Reese Witherspoon the biography In Association with Gatlinburg Cabin Rentals

Reese Witherspoon, Actress, - Biography

Actress

A pic of her
Born March 22, 1976, New Orleans, Louisiana

Height 5 foot 2 in ( 157 cm ).

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, known simply as Reese Witherspoon, is an Academy Award-winning American actress. Witherspoon is frequently cited by media to be one of the most beautiful leading ladies in today's cinema & her off screen life is widely reported.

Her first role was in the made for television movie Wildflower (1991), followed by several moderately successful family oriented comedies & dramas in the early-mid 1990s, & then the teenage thriller Fear (1996), where she became something of a teen idol, or pin-up girl. Witherspoon emerged as a young woman in Election (1999), as a obsessive, stressful, vindictive & overachieving teenage girl determined to win everything she sets out to do. Witherspoon acquired her breakout role in Legally Blonde (2001), as a fun-loving blonde, a role she reprised in a sequel. Witherspoon received worldwide attention for playing June Carter Cash in Walk the Line (2005), a role that earnt Witherspoon critical praise, media attention & an Academy Award for Best Actress. More recently, Witherspoon starred in Penelope, alongside Christina Ricci, set for a mid 2007 release date.

Actor Ryan Phillipe, & Witherspoon, married in 1999, have two children together: Ava Elizabeth (b. 1999) & Deacon Reese (b.2003). They separated in 2007.

Early life
Witherspoon was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to John Witherspoon, a Georgia-born lieutenant colonel in the US Army reserves & later an ear-nose-throat surgeon, & Betty Reese, a nurse & college professor from Harriman, Tennessee. Her birth name was originally Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon. Witherspoon is allegedly a direct descendant of Scotland-born John Witherspoon, who was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, a sixth president of Princeton University, & 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 & adolescence in Nashville, Tennessee, where, she says in Interview magazine, "I grew up in an environment where women accomplished a lot. & 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 & propriety ... She was a voracious reader, & she encouraged me to read a lot as a child ..." a woman whose "depression" & "disconnect between her capabilities & her lack of fulfillment & achievement" continue to motivate Witherspoon in life. After graduating from the prestigious private all-girls' Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, she attended Stanford University as a literature major. She lived in Cedro Hall & once treated her entire dorm to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. After completing a year of her studies, she left Stanford to pursue her acting career.

Early career (1991-2000)
Witherspoon's first role was in a made-for-TV movie called Wildflower, directed by Diane Keaton & starring Beau Bridges, William McNamara, & Patricia Arquette. That same year, at age 15, Witherspoon 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, immediately capturing the attention of critics. She has since built up an impressive filmography, playing both comedic & dramatic roles. Following the success of The Man in the Moon, Witherspoon acted in many both lead & supporting roles. In 1993, Witherspoon had a minor role in Jack the Bear. That same year, she portrayed the leading character "Nonnie Parker" in the Disney/Amblin film A Far Off Place. The following year, Witherspoon acted in another leading role as "Wendy Pfister" in the 1994 film S.F.W.. In 1996, Witherspoon starred alongside Kiefer Sutherland & Brooke Shields as Vanessa Lutz in the notable thriller Freeway. Consequently, Witherspoon won Best Actress at the Cognac Festival du Film Policier.

1998 was a successful year for Witherspoon as she made three films: Twilight, Overnight Delivery, & Pleasantville. In the thriller Twilight, Witherspoon played "Mel Ames," making her first & only nude appearance. Meanwhile, her role as "Jennifer" in Pleasantville garnered her the Young Hollywood Award for the "Best Female Breakthrough Performance."

In 1999, Witherspoon's career continued as she starred as "Lissa" in the drama thriller Best Laid Plans. Meanwhile, she also portrayed "Annette Hargrove" in Cruel Intentions, where she acted alongside her future husband Ryan Philippe & Sarah Michelle Gellar. Also in 1999, Witherspoon portrayed Tracy Flick in Election. Although the film received good reviews, Witherspoon noted in an interview that she struggled to find work after completing the film. When analyzing the reasons behind her difficulty to find work, Witherspoon commented: "I think because the character I played was so extreme & sort of shrewish - people thought that was who I was, rather than me going in & creating a part. I would audition for things, & I'd always be the second choice - studios never wanted to hire me, & I wasn't losing the parts to big box-office actresses but to ones who I guess people felt differently about." Her highly praised performance received a ranking in 2006, at #45 on the list of 100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time by Premiere Magazine.

In 2000, Witherspoon received a supporting role in American Psycho. In addition, she made a cameo appearance as "Angel Holly" in Little Nicky. Witherspoon also played Jill Greene, Rachel Greene's sister, in season six of "Friends".

Breakthrough (2001-2005)

Witherspoon as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, 2001After struggling to find work for a period of time, in 2001 Witherspoon starred as "Elle Woods", a fashion merchandising major who decided to become a law student to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard, in the film Legally Blonde, resulting in her breakthrough as a leading actress. Critics began referring to Witherspoon as "the new Meg Ryan". The box-office hit helped Witherspoon achieve fame. Meanwhile, critical reviews were generally positive, with Roger Ebert commenting that "Witherspoon effortlessly animated this material with sunshine & quick wit". As a result, Witherspoon garnered her first Golden Globe Best Actress nomination for her role.

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, where her character became an environmental lawyer. Reportedly, Witherspoon received a $15 million paycheck for the sequel, making her one of Hollywood's top-paid actresses.

Witherspoon also starred as Becky Sharp in the 2004 film Vanity Fair, an adaptation of the classic novel by William Makepeace Thackeray. In early 2005, Witherspoon acted as "Elizabeth Masterson" in the romantic comedy Just Like Heaven.

Life with Oscar (2005-present)

Reese Witherspoon (June Carter Cash) performs with Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny Cash) in Walk the Line.In 2005, Witherspoon garnered much critical praise & awards for her turn as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. Carter Cash, who died in 2003, had personally approved of Witherspoon to play her in the 2005 biopic. However, Witherspoon never had the chance to meet Carter Cash, as Witherspoon was filming Vanity Fair when Carter Cash died. For this role, Witherspoon won several critical awards across the globe, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, NYFCC, the FFCC, the SFFCC Award for Best Actress, the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) for best actress in a lead role, the British Academy's BAFTA for best actress in a lead role, the "Favorite Leading Lady" at the 32nd Annual People's Choice Awards, & the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Recently, Witherspoon has been featured as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. Her article was written by friend & fellow costar in the Legally Blonde movies, Luke Wilson.

Reese Witherspoon signing autographs at the premiere of Walk the Line at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, photo by Tony ShekWitherspoon also runs a production company, Type A Productions. Some believe the company is named after her childhood nickname "Little Miss Type A," but she clarified the misconception in Interview: "People think I named it after myself ... But it just isn't who I am at all. It was actually an in-joke with my family because at 7 I understood complicated medical terms, such as the difference between type A & type B personalities. But I just wished I'd named the company Dogfood Films or Fork or something. You carry that baggage all your life."

Witherspoon has commented on her motivation to act. "Sometimes I think it's about acknowledgment. I always felt like people didn't understand me what I was capable of or what I could accomplish. I was driven to make people understand that I was capable of more ... But for me part of the experience of acting is that it is really moving--it's almost meditative, going into a different character. You lose all self-consciousness & self-awareness for that brief moment. It's really magical. Of course, it can also be drudgery if you can't connect with the material or director."

Personal life
Ryan Phillippe at her 21st birthday party in March 1997, where, as she says, "I don't know what came over me – maybe the seven Midori sours – but I told him, 'I think you're my birthday present.' He thought it was so flattering, & now that I think about it... how embarrassing!" The pair got engaged in December of 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: daughter Ava Elizabeth, born September 9, 1999, & son Deacon Reese, born October 23, 2003.

A self-identified Southerner who has credited her family with fomenting her imagination & love for storytelling & privacy, she told the aforesaid magazines that her parental philosophy has roots in her upbringing. "We weren't the kind of children that were shadowed. We didn't have nannies. We didn't have housekeepers. This whole L.A. culture is so foreign to me, because when I was growing up you wouldn't watch your children every moment. I'm always confused when people bring their children over & then want to sit with them while they play. I think part of the joy of being a child is privacy. Your fantasies & dreams are so important to you at that moment."

Paparazzi incident
In September 2005, Witherspoon & her children were celebrating daughter Ava's sixth birthday at Disney's California Adventure theme park when they were approached by paparazzi photographer Todd Wallace. After Witherspoon declined to pose for photos at close range, police say Wallace became enraged & 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, & cursed at Witherspoon, causing several children to cry. As a result of the altercation, Wallace was arrested & faced misdemeanor charges. However, before the case went to trial, Wallace was found dead on 5 February 2006 in his apartment in Brentwood. Police are investigating the cause of death, including the possibility he committed suicide so he would not face charges.

Going Through Divorce
On November 10, 2005 Witherspoon responded to critical news reports of receiving marriage counseling. "In what capacity is working on yourself or your marriage a bad thing? What marriage isn't a journey? ... Nobody's perfect ... We all have our own set of problems," she said on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The next month, she said separately, "We are all on the edge, emotionally or psychologically."

On June 21, 2006 Witherspoon sued the tabloid Star for running a "fictional" story on a third pregnancy that claims she is hiding the news from producers of her upcoming films. On October 30, 2006, Witherspoon & Phillippe announced that they decided to formally separate after seven years of marriage. On November 8, 2006, Witherspoon filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. In her petition she sought joint legal custody of their two children & sole physical custody, with visitation for Phillippe.

Selected filmography
Year Title Role Other notes
1991 The Man in the Moon Danielle 'Dani' Trant Young Artist Award Nominee (Best Young Actress)
1993 A Far Off Place Nonnie Parker
Jack the Bear Karen Morris Young Artist Award Winner (Best Youth Actress Co-star)
1995 S.F.W. Wendy Pfister
1996 Fear Nicole Walker
Freeway Vanessa Lutz Best Actress, Cognac Festival du Film Policier
1998 Twilight Mel Ames
Overnight Delivery Ivy Miller
Pleasantville Jennifer Young Hollywood Award Winner (Breakthrough Performance - Female)
1999 Best Laid Plans Lissa
Cruel Intentions Annette Hargrove
Election Tracy Flick Golden Globe Nominee (Actress)
National Society of Film Critics Awards Winner (Best Actress)
Independent Spirit Award Nominee (Best Actress)
2000 Little Nicky Holly
American Psycho Evelyn Williams
2001 The Trumpet of the Swan Serena (voice)
Legally Blonde Elle Woods Golden Globe Nominee (Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy)
MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Winner
2002 The Importance of Being Earnest Cecily Teen Choice Awards Nominee (Choice Actress Comedy)
Sweet Home Alabama Melanie Smooter/Carmichael
2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde Elle Woods
2004 Vanity Fair Becky Sharp
2005 Just Like Heaven Elizabeth Masterson
Walk the Line June Carter Cash BAFTA Award For Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Screen Actors Guild Award
Golden Globe Winner
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award
National Society of Film Critics Awards
Teen Choice Awards for Choice Actress Drama/Action Adventure ||
2007 Penelope Annie
Rendition Isabella El-Ibrahim
2008 Our Family Troubles TBA In-development

This site was written in May 2007

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