25 Impressive Facts About Reese Witherspoon
It's not a big deal; she's just the highest-paid actress in the world, and she's Elle Woods!
Reese Witherspoon has spent decades turning memorable roles into a full-blown Hollywood legacy. From teen breakout parts to award-winning performances and major business moves, she has stayed firmly in the spotlight.
Along the way, she built a career that stretches far beyond acting, with producing credits, a fashion label, and a media company that helped push more female-led stories forward. That mix of star power and business savvy has made her one of the most recognizable names in entertainment.
Here are 25 facts that show just how much there is to know about Reese Witherspoon.
1. Her parents named her Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon. She got Reese from her mom Betty's maiden name.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios2. Although unverified, she is said to be a descendant of John Witherspoon, one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
This claim has not been verified by genealogists of the Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
3. Reese lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, for four years of her childhood because of her father's job.
Reese's father was a lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve.
4. Her production company's name, Type A, was a nod to an inside joke with her family.
Reese said in an interview that she understood complicated medical terms, such as the difference between Type A and Type B personalities. She was also a diligent student and an avid reader, which led her family to give her the nickname, "Little Miss Type A."
Ron Galella/WireImage5. Her first acting gig was for a florist commercial.
She was a model for the ad, which pushed her to take acting lessons.
6. Her first "real" acting job earned her a nomination for Best Young Actress at the Young Artist Awards.
She attended an open casting call for the movie The Man in the Moon, hoping to land a bit part. She was cast as the lead character, Dani Trant.
Columbia Pictures
7. Like Elle Woods, Reese was also an Ivy League student.
She was accepted by Stanford University as an English literature major but dropped out after a year to pursue her blossoming acting career.
8. She met her ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe, during her 21st birthday party.
One of their mutual friends brought Ryan to Reese's birthday party in 1997. They hit it off, and by the end of the night, she told him, "I think you're my present."
9. Ryan Phillippe proposed during breakfast in bed.
He prepared a homemade meal of waffles with strawberries and cream. They got married in South Carolina in June 1999, and their daughter, Ava (who could pass for Reese's twin), was born three months later.
10. She hosted the first Saturday Night Live episode after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
During a 2015 interview with Katie Couric, she said that while it was an incredibly difficult time, she was proud to have stood on stage with the New York City firefighters, Paul Simon, and Lorne Michaels. She was proud to have made the country laugh after a national tragedy.
11. Mira Nair, the director of the film Vanity Fair, jokingly told Reese she should get pregnant to gain weight for her role. Two months later, the actress announced her second pregnancy.
This occurred in the middle of filming the movie. They had to carefully make her costumes to conceal her growing belly.
Speaking of family and image rules, this is like the Boy Meets World costume designer explaining why Danielle Fishel “couldn’t show her arms” in the last season.
12. Her son Deacon was named after the former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and her ex's relative, Deacon Phillippe.
AKM-GSI
13. Reese won an Academy Award, a Critics' Choice Award, a BAFTA, a SAG Award, and a Golden Globe for one role.
She played June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, a film about Johnny Cash's life. She is one of the few actresses who have won those awards for a single performance.
14. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe called it quits after seven years of marriage.
They have two kids together, Ava and Deacon.
15. Reading a terrible script pushed her to become a producer.
In an interview with Chelsea Handler, Reese revealed what she thought during that moment.
16. Reese and her husband, Jim Toth, met at a party where he "saved" her from being hit on by a drunk guy.
Jim intervened and told Reese to excuse his drunk friend, as he had just been broken up with. Jim and Reese said their "I do's" at a wedding in Ojai, California, in 2012.
PA/PA Images via Getty Images
17. She was arrested in 2013 for disorderly conduct.
Her husband was weaving in and out of lanes when the couple was pulled over by the Atlanta PD. When the officers were arresting her husband, Reese allegedly became irate and asked the police if they knew who she was.
When they replied that they didn't have to, Reese responded, "You're about to find out who I am." She was arrested after that. The actress has since apologized for her behavior and statement.
18. Reese still has many of the wardrobe pieces from her character Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
That's a lot of pink and fur! The actress revealed that she has 60 of the outfits and even showed herself trying them on via Snapchat during the film's 15-year anniversary in 2016.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
19. She looooooves Tupperware!
In an interview with People magazine, she stated that she is obsessed with containers. Reese mentioned that every time she passes by a Hold Everything store, she simply must go in.
20. She was the voice talent for Playhouse Disney's block of children's programming.
From 2007 to 2011, Reese voiced promos, commercials, and bumpers for the channel. The cartoons were made for children aged eight years old and below.
21. Reese can sing!
The actress, model, mom, businesswoman, and producer is also a singer. She was featured in a Michael Bublé cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's song "Somethin' Stupid."
22. Her first clothing retail brand, Draper James, was named after her grandparents—William James Witherspoon and Dorothea Draper.
The brand is inspired by American Southern living and offers fashion accessories and home decorations. The first store is in Nashville, and it opened in 2015.
Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/courtesy of HBO
23. Reese is also an author!
Her first book, Whiskey in a Teacup, was released in 2018 and was inspired by her Southern childhood. The avid reader has found kinship with other book lovers through her Instagram book club, where she announces a must-read book every month.
24. She almost played Merida in Pixar's movie Brave.
Reese had to quit the role when she couldn't quite perfect the Scottish brogue essential to the story. She also almost played Juliet to Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo before ultimately losing to Claire Danes.
25. She was instrumental to the Time's Up Movement.
Reese messaged and emailed everyone she knew in Hollywood before urging all the women to organize their conversations and plan their actions. She also found the designer who created the logo and pin design for the movement.
Instagram
In 2021, she was also named the richest actress in the world by the magazine.
We may only know her from the roles she plays in TV and films, but it seems the actress gets more impressive the more we learn about her. Surely, we are not alone when we say we can't wait to see what she does next!
