Reese Witherspoon
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.
Known For

The Simpsons

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Daily Show

Friends
All Movies (63)
- You're Cordially Invited2025 · as Margot
- June2023 · as Self
- Being Mary Tyler Moore2023 · as Self (voice)
- Your Place or Mine2023 · as Debbie
- Minions & More 22022 · as Rosita (voice)
- Sing 22021 · as Rosita (voice)
- Come Home2021 · as Rosita (voice)
- Friends: The Reunion2021 · as Self
- Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish)2020 · as Self (uncredited)
- Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music2020 · as Self
- Becoming2020 · as Self
- My Darling Vivian2020 · as Self (archive footage)
- This Changes Everything2019 · as Self
- A Wrinkle in Time2018 · as Mrs. Whatsit
- Election - Reese Witherspoon2017 · as Self
- Home Again2017 · as Alice Kinney
- Gunter Babysits2017 · as Rosita (voice)
- Sing2016 · as Rosita (voice)
- Everything Is Copy2015 · as Self
- Hot Pursuit2015 · as Officer Rose 'Coop' Cooper
- Inherent Vice2014 · as Deputy D.A. Penny Kimball
- Wild2014 · as Cheryl Strayed
- The Good Lie2014 · as Carrie Davis
- 9 Kisses2014 · as Woman at Costume Party
- Devil's Knot2013 · as Pam Hobbs
- Mud2013 · as Juniper
- Monsters vs Aliens Stories2013
- Dreamworks Spooky Stories2012 · as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
- This Means War2012 · as Lauren
- Water for Elephants2011 · as Marlena Rosenbluth
- How Do You Know2010 · as Lisa
- Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space2009 · as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
- Monsters vs Aliens2009 · as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
- Four Christmases2008 · as Kate
- Penelope2007 · as Annie
- Rendition2007 · as Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi
- Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line2006 · as Self
- Just Like Heaven2005 · as Dr. Elizabeth Masterson
- Walk the Line2005 · as June Carter
- I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash2005 · as Self
- Vanity Fair2004 · as Becky Sharp
- Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde2003 · as Elle Woods
- Sweet Home Alabama2002 · as Melanie Smooter
- The Importance of Being Earnest2002 · as Cecily Cardew
- Legally Blonde2001 · as Elle Woods
- The Trumpet of the Swan2001 · as Serena (voice)
- Little Nicky2000 · as Holly
- American Psycho2000 · as Evelyn Williams
- Election1999 · as Tracy Enid Flick
- Best Laid Plans1999 · as Lissa
- Cruel Intentions1999 · as Annette Hargrove
- Pleasantville1998 · as Jennifer
- Overnight Delivery1998 · as Ivy Miller
- Twilight1998 · as Mel Ames
- Freeway1996 · as Vanessa Lutz
- Fear1996 · as Nicole Walker
- S.F.W.1995 · as Wendy Pfister
- Jack the Bear1993 · as Karen Morris
- A Far Off Place1993 · as Nonnie Parker
- Desperate Choices: To Save My Child1992 · as Cassie Robbins
- Wildflower1991 · as Ellie Perkins
- The Man in the Moon1991 · as Danielle "Dani" Trant
- Wish List—
All TV Shows (55)
- Family Recipe Showdown2025 · as Guest Judge
- F1: The Academy2025 · as Executive Producer
- My Kind of Country2023 · as Self
- The Drew Barrymore Show2020 · as Self
- Get Organized with The Home Edit2020
- Fierce Queens2020 · as Narrator (voice)
- Little Fires Everywhere2020 · as Elena Richardson
- The Morning Show2019 · as Bradley Jackson
- The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self - Guest
- Shine On with Reese2018 · as Self - Host
- Big Little Lies2017 · as Madeline Mackenzie
- Chelsea2016 · as Self
- The Muppets2015 · as Self
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self - Guest
- Nature Is Speaking2015 · as Home
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self - Guest
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self - Guest
- The Mindy Project2012 · as Reese Witherspoon
- Conan2010 · as Self - Guest
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
- The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien2009 · as Self - Guest
- The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
- Freedom: A History of Us2003 · as Factory Girl
- Freedom: A History of Us2003 · as Susan Magoffin
- Freedom: A History of Us2003 · as Sarah Raymond
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
- DreamWorks 6 Spooky Stories Collection2003 · as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Guest
- American Idol2002 · as Self
- Revealed with Jules Asner2001
- Rove1999 · as Self
- Teen Choice Awards1999 · as Self
- TRL1998
- The View1997 · as Self
- The View1997 · as Self - Guest
- King of the Hill1997 · as Debbie (voice)
- The Daily Show1996 · as Self - Guest
- Friends1994 · as Jill Green
- Return to Lonesome Dove1993 · as Ferris Dunnigan
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993 · as Self - Guest
- Late Show with David Letterman1993 · as Self - Guest
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992
- The Simpsons1989 · as Greta (voice)
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988
- Entertainment Tonight1981 · as Self
- Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
- People's Choice Awards1975 · as Self - Winner
- The American Film Institute Salute to ...1973 · as Self
- The Oscars1953 · as Self
- Today1952 · as Self
- Tiny Trailblazers— · as Fern