhP7Fj— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 7, 2022“I snuck into UCLA and did some public policy for a little while… international law.

Renee Zellweger steps out at a screening for her new show, The Thing About Pam, at the Whitby Hotel on Monday night (March 7) in New York City.

Renee Zellweger is opening up about what she did during her break from acting that occurred from 2010 until 2016.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticIt’s hard, at first, to see what drew Renée Zellweger to the lead role of “The Thing About Pam.”Zellweger, in an attempt to resemble the real-life convicted murderer Pam Hupp, forces herself to act through a shroud of body prosthetics. The show’s writers have stripped away subtext, dimming Zellweger’s sparky comic timing.

Diane Garrett Creating a scripted TV adaptation of “The Thing About Pam” was a no-brainer for NBC News executives looking to expand their IP beyond the podcast of that name and “Dateline NBC” reporting that preceded it.“We started looking into the ‘Dateline’ archives for some of the most interesting stories that they’ve told, and ‘The Thing About Pam’ immediately stood out — we’ve been covering its various twists and turns going back to 2014,” says Noah Oppenheim, president of NBC News. “And I think it was clear to everyone pretty quickly that there was enough material in this story to support a scripted adaptation that would lend itself to a fresh telling.”The resulting limited series, also called “The Thing About Pam” and made in partnership with Blumhouse TV, stars Renée Zellweger in her network TV debut.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorMakeup artist Arjen Tuiten’s transformation of Renée Zellweger for NBC’s “The Thing About Pam,” premiering March 8, has been the talk of the internet. Zellweger plays Pam Hupp in the new crime drama, based on the true story of a Missouri woman who is eventually jailed for the murder of her friend.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorWelcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.” From “Bridget Jones’ Diary” to “Judy,” Renée Zellweger knows a thing or two about transformation.The two-time Oscar winner’s latest, as convicted murderer Pam Hupp in NBC’s “The Thing About Pam,” is no exception. “It was a team of magicians,” Zellweger told me Monday night at a press event at the Maybourne Beverly Hills hotel. “What they’re capable of is pretty miraculous.”The six-episode “The Thing About Pam” is based on the podcast of the same name and several episodes of “Dateline NBC,” which detailed the 2011 murder of Hupp’s friend Betsy Faria.