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| Birth Name(s) : Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon |
Date of Birth: March 22, 1976 |
| Status:
Married
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Partner:
N/A |
| Profession:
Actor |
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Full Reese Witherspoon Biography
Blonde, poised and versatile, actress Reese Witherspoon went from Southern debutante to a driven Hollywood hot ticket after getting her start in the 1991 feature "The Man in the Moon". Cast thanks to a 10-state talent search, the inexperienced actress had only local commercials to her credit, but she gave a shining performance on her first time out, playing with heartbreaking poignancy a fourteen-year-old girl in love with the boy-next-door dating her sister. It was immediately apparent from her performance that the newcomer could handle three-dimensional, passionate characters with both manners and moxie. That same year Witherspoon made her TV acting debut in the Diane Keaton-directed cable movie "Wildflower" (Lifetime, 1991), playing a girl who discovers an epileptic teenager (Patricia Arquette) held captive by her father. Witherspoon racked up more television credits as a critically ill young woman in "Desperate Choices: To Save My Child" (NBC, 1992) and a young wife with a wandering eye in the miniseries "Return to Lonesome Dove" (CBS, 1993). That same year she evaded murderous poachers as the star of "A Far Off Place", a teen-aimed Disney adventure filmed in the Kalahari Desert.
Though she had always projected an aura of sexuality, Witherspoon delivered a breakthrough turn as a sensitive and sassy hostage in the controversial Gen-X satire "S.F.W." (1995) which signaled her move toward more risky, complex roles. She was stalked by a pre-"Boogie Nights" Mark Wahlberg in James Foley's "Fear", and kissed her nice girl image good-bye in "Freeway" (both 1996) as a gun-toting, illiterate, trash-mouthed juvenile delinquent, snarling and pouting her way through a modern-day "Little Red Riding Hood". (The film debuted on HBO before receiving a limited theatrical release.) Developing a varied and rewarding career seemed to come naturally to the young actress, who shied away from typical teen roles and avoided being stereotyped. After she portrayed the wayward daughter of Susan Sarandon and Gene Hackman in "Twilight", her kewpie-doll prettiness and pert demeanor found its way into Gary Ross' "Pleasantville" (both 1998), as the 90s hoyden introducing a bold new life force to the 1950s black-and-white world, changing it irrevocably. She continued her march to stardom with turns in three 1999 releases: as Alessandro Nivola's lover who plot together to escape from their desolate town in "Best Laid Plans", opposite Matthew Broderick in the darkly satiric "Election" and playing the plucky but virginal Annette in "Cruel Intentions", a spin on "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" set amongst the teen set.
While the better-than-average "Cruel Intentions" would see a larger audience and showcase Witherspoon's versatility, critics' favorite "Election" would really set her apart from other performers of her generation. Playing the fiercely ambitious and preternaturally perky class president candidate Tracey Flick, Witherspoon essayed a whole new kind of villain, a seemingly harmless teenager so unflinchingly focused on her goal that anything and anyone in the way is justifiably destroyed. Funny and frankly terrifying, Witherspoon's portrayal of the character took Alexander Payne's black comedy to its highest level. A guest role as Rachel's younger sister on the hit sitcom "Friends" (NBC) raised her profile even further in 2000, a year that saw the young star otherwise busy with marriage and the birth of her first child. In 2001, Witherspoon returned to the big screen, leading the charming comedy "Legally Blonde" to the number one box office spot. This cute tale of a spirited fashion major from Malibu-cum-Harvard Law student became a surprise hit due in no small part to her irresistible and playful but heartfelt performance. She was tapped to play Cecily Cardew in the 2002 film remake of "The Importance of Being Earnest" and would move into the realm of producing with projects in development including a feature adaptation of the best-selling novel "The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing" and a "Legally Blonde" sequel. First Witherspoon returned in a movie close to her heart, the romantic comedy "Sweet Home Alabama" (2002) about a southern girl who, after transforming herself into a New York socialite, has second thoughts about her true self during a trip back home. |
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Additional Reese Witherspoon Biography
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 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.
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.
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.
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.Reese Witherspoon signing autographs at the première of Walk the Line at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, photo by Tony Shek
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.
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 |
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Reese Witherspoon Quote(s)
| I'm not perfect! I'm human. I make mistakes. But I try to be as conscious as I can about things I should be. If I'm going to do something commercial and mainstream and made for the masses, I just believe you can make those kinds of films with quality - and good ideas and good intentions. There's a lot of negativity out there. |
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