Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe Award winning American actress, best known for her roles in Election, Legally Blonde and Walk the Line.
Early life
Witherspoon was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to John Witherspoon (a surgeon) and Betty Reese (a nurse and college professor); Reese is a direct descendant of Scottish-born John Witherspoon, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and sixth president of Princeton University, who was also a Presbyterian minister. Because her father worked for the US military in Wiesbaden, Germany, Reese lived there for four years as a small child. After returning to the United States, Witherspoon spent much of her childhood and adolescence in Nashville. She has an older brother named John, who works as a real estate broker. After graduating high school from Nashville's prestigious Harpeth Hall School, she attended Stanford University as a literature major. After completing a year of her studies, Reese left Stanford to pursue her acting career.
Career
Witherspoon began her career in local commercials, and at age 14 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 as young Dani, immediately capturing the attention of critics. Since, she has built up an impressive filmography, playing both comedic and dramatic roles, including performances as Vanessa in Freeway and Tracy Flick in Election. She was the voice of the animated character Greta Wolfecastle in an episode of The Simpsons. She became best known for her role in 2001's Legally Blonde, and its sequel Legally Blonde 2 for which she received a $15 million paycheck, making her one of Hollywood's top-paid actresses. She has garnered critical praise and awards for her turn as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, NYFCC, the FFCC, the SFFCC Award for Best Actress, the British Academy's BAFTA for best actress in a lead role and the "Favorite Leading Lady" at the 32nd Annual People's Choice Awards for this role. Witherspoon's appearance at the 2006 Golden Globes Awards in a white Chanel dress caused a stir in the entertainment industry when it was discovered that actress Kirsten Dunst had worn the same dress to the award show three years earlier.
Most recently, she has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for the same role on January 31, 2006.
Additionally, Reese runs a production company with partner Laura Siegel, Type A Productions. The company is named after Reese's childhood nickname "Little Miss Type A".
On February 28, 2006 it was reported that Witherspoon will beat Julia Roberts record for the highest paid actress of all time when she is paid $29,000,000 for an upcoming horror film Our Family Trouble. She will beat Roberts' whom was paid $25,000,000 in 2004's Mona Lisa Smile by a $4,000,000 margin. However, on March 2, 2006 Witherspoon's publicist denied the salary increase to syndicated entertainment show, Access Hollywood.
Personal life
Witherspoon met actor Ryan Phillippe at her 21st birthday party in March 1997. The pair became inseparable, and got engaged in December 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 together: daughter Ava Elizabeth, born September 9, 1999, and son Deacon, born October 23, 2003. Ava is named after Phillippe's grandmother, and Deacon after a distant relative of Phillippe's.
Witherspoon and Phillippe have a pact that one of them will always be a full-time parent to the children, and they thus alternate filming schedules. Witherspoon is known for being a very hands-on mother, and she and her husband have never employed a full-time nanny. The family resides in a gated community in Brentwood, California.
Paparazzi
In September 2005, Witherspoon and her children were celebrating daughter Ava Elizabeth's sixth birthday at Disney's California Adventure theme park when they were approached by paparazzi photographer, Todd Wallace. After Witherspoon declined posing for photos at close range, police say 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 restrain him, and cursed at Witherspoon, causing several children to burst into tears. As a result of the altercation, Wallace was arrested and faced misdemeanor charges.
Before the case went to trial, Wallace was found dead in his apartment in the Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood. Police are currently investigating the cause of death.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 2005 | Walk the Line | June Carter |
Academy Award nomination |
| 2005 | Just Like Heaven | Elizabeth Masterson | |
| 2004 | Vanity Fair | Becky Sharp | |
| 2003 | Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde | Elle Woods | |
| 2002 | Sweet Home Alabama | Melanie Smooter/Carmichael | |
| 2002 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Cecily | |
| 2001 | Legally Blonde | Elle Woods | Golden Globe Nominee (Actress) |
| 2000 | American Psycho | Evelyn Williams | |
| 1999 | Election | Tracy Flick | Golden Globe Nominee (Actress) |
| 1999 | Cruel Intentions | Annette Hargrove | |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Jennifer | |
| 1996 | Freeway | Vanessa Lutz | |
| 1996 | Fear | Nicole Walker | |
| 1995 | S.F.W. | Wendy Pfister | |
| 1993 | A Far Off Place | Nonnie Parker | |
| 1991 | The Man in the Moon | Danielle 'Dani' Trant |
Trivia
- Witherspoon is 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) tall.