The two-time Oscar winner, known for films such as Jerry Maguire Bridget Jones's Diary, embarked on a six-year hiatus in 2010, and Zellweger has now acknowledged that she "needed" a break from the movie industry.
Asked why she decided to take a six-year break from making movies, Zellweger, 55, told British Vogue magazine: "Because I needed to. I was sick of the sound of my own voice.
"When I was working, I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, listen to you. Are you sad again, Renee? Oh, is this your mad voice?' It was a regurgitation of the same emotional experiences."
Zellweger "wrote music and studied international law" during her hiatus.
The actor also made a concerted effort to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
"I wrote music and studied international law. I built a house, rescued a pair of older doggies, created a partnership that led to a production company, advocated for and fundraised with a sick friend, and spent a lot of time with family and godchildren and driving across the country with the dogs. I got healthy."
Zellweger recently explained that the character of Bridget Jones is "always lingering" in her life.
She is best known for playing the character in the money-spinning film franchise and Zellweger finds it easy to relate to her alter ego.
She told Empire magazine: "I relate to so much about her that I feel like she's always sort of lingering.
"I feel her in my awkwardness sometimes, and I think of her when I'm having one of those out-of-body experiences where you're kind of watching yourself talk and thinking, 'Just shut your mouth. Just stop talking. OK, now stop talking. Now: stop talking. OK. Just stop now.'
"So, I feel like there are parts of Bridget that travel with me - and it's usually the awkwardness and those moments of, I don't know, public humiliation that we all relate to."
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