LONDON – Bridget Jones has joined the likes of Mary Poppins, Harry Potter and other beloved film characters with her own statue in London's Leicester Square.

Oscar winner Renée Zellweger, who played the title character in all four "Bridget Jones" films, attended an unveiling of the statue Monday, Nov. 17. The singular honor celebrates 25 years since the first movie, "Bridget Jones' Diary," was released.

"It's pretty crazy. It's kind of strange. It's not something that you … ever expect. … It's quite a surprise," Zellweger told Reuters at the unveiling.

Asked what she made of the statue, which depicts Bridget with her hair tied back, dressed in a mini skirt and holding a pen and diary, she said: "I mean, she's adorable … she's really cute. Looks like Bridget to me."

Author Helen Fielding created the character of Bridget Jones more than 30 years ago for a newspaper column that detailed Bridget's love life. Her first book, "Bridget Jones's' Diary" was published in 1996 and three more followed.

The inaugural book was then turned into a 2001 film, with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth starring alongside Zellweger, as her two contrasting potential lovers. The movie became a cult classic, popular around the holidays, and an indelible part of the romantic comedy canon.

Sequels "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" and "Bridget Jones's Baby" followed in 2004 and 2016, respectively, and "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy," the latest installment, was released in February.

"My daughter's generation now like Bridget, and that means a huge amount to me because it hardly ever happens," Fielding told Reuters of the character's enduring popularity. "So I feel very, very lucky, and yeah, I'm proud of Bridget."

The Bridget Jones statue is part of the Scenes in the Square trail, a line of sculptures depicting film characters in Leicester Square, where many movie premieres are held. The trail was launched in 2020 and also includes statues of Laurel and Hardy, as well as Batman.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Renée Zellweger celebrates Bridget Jones statue moving to London at unveiling

Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, REUTERS / USA TODAY

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