Reese Witherspoon is an American actress, producer, and entrepreneur. She gained prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with films like Pleasantville (1998) and Cruel Intentions (1999), but she became a household name with her role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (2001). This role showcased her comedic talents and became a defining moment in her career.
She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line (2005), which solidified her status as a leading actress in Hollywood. Beyond her acting career, Witherspoon has been influential as a producer. She founded a production company, Pacific Standard, which produced successful films such as Gone Girl (2014) and Wild (2014), the latter of which earned her another Academy Award nomination.
In 2016, she launched Hello Sunshine, a media company focused on female-driven storytelling across television, film, and digital platforms. Projects like Big Little Lies (2017), The Morning Show (2019), and Little Fires Everywhere (2020) have all been critical and commercial successes.
Witherspoon is also known for her advocacy of women’s rights and equality in Hollywood. She has been vocal about issues related to gender pay disparities and has worked to bring more women-centric stories to the screen.
