Defending Renée Zellweger: "She's Stunning," Says Her The Whole Truth Co-Star Gugu Mbatha-Raw

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Gugu Mbatha-Raw is speaking out for Renée Zellweger, her friend and co-star in the upcoming The Whole Truth.

"She's stunning and she's so talented and she's such an amazing actress," Mbatha-Raw told me last night at a screening of her period drama Belle at Soho House in West Hollywood.

"It was very irritating to me, especially since I invited her and she was my guest," Mbatha-Raw said, adding, "It's a shame that that's all there is talk about. There must be other things to talk about. I'm excited for The Whole Truth to come out so the focus of the conversation should be her talent."

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In Belle, Mbatha-Raw plays a mixed-race daughter of a Royal Navy officer who is raised by her aristocratic uncle in 18th century England. Her co-stars include Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson and The Good Wife's Matthew Goode.

"I had never done anything period so for me this was a refreshing story," Mbatha-Raw said. "You never see a biracial aristocrat. She's not a maid. She's not a slave. She's wealthy and dignified."

The costume designs may be stunning, but they weren't always comfortable.

"They give you so much elegance in your posture, but they did take a lot of getting used to," Mbatha-Raw admitted about her corseted looks. "I had to sort of eat lots of little meals instead of having a big lunch and then having the dilemma of whether to take the corset off during my lunch break or not. But it really is like a childhood princess fantasy coming true."

She even got to film in her hometown of Oxford, about 50 miles from London. "My dad and mom came and visited the set and also some of my old school friends," Mbatha-Raw. "Some of my old teachers even randomly walked by one day."

Next month, Mbatha-Raw will be seen in the romantic drama Beyond the Lights followed by February's Jupiter Ascending with Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis.

On Sunday, she'll join Will Smith in Pittsburgh to shoot a still untitled drama that takes a look at the head injuries suffered by NFL players. "I have yet to go to a football game," said Mbatha-Raw. "I'm so excited to see my first one."