A rather chilly Leicester Square played host to Hollywood stars Richard Gere and Renee Zellweger on Sunday as their new movie Chicago had its London premiere.
Renee, wearing a sleeveless Chanel dress, went on a walkabout to greet the thousands of fans who had waited to catch a glimpse of her. She said the freezing temperatures were no problem, as she has been in Transylvania for the last few months, filming the movie Cold Mountain with Jude Law.
The 33-year-old actress and her Chicago co-star both admitted they were very unsure about their performances in the legendary musical. "I was so nervous at the audition because it was the first time I've opened my mouth to sing in front of anyone but my dog," confessed Renee. "Compared to Broadway dancers I wouldn't get past the first cut."
And Richard, who has a lengthy tap-dancing scene in the film, also admitted to feeling a bit bashful. "It took me five months to learn how to do it and it was very hard work," he said. "I was so shy about it I wouldn't even rehearse in front of my wife." His former Bond Girl wife, Carey Lowell, was also in attendance to offer him some moral support.
The singing and dancing was not such a challenge for their British co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones, however, who is a veteran of such productions as 42nd Street, Annie and Bugsy Malone. Novice Renee said she was "dumbfounded" when she first heard Catherine sing. "It's not just singing and dancing, she belts it out. I'm like a little field mouse compared to her – squeak, squeak, squeak." The Welsh-born actress missed the event as she is expecting a baby in March and decided to stay home in the US with husband Michael Douglas.
The stage version of the hit musical meanwhile continues to play to sold-out audiences just yards away in the West End.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
