Renée Zellweger reveals she walked to Oscars in the rain as a way of keeping herself ‘grounded’

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Renée Zellweger has revealed that she prefers to walk to high-profile awards shows such as the Oscars rather than take a limousine.

The Judy star, 52, shared some of her unique pre-show habits during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, where she explained that the rituals allow her to remain “grounded” during these “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences.

Zellweger opened up about the rituals after Fallon asked her whether she gets excited by the awards, such as the 2020 Oscars, where she won Best Actress for her role in Judy, to which she said: “I want to be grounded … So I have a couple rituals and things that I like to do before I go - I like to walk.

“I don’t like to get in the car, you know, the long limo ride. ‘Cause I don’t like getting out and it’s all crazy and people screaming and stuff. So I sneak in.”

The admission prompted Fallon to ask in clarification: “You walk to the Oscars?” to which Zellweger replied: “I walk to the Oscars.”

After Fallon told Zellweger that that’s the “greatest thing I’ve ever heard,” the actor explained that she likes to “sneak in” to the Academy Awards because she likes to avoid all the people standing and staring at the stars on the red carpet.

Zellweger’s ritual proved to be slightly arduous ahead of the 2020 Oscars ceremony, however, as she told Fallon that the closest hotel room was half a mile away.

“You walked a half a mile to the Oscars?” Fallon asked, prompting the Bridget Jones’s Diary star to confirm: “I did. In shoes taller than this. And I don’t recommend it. But it is a good exercise for keeping you grounded.”

Zellweger, who won her second Oscar during the ceremony, then revealed that it had also been raining that night, with the actor joking that she was “extra grounded when I got there”. “The girls know what I’m talking about - you do your hair, and then you’re like: ‘Oooh.’”

For the Oscars ceremony, Zellweger opted for a one-shouldered white sequin gown by Armani Privé.

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As for how she celebrated her Oscar win, the actor told Fallon that she went back to her hotel and had a small private dance party with her friends, who had filled her room with balloons. Later in the night, Zellweger attended a star-studded party, which she recalled included Snoop Dogg as a guest. The actor previously won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her 2003 role in Cold Mountain.