Renée Zellweger: Why Judy Garland is a gay icon
Oscar frontrunner Renée Zellweger spoke with Brut about Judy Garland and her positive impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
Renée Zellweger on Judy Garland
It is on the bill for “Judy” by Rupert Goold, in theaters on February 26. She’s the big favorite at the Oscars 2020.
Brut. spoke with her:
"When, in her songs, she talks about not finding love, feeling alone, when she sings that she will not give up … All of these things are inspiring for anyone, when you have 'impression that you are unlikely to get there, to be lost or a victim of cruelty.” Renée Zellweger took an interest in what still makes Judy Garland an icon of the LGBTQ + community in order to interpret it. as faithfully as possible in the cinema. She tells Brut how she got interested in the life of this icon.
"Dreams of places we would belong to"
“When people remarked "oh, there are a lot of gays in their audience," she replied, "no one is laughing at my audience, I love my audience." I can only imagine what it could have meant, especially at the time, when it was not only illegal to live authentically, but also very dangerous. You could be ostracized, and you weren't legally protected at all. It’s so outrageous. The fact that someone of her importance asserts and speaks publicly to defend you and say that she sees you.”
“Judy Garland sings of dreams of places we belong to, her feeling of being different from others, hoping that at some point we will find our place. Or as she recognizes at the end of 'The Wizard of Oz', that she has everything she needs. You don't have to go to a fantasy world, you have it all inside of you, to create and live your dream. What could it represent in the imagination of a child who feels excluded, it is indelible, is it not? And what it could have meant for someone who felt like they couldn't exist authentically.”
What she did counted
“When we screened the trailer for ‘Judy’, it was the first time we shared it on a screen at Pride in London. Everyone started singing ‘Over The Rainbow’, it’s like suddenly this celebration was growing, growing. As if everyone joined us at this party, it made me cry. It was so special for me that 50 years after her death in London, we were all singing together because it mattered. What she did counted. His positions counted.
Brut.
Renée Zellweger on Judy Garland
It is on the bill for “Judy” by Rupert Goold, in theaters on February 26. She’s the big favorite at the Oscars 2020.
Brut. spoke with her:
"When, in her songs, she talks about not finding love, feeling alone, when she sings that she will not give up … All of these things are inspiring for anyone, when you have 'impression that you are unlikely to get there, to be lost or a victim of cruelty.” Renée Zellweger took an interest in what still makes Judy Garland an icon of the LGBTQ + community in order to interpret it. as faithfully as possible in the cinema. She tells Brut how she got interested in the life of this icon.
"Dreams of places we would belong to"
“When people remarked "oh, there are a lot of gays in their audience," she replied, "no one is laughing at my audience, I love my audience." I can only imagine what it could have meant, especially at the time, when it was not only illegal to live authentically, but also very dangerous. You could be ostracized, and you weren't legally protected at all. It’s so outrageous. The fact that someone of her importance asserts and speaks publicly to defend you and say that she sees you.”
“Judy Garland sings of dreams of places we belong to, her feeling of being different from others, hoping that at some point we will find our place. Or as she recognizes at the end of 'The Wizard of Oz', that she has everything she needs. You don't have to go to a fantasy world, you have it all inside of you, to create and live your dream. What could it represent in the imagination of a child who feels excluded, it is indelible, is it not? And what it could have meant for someone who felt like they couldn't exist authentically.”
What she did counted
“When we screened the trailer for ‘Judy’, it was the first time we shared it on a screen at Pride in London. Everyone started singing ‘Over The Rainbow’, it’s like suddenly this celebration was growing, growing. As if everyone joined us at this party, it made me cry. It was so special for me that 50 years after her death in London, we were all singing together because it mattered. What she did counted. His positions counted.
Brut.