Reese Witherspoon

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer who has received multiple awards, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. Time magazine recognized her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and 2015, while 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 identified as one of the richest women in America with an estimated net worth of $440 million.

Witherspoon began her career as a teenager with her screen debut in *The Man in the Moon* (1991). She gained wider recognition for her supporting role in *Cruel Intentions* (1999) and her portrayal of Tracy Flick in *Election* (1999). Her breakthrough came with her role as Elle Woods in *Legally Blonde* (2001) and its 2003 sequel, as well as her performance in *Sweet Home Alabama* (2002). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as June Carter Cash in *Walk the Line* (2005). After a period of box-office struggles, with *Water for Elephants* (2011) being her only success, Witherspoon made a comeback by producing and starring in *Wild* (2014), which earned her a second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Since then, Witherspoon has focused primarily on television, producing and starring in several female-led literary adaptations through 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 *Big Little Lies*, 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), as well as the miniseries *Daisy Jones & the Six* (2023).

Witherspoon also owns Reese's Book Club and a clothing company, Draper James. She is involved in advocacy work for children and women, serving on the board of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) and acting as Global Ambassador of Avon Products since 2007, including a role as honorary chair of the Avon Foundation, which supports women's causes.