Renee Zellweger Desperate for a Break  3/16/05

Cold Mountain star Renee Zellweger is escaping the limelight for a year in a desperate bid to avoid burning out. The hardworking beauty, 35, has found that constant film-making is taking its toll, and she's determined to discover more about herself while she's on hiatus. 

She says, "I'd like to take a year off from filming. I would like to not go into a make-up trailer for a year." The star, currently dating Irish singer Damien Rice, fears that fatigue will prevent her from being at her best on set. She adds, "I don't think I'd have so much to give to a project that I was participating in right now because I'm in such need of a break." 

Texas-born Zellweger is also keen to use her hard-earned break to reflect on her life so far. She explains, "I want some time to consider my options. I want to figure out who I am as a grown-up woman. "I need to refuel. I need to live a bit as just a girl and not as somebody else."