"We're both goofballs, so we laugh very easily," the actress tells PEOPLE of WoodallRenée Zellweger says she and her Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy costar Leo Woodall sparked an immediate connection on set.

The “Bridget Jones” franchise is long beloved by fans, due in extremely large part to Renée Zellweger’s portrayal of the title character. So, yes, the actress was a resource director Michael Morris turned to a lot while making the fourth film — and there was one particular insight from the Oscar winner that he says unlocked the whole thing.

Zellweger’s Bridget is now a widow – and romanced by both Leo Woodall’s younger man and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s kindly teacher – and this sequel, adapted from Helen Fielding’s third book in her series of novels,