BiographyLaura Jean Reese Witherspoon, born on March 22, 1976, was raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Considering that both her parents held occupations in the medical field, Reese grew up expecting to become a doctor, although she always knew in her heart that she wanted to be an actress.
While growing up in Nashville, a hot spot especially known for its country music talent, Reese was exposed to the entertainment industry at a very early age. Her career in the spotlight began at 7 years of age when she was introduced to the world of modeling. This exposure eventually enabled her to break onto the small screen by appearing in several television commercials.
reese in man in the moonAfter winning a 10-state talent search, Reese began to receive recognition for her acting and modeling abilities. In 1991, she landed her first lead role in Robert Mulligan's The Man in the Moon. This role in particular kick-started Reese's film career, and soon after, she found herself starring in two made-for-TV movies: 1991's Wildflower and 1992's Desperate Choices: To Save My Child.
Upon completing high school, Reese began receiving offers to appear in higher caliber films, including Jack the Bear (alongside Hollywood heavyweights Danny DeVito and Gary Sinise) and Disney's A Far Off Place, both of which were released in 1993. The following year, Reese decided to put her acting career on hold for a little while and enrolled at Stanford University to major in English literature.
reese witherspoon in fearThis decision to pursue her studies was curbed shortly thereafter, when she accepted to star in two more big screen productions -- both of which were slated for 1996 release dates. First came Fear, in which she portrayed a frightened teenager terrorized by her psychotic boyfriend (Mark Wahlberg, in one of his earlier roles). In the second film, Freeway, she was cast alongside Kiefer Sutherland in yet another dramatic role as a victimized teenager. Both roles pushed Reese well beyond her prior acting experiences and ultimately opened new doors for her as a rising starlet in Hollywood.
reese witherspoon in pleasantvilleThe following years found Reese starring in more prestigious film projects. In 1998, she appeared opposite legendary screen icons Paul Newman, Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon in Robert Benton's Twilight and later that year she starred in Pleasantville along with fellow up-and-comer Tobey Maguire.
1999 was a big year for Reese in more ways than one. Her career was elevated to an even higher level by starring in two more box-office hits, Cruel Intentions (with Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Election, in which she wowed critics with her dark comedic performance. While filming Cruel Intentions, Reese and co-star Ryan Phillippe became involved in a serious off-screen romance, which eventually led to their engagement in March of 1999. The pair married on June 5, 1999, in South Carolina and announced shortly thereafter that they were expecting their first child in the coming months.
reese witherspoon is legally blondeAfter a brief break from the acting scene, Reese returned in February of 2000 with a guest spot on the hit NBC sitcom, Friends. She starred in a few episodes as the younger sister of Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston). Later on that year, she reappeared on the big screen with relatively small roles in two more films, American Psycho and Little Nicky. However, in 2001, she once again found herself starring as the leading lady in the successful Legally Blonde.
In 2002, Reese appeared in The Importance of Being Earnest and had the lead role in Sweet Home Alabama, which was also quite a success. The following year, she reprised her role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.
reese witherspoon in walk the lineReese is currently keeping herself extremely busy by juggling marriage, motherhood and her career. After 2004's Vanity Fair, Reese can be seen in 2005's Just Like Heaven, Walk the Line (as June Carter in the Johnny Cash biopic) and Whiteout. In 2006, she can add Sports Widow to her resume.
