Reese Witherspoon is an Academy Award-winning actress best known for her standout performances in Legally Blonde, Walk the Line, and the acclaimed HBO series Big Little Lies.
Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon was born on March 22, 1976, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Raised in Nashville, Tennessee, she is the daughter of John Draper Witherspoon, a physician, and Betty Witherspoon, a registered nurse and educator. Witherspoon attended the all-girls Harpeth Hall School, where she excelled academically and was actively involved in extracurricular activities.
At the age of 14, she responded to a local casting call for extras, which led to her landing the lead role in her first feature film, The Man in the Moon (1991). Though she briefly considered a career in the medical field like her parents, her aspirations changed after her award-winning performance in the 1996 film Freeway. The role earned her Best Actress at the Catalonian International Film Festival. Witherspoon enrolled at Stanford University to study English literature but took a leave of absence to pursue acting full time.
Witherspoon's breakout role came in 2001 when she starred as Elle Woods in the comedy Legally Blonde. Her portrayal of the intelligent and determined sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School was both a critical and commercial success. The film's popularity led to a sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003), which Witherspoon both starred in and produced. She reportedly earned $15 million for the sequel, significantly more than her initial salary for the first movie.
One of her most acclaimed roles came in 2005’s Walk the Line, where she portrayed June Carter Cash. Her performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2017, she co-produced and starred in HBO’s Big Little Lies, which garnered critical acclaim and a strong fan following. By July 2019, the show's success had inspired an online campaign from viewers advocating for a third season.
In addition to her acting career, Witherspoon has become a successful entrepreneur. She founded the media company Hello Sunshine, which focuses on female-led storytelling. Her business acumen, combined with her film achievements, has helped her accumulate an estimated net worth exceeding $400 million as of recent assessments.
Reese Witherspoon is currently married to talent agent Jim Toth. The couple wed on March 26, 2011, and have one child together, a son named Tennessee James Toth, born in 2012.
Previously, Witherspoon was married to actor Ryan Phillippe. The two met at her 21st birthday party and married on June 5, 1999. They share two children: daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe and son Deacon Reese Phillippe. The couple divorced on June 13, 2008.
Over the years, Witherspoon was also in relationships with fellow actors Jeremy Sisto (1992), Chris O'Donnell (1993), Stephen Dorff (1994), and Mark Wahlberg (1995–1997). She dated Jake Gyllenhaal between 2007 and 2009. Although many of these relationships gained media attention, Witherspoon has consistently maintained a focus on her work and family life.
| Birth Date: | 22 Mar, 1976 |
| Age: | 44 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Baton Rouge |
| Education: | Stanford University |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | American actress and producer |
| twitterID: | ReeseW |
| Spouse: | Ryan Phillippe[1999-2007] Jim Toth [M. 2011] |
| Net Worth 2021: | 300 million |
