Renee Zellweger says growing older is a “privilege”

She said: “It doesn’t consume me because it’s inevitable; it’s a privilege. I’d rather celebrate each phase of my life and be present in it than mourn something that’s passed. I don’t want to miss this moment to be something that I used to be.

“I feel energised and full of wonder and excitement about what’s ahead.”

And the ‘Judy’ star doesn’t even refer to the process as “ageing” and would much rather say she is “growing”, because she’s learning “valuable things” as she gets older.

She added: “It’s not ageing. It’s growing. It’s acquisition of the most valuable things: experience and knowledge and grace and insight. … I think I felt like I had it together at 24. I look back and go, ‘Wow.’ I had to recognise that that was naïveté.”

Having been a Hollywood star for decades, Renee no longer has to battle the same trials and tribulations of young actors and actresses trying to land roles, but is fully supportive of them.

The ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ star said: “That’s for someone else now. And good luck to them, because you have to survive a lot to move forward to your next state. … I’d rather be a healthy, productive woman in each stage of my life than apologetic. I also don’t want to perpetuate the notion that somehow moving forward in your life is wrong.”

Renee previously took a break from the spotlight for several years ago, and has said her time away allowed her to have “authentic exchanges” with those around her.

Speaking to InStyle magazine, she said: “It was nice to have authentic exchanges with people for a while. When you’re not on the radar, people don’t clock who you are; you’re just a person at the coffee shop ordering a coffee. … I just knew that there were certain things I needed to prioritise and if I kept going, there would be just no way I could do it.”