Renée Zellweger has returned for her first role following her Oscar-winning turn as Judy Garland in “Judy.” The actress transforms into another real-life figure in the new NBC limited series “The Thing About Pam,” the stranger-than-fiction story of Pam Hupp, a Missouri woman who was eventually charged with murdering her best friend, Betsy Faria. The six-part series explores Pam’s involvement in framing Betsy’s husband for the murder, how she established alibis for herself and all the unexpected twists in the case.
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Much like her work in “Judy,” Zellweger’s appearance is heavily altered to become Hupp. She sports face prosthetics and body padding to more accurately resemble her character, making her almost unrecognizable. She also speaks with a thick Missouri accent, complementing the show’s darkly comedic tone that evokes “Fargo.” Critics have praised Zellweger’s committed turn as Hupp, describing her performance as “top notch” and “savvy.”
As we often see with performances of a transformative variety, Zellweger is a strong awards contender. This two-time Oscar winner is primed to pick up an Emmy. This is only the second TV show in which the actress has had a prominent role, after 2019’s “What/If.” Voters continue to be impressed by movie stars taking their turn at TV, as demonstrated by recent Emmy winners Kate Winslet (“Mare of Easttown”), Ewan McGregor (“Halston”), Mark Ruffalo (“I Know This Much is True”) and Michelle Williams (“Fosse/Verdon”).
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The thing about the Emmys, though, is just how competitive Zellweger’s category will be. She is competing for a slot in Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress. But Zellweger’s performance has an undeniable baitiness that appeals to voters. That could vault her over some of the category’s more naturalistic contenders.
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