Reese Witherspoon is one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood. She skyrocketed in popularity after starring as Elle Woods in legal blonde. Her success in the film industry would eventually lead to her winning an Oscar for Best Actress for her work in Walk across the line. A devoted and intelligent actress, Witherspoon’s best performances have run the gamut, making her an icon in both romantic comedies and dramas.
Over the past decade, Witherspoon has made significant strides in television, most notably starting with her role on HBO’s Big Little Lies. As an actress and now formidable producer, Witherspoon’s talents know no bounds. She started her own production company and is conquering all facets of the film industry, hit series after hit series, from small fires Everywhere until The morning show. Next, her upcoming series Surface will debut on AppleTV+. Until then, here’s a look at Witherspoon’s journey through film and TV, as an actress and producer.
Reese Witherspoon’s Film Career
Witherspoon is a big name in the acting world and was, per Forbes, recently named one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. Her climb to the top didn’t happen overnight, and her first movie role came with the movie The man on the moon, where she won the lead role as a Southern girl in the late 1950s. From this point on, her career would continue to grow. Undoubtedly, the role that caused her to be more widely recognized was that in the 1998 film Pleasantvillein which she starred opposite Tobey Maguire as modern-day siblings who are transported to the bizarre black-and-white city of a TV sitcom.
After this, Witherspoon’s film career would take off in earnest, first when she landed a part in cruel intentions alongside Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Here she played an innocent character, and she got a lot of mainstream exposure. Shortly after, she starred as the iconic Elle Woods in legal blonde in 2001, taking her stardom to new heights and marking the real beginning of her career as a Hollywood star. The film was a huge box office success and remains culturally relevant, with hilarious quotes many today remember by heart and a threequel in the making.
Witherspoon tended to play the same sort of roles, starring in rom-coms as a wholesome and likeable character that audiences couldn’t help but love, but her acting talents weren’t pushed as far as they could be. This would change when she starred as June Carter in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk across the line. She won Best Actress at the Oscars and her superstar status was solidified after that.
Making the switch to television
Witherspoon had continued her success in film, starring Wild, which was a huge critical hit for her. After this, she started making the transition to TV, starting with Big Little Lies. As both an actress and producer of the HBO series, Big Little Lies turned out to be a huge success for Witherspoon and everyone involved, especially co-star Nicole Kidman. The show sparked a sort of TV renaissance, with actors from the film increasingly transitioning into television careers.
Witherspoon would continue this success with shows such as: Little fires everywhere, which was adapted from the bestseller of the same name. She also found great success with The morning showand she was also listed as a producer on both projects.
Start her own production company and make an impact
Much of Witherspoon’s continued success is a result of her decision to take control and start her own production company, which has been wildly successful. She has worked as a producer on the projects she has been involved in lately, including: Big Little Lies, Little fires everywhereand The morning showall of which have been huge successes.
She has remained a powerhouse as a producer, tied to three Netflix movies and a movie titled A white lie, in which Zendaya plays the lead role. She will also serve as producer for the upcoming sequel to legal blonde, Legal Blonde 3. She will also star and produce the upcoming movie based on Tinker Bell.
Witherspoon’s success as a producer has ultimately been a game-changer in Hollywood, as she’s been able to produce and shine successful, female-driven stories that have historically been lacking in Hollywood. Through Witherspoon’s leadership, more of these stories are popping up, which is extremely important. She’s used TV as the perfect medium to tell these stories, and Hollywood has become a slightly more inclusive space. We are excited to see what the next step in her career will be as it is sure to be very exciting.