Reese Witherspoon
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self
2014
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self - Guest
2014
Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self - Guest
2014
Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest
2015
Series
The Simpsons
Greta (voice)
1989
Series
The Daily Show
Self - Guest
1996
Series
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Guest
1993
Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self - Guest
2019
Series
Conan
Self - Guest
2010
Series
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
Series
The View
Self
1997
Series
The View
Self - Guest
1997
Series
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
Series
King of the Hill
Debbie (voice)
1997
Series
Friends
Jill Green
1994
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988
Series
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
Series
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Series
American Idol
Self
2002
Series
The Drew Barrymore Show
Self
2020
Series
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self
2014
Series
The Mindy Project
Reese Witherspoon
2012
Series
The Morning Show
Bradley Jackson
2019
Series
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self
2015
Series
Today
Self
1952
Series
Chelsea
Self
2016
Series
The Oscars
Self
1953
Film
Monsters vs Aliens
Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
2009
Film
Sing
Rosita (voice)
2016
Series
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
2009
Film
Sing 2
Rosita (voice)
2021
Film
American Psycho
Evelyn Williams
2000
Series
People's Choice Awards
Self - Winner
1975
Series
Big Little Lies
Madeline Mackenzie
2017
Series
Entertainment Tonight
Self
1981
Series
TRL
1998
Film
Legally Blonde
Elle Woods
2001
Film
Cruel Intentions
Annette Hargrove
1999
Series
Little Fires Everywhere
Elena Richardson
2020
Series
The Muppets
Self
2015
Film
Fear
Nicole Walker
1996
Series
Rove
Self
1999
Film
Walk the Line
June Carter
2005
Film
You're Cordially Invited
Margot
2025
Film
Wild
Cheryl Strayed
2014
Film
This Means War
Lauren
2012
Film
A Wrinkle in Time
Mrs. Whatsit
2018
Film
Just Like Heaven
Dr. Elizabeth Masterson
2005
Film
Inherent Vice
Deputy D.A. Penny Kimball
2014
Film
Home Again
Alice Kinney
2017
Film
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Elle Woods
2003
Series
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
1973
Film
Sweet Home Alabama
Melanie Smooter
2002
Film
Four Christmases
Kate
2008
Film
Water for Elephants
Marlena Rosenbluth
2011
Film
Hot Pursuit
Officer Rose 'Coop' Cooper
2015
Film
Little Nicky
Holly
2000
Film
How Do You Know
Lisa
2010
Film
Pleasantville
Jennifer
1998
Film
Devil's Knot
Pam Hobbs
2013
Series
Get Organized with The Home Edit
2020
Revealed with Jules Asner
2001
Film
Your Place or Mine
Debbie
2023
Film
The Good Lie
Carrie Davis
2014
Film
Minions & More 2
Rosita (voice)
2022
Film
The Man in the Moon
Danielle "Dani" Trant
1991
Film
Friends: The Reunion
Self
2021
Film
Vanity Fair
Becky Sharp
2004
Series
My Kind of Country
Self
2023
Series
Return to Lonesome Dove
Ferris Dunnigan
1993
Series
Nature Is Speaking
Home
2015
Series
DreamWorks 6 Spooky Stories Collection
Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
2003
Film
Rendition
Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi
2007
Film
Mud
Juniper
2013
Film
Penelope
Annie
2006
Film
Being Mary Tyler Moore
Self (voice)
2023
Film
Freeway
Vanessa Lutz
1996
Film
Election
Tracy Flick
1999
Film
Best Laid Plans
Lissa
1999
Series
F1: The Academy
Executive Producer
2025
Series
Shine On with Reese
Self - Host
2018
Film
The Importance of Being Earnest
Cecily Cardew
2002
Film
A Far Off Place
Nonnie Parker
1993
Film
Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish)
Self (uncredited)
2020
Film
This Changes Everything
Self
2019
Film
Twilight
Mel Ames
1998
Film
The Trumpet of the Swan
Serena (voice)
2001
Film
Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space
Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
2009
Film
Overnight Delivery
Ivy Miller
1998
Series
Family Recipe Showdown
Guest Judge
2025
Film
Wildflower
Ellie Perkins
1991
Film
Everything Is Copy
Self
2015
Film
Jack the Bear
Karen Morris
1993
Film
My Darling Vivian
Self (archive footage)
2020
Film
Come Home
Rosita (voice)
2021
Film
Gunter Babysits
Rosita (voice)
2017
Freedom: A History of Us
Factory Girl
2003
Freedom: A History of Us
Susan Magoffin
2003
Freedom: A History of Us
Sarah Raymond
2003
Film
Monsters vs Aliens Stories
2013
Series
Fierce Queens
Narrator (voice)
2020
Film
S.F.W.
Wendy Pfister
1995
Film
Becoming
Self
2020
Film
Desperate Choices: To Save My Child
Cassie Robbins
1992
Series
Teen Choice Awards
Self
1999
Film
9 Kisses
Woman at Costume Party
2014
Film
Dreamworks Spooky Stories
Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
2012
Tiny Trailblazers
Fern
Film
June
Self
2023
Film
Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music
Self
2020
Wish List
Film
Election - Reese Witherspoon
Self
2017