Born as Renee Kathleen Zellweger on April 25, 1969 in Karly, Texas. Her parents were European (father Swiss, mother Norwegian), and Renee refused to change her name to a more marketable one because she and her brother were the first Zellwegers born in the USA.
Renee visited Katy High School until 1987 - she had been cheerleader, gymnast and had participated in the drama club. After High School, she went to the University of Texas in Austin and majored in English. She took the drama class for her studies, and it reminded her how much she loved acting.
Renee begun auditioning for commercial and films after graduation, and her first roles were in "Dazed and Confused" (1993, uncredited), and "The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1997)
Next was "Love and a .45", for which Renee received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Debut Performance.
