Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon is an American actress, film and television producer, entrepreneur and model, winner of an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy.
Place of Birth, Education
She was born on March 22, 1976 in New Orleans in a family of doctors. Her mother, Betty Witherspoon, worked as a pediatrician and taught pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, and her father, John Witherspoon, was a military doctor, later an otolaryngologist.
As a child, the future actress dreamed of continuing the family tradition and becoming a doctor, but in the end, fate was different.
At school, she attended a theater studio, and at the age of 11 she won the “Talent Competition” of the state. Later she worked as a model.
In 1994, she graduated from college and entered Stanford University at the Faculty of English Literature, but due to active filming, she was forced to leave her studies.
Career
She first appeared on the screen at the age of 7 – in a commercial.
In 1990, Witherspoon and her friends attended an open audition for the film “Man on the Moon” and got the main role – a 14-year-old girl from the province, Dani Trent, who falls in love with a 17-year-old neighbor.
The tape was released at the end of 1991 and brought the young actress her first recognition – for this role she received a nomination for the Young Actor Award. In the same year, she made her television debut, starring in Diane Keaton’s Wild Flower alongside Patricia Arquette.
In 1992, she starred in the television movie “Unbearable Choice: Save the Child”, where she played the role of a seriously ill girl Cassie Robbins.
In 1993, she appeared in the miniseries, and also played Nonnie Parker in the adventure film “Captive of the Sands”. She also played a minor role as Karen Morris in the film “Jack the Bear”, for which she received the Young Actor Award.
In 1994, she played the main role of Wendy Pfister in Jeffrey Levy’s film “Japanese Townsman”.
Witherspoon gained recognition thanks to her roles in the films “Pleasantville” in 1998 and “Cruel Games” in 1999.
Another breakthrough in Witherspoon’s career occurred in 2001 after the release of the comedy “Legally Blonde”, where she played the role of a quick-witted student Elle Woods.
On December 2, 2010, she received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The actress is the winner of the Oscar and Golden Globe awards for playing the main role in the film “Crossing the Line”.
Other works of the actress include:
- 2005 – “Between Heaven and Earth”;
- 2006 – “Penelope”;
- 2007 – “Version”;
- 2008 – “Four Christmases”;
- 2009 – “Monsters vs. Aliens” (animated film, voice acting);
- 2010 – “How Do You Know?”;
- 2011 – “Water for the Elephants!”;
- 2012 – “So, War”, “Mad”;
- 2013 – “The Devil’s Knot”;
- 2014 – “Dika”, “Lies for the Sake of Salvation”, “Congenital Defect”;
- 2015 – “Ardent Fugitives”;
- 2016 – “Sing” (animated film, voice acting)
- 2017 – “Home Again”;
- 2021 – “Sing 2” (animated film, voice acting);
- 2023 – “To you or to me”.
In addition to acting, Witherspoon is also the official face of the cosmetics company Avon.
Marital Status
In June 1999, she married American actor Ryan Phillip. The couple had two children – daughter Ava Elizabeth and son Deacon.
After a divorce, for two years she dated actor Jake Gyllenhaal, a partner in the film “Surrender”.
In March 2011, she married Jim Thoth. In this marriage, on September 27, 2012, she gave birth to a son, Tennessee James Toth.
