Renée Zellweger 'Was Very Afraid to Sing' for Chicago at First, Director Recalls on 20th Anniversary

Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection Renée Zellweger in Chicago (2002)

Given her Oscar-nominated performance in Chicago, fans would likely never suspect Renée Zellweger had any insecurities about playing murderess-turned-famous-showgirl Roxie Hart.

But in a new interview surrounding the musical film's 20th anniversary, director Rob Marshall told The Hollywood Reporter that initially, Zellweger "was very afraid to sing" for him.

"We went to dinner, and I said to her, 'Do you know any songs?' " Marshall, 62, recalled with a laugh. "And she started singing 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend' for me in the restaurant because she was so shy about singing formally. I could tell immediately she could sing."

Zellweger, 53, was "exactly the actor" Marshall "was looking for," as his goal was "to find a vulnerable Roxie, someone who could play the fragile part of her, but then also be a good enough actress to turn the tables and become the strong killer that she becomes, and it needed that full range."

"I'd found out that Renée had been a cheerleader in school, so I thought maybe she could dance," he told THR. "She came to New York, and [choreography supervisor] John DeLuca and I worked with her on dancing and could see right away that she could move."

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Marshall also revealed that there "had been talk" over the years about who they might want to appear in the film, including Madonna, Goldie Hawn, John Travolta and Liza Minnelli.

According to the director, Catherine Zeta-Jones, who starred in Chicago as Roxie's fellow murderess and nemesis-turned-collaborator Velma Kelly, "was the easiest to cast because she had very clear musical chops, having played in West End musicals."

"Richard Gere had done Grease and played Danny Zuko, so I knew he had musical talent," Marshall added of the actor who would go on to play silver-tongued attorney Billy Flynn.

And while he also spoke to Kevin Kline and Kevin Spacey about the role, "It was very clear to me that Richard was the one," Marshall said.

"In a perfect world, you don't even have to make a decision about actors," he added. "The actor themselves, if they're right for the role, they claim it as theirs, and that's what Richard Gere did."

Mary Evans/MIRAMAX/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger in Chicago (2002)

Chicago earned 13 nominations at the 75th Academy Awards, including wins for Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Supporting Actress for Zeta-Jones.

Both John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah were also nominated in the Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress categories for their roles as Amos Hart and Matron "Mama" Morton, respectively.

The film is based on the 1975 stage musical of the same name, the revival of which is still playing on Broadway after 26 years. With music by John Kander and a book by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb, Chicago holds the record for both the longest-running American musical and the longest-running musical revival in Broadway history.

Recent stars to step into Roxie's shoes on the Great White Way have included Pamela Anderson and Angelica Ross, while past players have included Ann Reinking, Ashlee Simpson Ross and Michelle Williams. The role was originated by Gwen Verdon in 1975.