Lorna Luft

Renee Zellweger, 48, (Chicago) has been obsessively researching Judy Garland as she prepares to start filming Judy in February. The movie covers the time period in winter of 1968, when 47 year old Judy was preparing for her final concerts in London. She was at a low point in her career- her TV series was cancelled, her Australian tour was a disaster due to lateness and impairment, and Judy lost her role in the film Valley of the Dolls to Susan Hayward because she didn’t show up for rehearsals. The London concert series was a big deal, but Judy was not up for it. The movie deals with her relationships – both good and bad- at the time. Hopefully Renee will have a long chat with Lorna Luft, Judy’s younger daughter, who wrote in great detail about that time period in her fascinating book Me and My Shadows.

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA