Renee Zellweger has said she does not use social media to comment on issues because she fears it may “trivialise” or “cheapen” them.

The actress, 50, said she prefers to discuss certain subjects in person, rather than online.

“Anything that I might say that is an opinion, that is about what’s happening politically or socially or whatever, I want to talk about it at a dinner table,” she said.

“I would be afraid that I would trivialise something that deserved more reverence by just throwing up a tweet about something that is of personal importance, it just felt like, I don’t want to cheapen it like that.

“I don’t want to feel obligated to comment on things that I don’t need to have an opinion about, because it’s none of my business.”

Zellweger’s latest project is new Netflix show What/If, a neo-noir social thriller that explores the ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things.

Discussing whether the fact she is fronting the show is proof Hollywood is moving forward on ageism, she said there are now more varied roles being created because there are so many different outlets for content.

“I think that there is so much opportunity now with this appetite for content because there’s so many different outlets now, and things are happening so quickly,” she said.

“I mean, I think that there’s this renaissance for writers that’s happening right now, they can finally make their projects, original content that they’ve wanted to do for years and years and years, and where they go, we follow.

Renee Zellweger
Renee Zellweger (Ian West/PA)

“And because there are these outlets now then there’s a little more, I guess, variety in what it is that they’re putting out there, because they recognise that there’s value and different demographics and viewership and women of my age are looking for something that they can connect to and fall in love with and follow.

“And I think that there’s more recognition that, ‘oh yes, if you make it people will watch it’, so instead of making the thing that proved successful last month, people are more inclined to make things that might appeal and draw in new viewership, because it serves the business paradigm to do that.”

– What/If is on Netflix on Friday (May 24).