American film actress Reese Witherspoon

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American film actress, who has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and an Academy Award. Witherspoon is known as one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood.

Witherspoon landed her first feature role in the movie The Man in the Moon at age fourteen, followed by several moderately successful family oriented comedies and dramas in the early to mid 1990s, and then the teenage thriller Fear, where she became a teen idol. Witherspoon emerged as a young woman in Election. She acquired her breakout role in Legally Blonde, a role she reprised in a sequel. In 2005, Witherspoon received worldwide attention for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, a role that earned Witherspoon an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Witherspoon is divorced from actor Ryan Phillippe, whom she married in 1999. They have two children, Ava and Deacon.

Early life

Witherspoon was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to John Witherspoon, a Georgia-born lieutenant colonel in the US Army reserves and later an otorhinolaryngologist, and Betty (née Reese), a nurse and college professor from Harriman, Tennessee. Witherspoon has said that she is a direct descendant of Scotland-born John Witherspoon, who was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence, the sixth president of Princeton University, and a Presbyterian minister. Witherspoon was raised in the Episcopalian religion. Because her father worked for the US military in Wiesbaden, Germany, she lived there for four years as a small child. After returning to the United States, Witherspoon, an army brat, spent much of her childhood and adolescence in Nashville, Tennessee, where, she says in Interview magazine, "I grew up in an environment where women accomplished a lot. And if they weren't able to, it was because they were limited by society. I grew up with a grandma--my father's mother—who was incredibly intelligent but was limited by the bounds of society and propriety ... She was a voracious reader, and she encouraged me to read a lot as a child ..." a woman whose "depression" and "disconnect between her capabilities and her lack of fulfillment and achievement" continue to motivate Witherspoon in life. After graduating from the prestigious private all-girls' Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, she attended Stanford University in California as an English literature major. After completing a year of her studies, she left Stanford to pursue her acting career.

Early career, 1991–2000

Witherspoon's first role was in a made-for-TV movie called Wildflower, directed by Diane Keaton and starring Ben Gill, Beau Bridges, William McNamara, and Patricia Arquette. At age 15, Witherspoon attended an open casting call for The Man in the Moon, intending to audition as a bit player. She was instead cast in the lead role, for which she was nominated for the Young Artist Award Best Young Actress. She has since built up an impressive filmography, playing both comedic and dramatic roles. Following the success of The Man in the Moon, Witherspoon acted in many both lead and supporting roles. In 1993, Witherspoon had a minor role in Jack the Bear, which helped her win the Young Artist Award "Best Youth Actress co-starring in Motion Picture Drama." That same year, she portrayed the leading character "Nonnie Parker" in the Disney/Amblin film A Far Off Place. The following year, Witherspoon acted in another leading role as "Wendy Pfister" in the 1994 film S.F.W.. In 1996, Witherspoon starred alongside Kiefer Sutherland and Brooke Shields as Vanessa Lutz in the thriller Freeway. Consequently, Witherspoon won Best Actress at the Cognac Festival du Film Policier.

1998 was a successful year for Witherspoon as she made three films: Twilight, Overnight Delivery, and Pleasantville. In the thriller Twilight, Witherspoon, who played "Mel Ames," made her first and only on-screen nude appearance. Meanwhile, her role as "Jennifer" in Pleasantville garnered her the Young Hollywood Award for the "Best Female Breakthrough Performance."

In 1999, Witherspoon's career continued as she starred as "Lissa" in the drama thriller Best Laid Plans. Meanwhile, she also portrayed "Annette Hargrove" in Cruel Intentions, where she acted alongside her future husband Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Also in 1999, Witherspoon portrayed Tracy Flick in Election, her first starring show. Although the film received good reviews (and her performance earned her a Golden Globe and an Independent Spirit Award nominations) Witherspoon noted in an interview that she struggled to find work after completing the film. When analyzing the reasons behind her difficulty to find work, Witherspoon commented: "I think because the character I played was so extreme and sort of shrewish - people thought that was who I was, rather than me going in and creating a part. I would audition for things, and I'd always be the second choice - studios never wanted to hire me, and I wasn't losing the parts to big box-office actresses but to ones who I guess people felt differently about." Her highly praised performance received a ranking in 2006, at #45 on the list of 100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time by Premiere Magazine.

In 2000, Witherspoon received a supporting role in American Psycho. In addition, she made a cameo appearance as "Angel Holly" in Little Nicky. Witherspoon had small parts as Jill Green, Rachel Green's sister, in season six of "Friends", as well as Debbie Grunds in two episodes of King of the Hill.

Breakthrough, 2001–2005

After struggling to find work for a period of time, in 2001 Witherspoon starred as "Elle Woods", a fashion merchandising major who decided to become a law student to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard, in the film Legally Blonde, resulting in her breakthrough as a leading actress. Critics began referring to Witherspoon as "the new Meg Ryan". The box-office hit helped Witherspoon achieve fame. Meanwhile, critical reviews were generally positive, with Roger Ebert commenting that "Witherspoon effortlessly animated this material with sunshine and quick wit". As a result, Witherspoon garnered her second Golden Globe Best Actress nomination for her role.

Following the success of Legally Blonde, Witherspoon starred in a number of different roles. In 2002, Witherspoon was the voice of the animated character Greta Wolfcastle in The Simpsons episode The Bart Wants What It Wants. Additionally, Witherspoon portrayed "Cecily" in the comedy The Importance of Being Earnest. Witherspoon received a Teen Choice Award nomination as a result of her role. The same year, Witherspoon starred as "Melanie Smooter/Carmichael" in Sweet Home Alabama.

In 2003, Witherspoon followed up the success of Legally Blonde by starring in its sequel Legally Blonde 2, in which her character became a Harvard-educated lawyer. Reportedly, Witherspoon received a $15 million paycheck for the sequel, making her one of Hollywood's highest paid actresses.

Witherspoon also starred as Becky Sharp in the 2004 film Vanity Fair, an adaptation of the classic novel Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. In early 2005, Witherspoon acted as "Elizabeth Masterson" in the romantic comedy Just Like Heaven.

International fame, 2005–present

In 2005, Witherspoon garnered much critical praise and awards for her turn as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. Carter Cash, who died in 2003, had personally approved of Witherspoon to play her in the 2005 biopic. However, Witherspoon never had the chance to meet Carter Cash, as Witherspoon was filming Vanity Fair when Carter Cash died. Witherspoon did her own vocals in the movie, and as the songs had to be performed in front of a live audience, Witherspoon had to spend six months learning how to sing. For playing the role of Carter Cash, Witherspoon won several critical awards across the globe, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, NYFCC, the FFCC, the SFFCC Award for Best Actress, the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) for best actress in a lead role, the British Academy's BAFTA for best actress in a lead role, the "Favorite Leading Lady" at the 32nd Annual People's Choice Awards, the National Society of Film Critics Awards,[30] and the Academy Award for Best Actress.

In 2006, Witherspoon was featured as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People.Her article was written by friend and fellow co-star in the Legally Blonde movies, Luke Wilson. She is also listed as one of "100 Sexiest Women In The World" by FHM Magazine. According to the survey by the film-trade paper The Hollywood Reporter in 2007, Witherspoon has established herself as the world's highest-paid actress, earning $15 million a movie.

Witherspoon also runs a production company, Type A Films. Some believe the company is named after her childhood nickname "Little Miss Type A," but she clarified the misconception in Interview: "People think I named it after myself ... But it just isn't who I am at all. It was actually an in-joke with my family because at 7 I understood complicated medical terms, such as the difference between type A and type B personalities. But I just wished I'd named the company Dogfood Films or Fork or something. You carry that baggage all your life." Type A Films has produced the Legally Blonde sequel, and a modern-day fable named Penelope starring Christina Ricci.

Witherspoon has commented on her motivation to act. "Sometimes I think it's about acknowledgement. I always felt like people didn't understand me what I was capable of or what I could accomplish. I was driven to make people understand that I was capable of more ... But for me part of the experience of acting is that it is really moving--it's almost meditative, going into a different character. You lose all self-consciousness and self-awareness for that brief moment. It's really magical. Of course, it can also be drudgery if you can't connect with the material or director."

Witherspoon's first post-Oscar role came in the modern-day fairy tale, "Penelope", in which Witherspoon plays the supporting role of Annie, the eccentric best friend of Christina Ricci's pig-nosed character. Filming on Penelope began in March 2006, almost immediately after Witherspoon won her Academy Award, and the film premiered at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. However, the film, which Witherspoon's Type A Films produced, has suffered two release delays and is now set for a February 2008 release.

Witherspoon was back in front of the cameras again in November 2006 as shooting began for the political thriller Rendition, in which she stars as Isabella El-Ibrahim, alongside Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jake Gyllenhaal. The film was releasd on October 12, 2007. It is Witherspoon's first appearance in theatres in two years, since the 2005 release of Walk the Line.

In 2007, Reese Witherspoon made her first move into the world of endorsements as she signed a multiyear agreement to serve as Avon Products Global Ambassador. She will be involved in product development, appear in advertisements, and will serve as the honorary chairwoman of the Avon Foundation. She is also set to star in a Universal Pictures remake of the 1939 comedy Midnight, scripted by Michael Arndt, and is in talks to star in the holiday comedy Four Christmases alongside Vince Vaughn. 2009 may also see Witherspoon take on the horror genre for the first time, as the star of Our Family Troubles, which she and partner Jennifer Simpson will produce under the Type A banner.

Personal life

Witherspoon met American actor Ryan Phillippe at her 21st birthday party in March 1997, where, as she says, "I don't know what came over me – maybe the seven Midori sours – but I told him, 'I think you're my birthday present.' He thought it was so flattering, and now that I think about it... how embarrassing!"The pair got engaged in December of 1998. Soon after, the couple starred together in the box office hit Cruel Intentions. They were married on a plantation in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 5, 1999. They have two children: daughter Ava Elizabeth, born September 9, 1999,[48] and son Deacon, born October 23, 2003.

A self-identified Southerner who has credited her family with fomenting her imagination and love for storytelling and privacy, she has said that her parental philosophy has roots in her upbringing. "We weren't the kind of children that were shadowed. We didn't have nannies. We didn't have housekeepers. This whole L.A. culture is so foreign to me, because when I was growing up you wouldn't watch your children every moment. I'm always confused when people bring their children over and then want to sit with them while they play. I think part of the joy of being a child is privacy. Your fantasies and dreams are so important to you at that moment."

Paparazzi incident

In September 2005, Witherspoon and her children were celebrating her daughter Ava's sixth birthday at Disney's California Adventure theme park in Anaheim when they were approached by paparazzi photographer Todd Wallace, who had previously been sentenced to four years in prison due to burglary. When Witherspoon declined to pose for photos at close range, Wallace became enraged and pushed a child out of the way, while hitting another with his camera, in his efforts to photograph the actress. Wallace also allegedly shoved two theme park employees when they attempted to move Witherspoon to a safer area, and cursed at Witherspoon, causing several children to cry, which led to the security calling the police. Witherspoon's children were not harmed. As a result of the altercation, Wallace was arrested and faced misdemeanor assault and battery charges. He was then ordered by the court to stay 300 yards away from Witherspoon. However, before the case went to trial, Wallace was found dead on February 5, 2006 in his apartment in Brentwood, California

Divorce proceedings

By 2005, in response to critical news reports of Witherspoon and Phillippe receiving marriage counseling, Witherspoon stated:"We've done that in the past, and it's always struck me as odd that people grabbed onto that story and made it sound so negative." In December 2005, she said on The Oprah Winfrey Show: "In what capacity is working on yourself or your marriage a bad thing? What marriage isn't a journey? ... Nobody's perfect ... We all have our own set of problems."In the same month, Witherspoon also said in an interview: "I think if anybody rests on the idea that they are perfect or their life is perfect or their relationship is perfect and is so troubled about destroying the facade as opposed to getting to what's real, that is troublesome."

On June 21, 2006 Witherspoon sued the US-based tabloid Star Magazine for running a false story on a third pregnancy. She sought unspecified general and punitive damages in the lawsuit, asserting that the claim harmed her reputation because it suggested she was hiding the news from producers of her upcoming films. On October 30, 2006, Witherspoon and Phillippe announced that they decided to formally separate after seven years of marriage.[66] On November 8, 2006, Witherspoon filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences as a reason.In her petition she sought joint legal custody of their two children and sole physical custody, with full visitation rights for Phillippe. Although the couple have no pre-nuptial agreement and Phillippe is entitled to half of Witherspoon's assets by California law, she requested that the court not grant spousal support for Phillippe. On May 15, 2007, Phillippe filed for joint physical custody of the couple's children. He did not ask for spousal support, and did not make any move to block Witherspoon from seeking support from him.[70] In September 2007, on speaking openly about the separation, Witherspoon told the Elle magazine that it was "a difficult and frightening experience for her." On October 5, 2007, Witherspoon and Phillippe’s final divorce documents were filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court, which made their single status officially take effect.


source www.wikipedia.org