Reese Witherspoon
Acting • Born 1976-03-22
Biography
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and 2015, and Forbes listed her among the World's 100 Most Powerful Women in 2019 and 2021. In 2021, Forbes named her the world's highest earning actress, and in 2023, she was named one of the richest women in America with an estimated net worth of $440 million. Witherspoon began her career as a teenager, making her screen debut in The Man in the Moon (1991). Her breakthrough came in 1999 with a supporting role in Cruel Intentions, and for her portrayal of Tracy Flick in the black comedy Election. She gained wider recognition for playing Elle Woods in the comedy Legally Blonde (2001) and its 2003 sequel, and for starring in the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama (2002). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying June Carter Cash in the musical biopic Walk the Line (2005). Following a career downturn, during which her sole box-office success was the romantic drama Water for Elephants (2011), Witherspoon made a comeback by producing and starring as Cheryl Strayed in the drama Wild (2014), which earned her a second nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. She has since worked primarily in television, producing and starring in several female-led literary adaptations under her company Hello Sunshine. These include the HBO drama series Big Little Lies (2017–2019), the Apple TV+ drama series The Morning Show (2019–present), and the Hulu miniseries Little Fires Everywhere (2020). For the first of these, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series. She has also produced the film adaptations Gone Girl (2014) and Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), and the miniseries adaptation Daisy Jones & the Six (2023). Witherspoon also owns Reese's Book Club and a clothing company, Draper James. She is involved in children's and women's advocacy organizations. She serves on the board of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) and was named Global Ambassador of Avon Products in 2007, serving as honorary chair of the charitable Avon Foundation dedicated to women's causes.
Filmography
117 credits
Walk the Line
Movie • 2005
June Carter
American Psycho
Movie • 2000
Evelyn Williams
Cruel Intentions
Movie • 1999
Annette Hargrove
Fear
Movie • 1996
Nicole Walker
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Movie • 2003
Elle Woods
Pleasantville
Movie • 1998
Jennifer
Rendition
Movie • 2007
Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi
Freeway
Movie • 1996
Vanessa Lutz
Sweet Home Alabama
Movie • 2002
Melanie Smooter
Wildflower
Movie • 1991
Ellie Perkins
Penelope
Movie • 2007
Annie
Vanity Fair
Movie • 2004
Becky Sharp
A Far Off Place
Movie • 1993
Nonnie Parker
Legally Blonde
Movie • 2001
Elle Woods
Four Christmases
Movie • 2008
Kate
Just Like Heaven
Movie • 2005
Dr. Elizabeth Masterson
Twilight
Movie • 1998
Mel Ames
The Importance of Being Earnest
Movie • 2002
Cecily Cardew
Election
Movie • 1999
Tracy Enid Flick
Overnight Delivery
Movie • 1998
Ivy Miller
Little Nicky
Movie • 2000
Holly
S.F.W.
Movie • 1995
Wendy Pfister
How Do You Know
Movie • 2010
Lisa Jorgenson
Monsters vs Aliens
Movie • 2009
Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
Jack the Bear
Movie • 1993
Karen Morris
The Man in the Moon
Movie • 1991
Danielle "Dani" Trant
Best Laid Plans
Movie • 1999
Lissa
Come Home
Movie • 2021
Rosita (voice)
The Trumpet of the Swan
Movie • 2001
Serena (voice)
Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space
Movie • 2009
Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
Being Mary Tyler Moore
Movie • 2023
Self (voice)
Water for Elephants
Movie • 2011
Marlena Rosenbluth
This Means War
Movie • 2012
Lauren
Mud
Movie • 2013
Juniper
Devil's Knot
Movie • 2013
Pam Hobbs
Inherent Vice
Movie • 2014
Deputy D.A. Penny Kimball
The Good Lie
Movie • 2014
Carrie Davis
Wild
Movie • 2014
Cheryl Strayed
You're Cordially Invited
Movie • 2025
Margot
Hot Pursuit
Movie • 2015
Officer Rose 'Coop' Cooper
Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line
Movie • 2006
Self
June
Movie • 2023
Self
Minions & More 2
Movie • 2022
Rosita (voice)
Desperate Choices: To Save My Child
Movie • 1992
Cassie Robbins
Sing
Movie • 2016
Rosita (voice)
Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish)
Movie • 2020
Self
Everything Is Copy
Movie • 2015
Self
A Wrinkle in Time
Movie • 2018
Mrs. Whatsit
Home Again
Movie • 2017
Alice Kinney
Gunter Babysits
Movie • 2017
Rosita (voice)
Monsters vs Aliens Stories
Movie • 2013
This Changes Everything
Movie • 2019
Self
Sing 2
Movie • 2021
Rosita (voice)
My Darling Vivian
Movie • 2020
Self (archive footage)
Your Place or Mine
Movie • 2023
Debbie
Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music
Movie • 2020
Self
Becoming
Movie • 2020
Self
Dreamworks Spooky Stories
Movie • 2012
Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
Election - Reese Witherspoon
Movie • 2017
Self
Friends: The Reunion
Movie • 2021
Self
Sing 3
Movie
Rosita (voice)
Tinker Bell
Movie
Tinker Bell
Wish List
Movie
Legally Blonde 3
Movie
Elle Woods
I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash
Movie • 2005
Self
9 Kisses
Movie • 2014
Woman at Costume Party
The Simpsons
TV • 1989
Greta (voice)
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
Friends
TV • 1994
Jill Green
King of the Hill
TV • 1997
Debbie (voice)
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Today
TV • 1952
Self
The View
TV • 1997
Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
American Idol
TV • 2002
Self
Return to Lonesome Dove
TV • 1993
Ferris Dunnigan
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
Revealed with Jules Asner
TV • 2001
Freedom: A History of Us
TV • 2003
Susan Magoffin
Freedom: A History of Us
TV • 2003
Sarah Raymond
Freedom: A History of Us
TV • 2003
Factory Girl
The Mindy Project
TV • 2012
Reese Witherspoon
Tiny Trailblazers
TV
Fern
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
TRL
TV • 1998
The View
TV • 1997
Self - Guest
The Drew Barrymore Show
TV • 2020
Self
The Muppets
TV • 2015
Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self
Big Little Lies
TV • 2017
Madeline Mackenzie
Rove
TV • 1999
Self
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
Chelsea
TV • 2016
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV • 2014
Self - Guest
My Kind of Country
TV • 2023
Self
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
TV • 2014
Self
Shine On with Reese
TV • 2018
Self - Host
Teen Choice Awards
TV • 1999
Self
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self - Winner
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self - Guest
Little Fires Everywhere
TV • 2020
Elena Richardson
The Morning Show
TV • 2019
Bradley Jackson
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Self
Nature Is Speaking
TV • 2015
Home
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2015
Self
Fierce Queens
TV • 2020
Narrator (voice)
Get Organized with The Home Edit
TV • 2020
Conan
TV • 2010
Self
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
TV • 1973
Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self - Guest
Family Recipe Showdown
TV • 2025
Guest Judge
DreamWorks 6 Spooky Stories Collection
TV • 2003
Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
F1: The Academy
TV • 2025
Executive Producer
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest