Renee Zellweger raised a glass on Sunday night as she toasted her incredible success at the 92nd annual Academy Awards.
The actress rubber stamped her return to the spotlight by claiming Best Actress for her role as troubled stage and screen icon Judy Garland in director Rupert Goold’s biopic, Judy.
And she promptly celebrated into the early hours while attending the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party at the 92nd Oscars Governors Ball Hollywood & Highland Center later that night.
Well done: Renee Zellweger raised a glass on Sunday night as she toasted her incredible success at the 92nd annual Academy Awards
The 50-year old star still sported the same sweeping off-the-shoulder gown she wore while accepting her award as she relaxed with a glass of water.
Bringing her coveted Oscar to the star-studded party, Renee proudly looked on as a resident engraver etched her name onto its base.
The actress was in good company on the night, with Judy director Goold and producer David Livingstone on hand to help her celebrate.
Cheers! The actress enjoyed a refreshing glass of water while attending the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party at the Hollywood & Highland Center later that night
All yours: Bringing her coveted Oscar to the star-studded party, Renee proudly looked on as a resident engraver etched her name onto its base
Taking to the stage at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre earlier that night, Renee dedicated her Academy Award to tragic icon Garland, telling those in attendance: ‘Judy Garland, you are certainly among the heroes who unite and define us. And this is certainly for you.’
In her Tinseltown career, Garland was awarded by the Academy a Juvenile Award in 1940 coming off her signature performance of Dorothy in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz.
She was also nominated twice for Oscars but did not win: In 1962 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Judgment at Nuremberg; and in 1955 for her work in A Star Is Born the previous year.
Careful: The actress looked transfixed as the engraver got to work on Sunday evening
Say cheese: Renee beamed as she posed with her richly deserved award at the after-party
Inseparable: The star was bursting with pride as she showed off her Oscar before making her way inside
Renee noted this much in her speech, saying, ‘Judy Garland did not receive this honor in her time.’
She said that Garland’s spirit was present throughout the latest cinematic endeavor, and the celebration of such.
‘I am certain that this moment is an extension of the celebration of her legacy that began on our film set,’ she said, ‘and it is also representative of the fact that her legacy of unique exceptionalism and inclusivity and generosity in spirit, it transcends any one artistic achievement.’
It’s all about us: Renee was joined by Best Actress winner Laura Dern at the Hollywood & Highland Center
Banter: She was seen enjoying a laugh with South Korean film director Bong Joon Ho and producer Kwak Sin-ae after their surprise Best Film and Best Director win for Parasite
Somewhere under the rainbow: Judy star Renee dedicated the Academy Award she won playing Judy Garland to the late star on Sunday
Recognition: The double Oscar winner praised Garland’s ‘legacy of unique exceptionalism and inclusivity and generosity in spirit’
Stylish: Zellweger dazzled in a one-shoulder white gown by Armani Privé at the event
In her acceptance speech, the Katy, Texas native pressed on how heroic figures in all walks of life bring people together.
‘This past year of conversations celebrating Judy Garland across … generations and across cultures has been a really cool reminder that our heroes unite us,’ said the actress. ‘Now, the best among us, who inspire us to find the best in ourselves, when they unite us, when we look to our heroes, we agree, you know? And that matters.’
Zellweger thanked everyday heroes such as troops, firefighters and first responders, in addition to staples of Americana including activist Harriet Tubman, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride, athletes Venus and Serena Williams, and artists/entertainers including Martin Scorsese, Fred Rogers, Selena and Bob Dylan.
Accolades: Zellweger previously took home Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for her work in 2003’s Cold Mountain
Golden achievement: The beaming beauty basked backstage with her Oscar
My night: Renee held her trophy aloft as she celebrated her win on Sunday evening
In good company: The actress was joined by producer David Livingstone (L) and theatre director Rupert Goold (R) as she made her way to the Vanity Fair party later that night
Well done Renee: Fellow Academy Award winner Rami Malek and Jane Fonda were on hand to congratulate the actress
It’s all about us: While Renee won Best Actress, Laura Dern won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Marriage Story
‘When we celebrate our heroes,’ she said, ‘we’re reminded of who we are as one people united.’
Zellweger outlasted a strong field of competition up for the prize, including Harriet’s Cynthia Erivo, Marriage Story’s Scarlett Johansson, Little Women actress Saoirse Ronan and Bombshell beauty Charlize Theron.
The victory made Zellweger a two-time Oscar winner, as she previously took home Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in 2003’s Cold Mountain.
There it is: The Best Actress winner brandished her newly engraved trophy
Tragic end: Garland died at the age of 47 in London in June of 1969. She was pictured in London on New Year’s Eve of 1968
Biography: Judy, directed by Rupert Goold, arrived in theaters this past October