OVER THE RAINBOW

Derogatory terms like ‘Hollywood has-been’ and ‘faded star’ are recklessly bandied about all the time, but it’s rare that an actor who retreats from the spotlight can come back into favour years later, and find herself at the height of her powers. Then again, Oscar winner Renée Zellweger doesn’t tend to play by the rules of Tinseltown. Born and raised in Texas by a Swiss father and Norwegian mother, her childhood epitomised American small-town living, where the bright lights of Hollywood were a world away. She decided early on that her dream was to be a writer, perhaps even a journalist, telling earlier this year, “When the Easter bunny was coming, I would always wish for the same thing – I loved a tablet of ruled paper and sharp pencils. There’s nothing better – stories, poetry, the possibilities were endless.” While that’s not exactly the career