Acting · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA · Born March 22, 1976
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.
TVFamily Recipe Showdown
2025
as Guest Judge
TVF1: The Academy
2025
as Executive Producer
MovieYou're Cordially Invited
2025
as Margot
MovieJune
2023
as Self
TVMy Kind of Country
2023
as Self
MovieBeing Mary Tyler Moore
2023
as Self (voice)
MovieYour Place or Mine
2023
as Debbie
MovieMinions & More 2
2022
as Rosita (voice)
MovieSing 2
2021
as Rosita (voice)
MovieCome Home
2021
as Rosita (voice)
MovieFriends: The Reunion
2021
as Self
MovieFather of the Bride Part 3 (ish)
2020
as Self (uncredited)
TVThe Drew Barrymore Show
2020
as Self
TVGet Organized with The Home Edit
2020
MovieHer Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music
2020
as Self
MovieBecoming
2020
as Self
MovieMy Darling Vivian
2020
as Self (archive footage)
TVFierce Queens
2020
as Narrator (voice)
TVLittle Fires Everywhere
2020
as Elena Richardson
TVThe Morning Show
2019
as Bradley Jackson
TVThe Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self - Guest
MovieThis Changes Everything
2019
as Self
TVShine On with Reese
2018
as Self - Host
MovieA Wrinkle in Time
2018
as Mrs. Whatsit
MovieElection - Reese Witherspoon
2017
as Self
MovieHome Again
2017
as Alice Kinney
TVBig Little Lies
2017
as Madeline Mackenzie
MovieGunter Babysits
2017
as Rosita (voice)
MovieSing
2016
as Rosita (voice)
TVChelsea
2016
as Self
MovieEverything Is Copy
2015
as Self
TVThe Muppets
2015
as Self
TVThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
as Self - Guest
TVNature Is Speaking
2015
as Home
TVClose Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015
as Self
MovieHot Pursuit
2015
as Officer Rose 'Coop' Cooper
TVVariety Studio: Actors on Actors
2014
as Self
MovieInherent Vice
2014
as Deputy D.A. Penny Kimball
MovieWild
2014
as Cheryl Strayed
MovieThe Good Lie
2014
as Carrie Davis
TVLate Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self - Guest
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self
Movie9 Kisses
2014
as Woman at Costume Party
MovieDevil's Knot
2013
as Pam Hobbs
MovieMud
2013
as Juniper
MovieMonsters vs Aliens Stories
2013
TVThe Mindy Project
2012
as Reese Witherspoon
MovieDreamworks Spooky Stories
2012
as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
MovieThis Means War
2012
as Lauren
MovieWater for Elephants
2011
as Marlena Rosenbluth
MovieHow Do You Know
2010
as Lisa
TVConan
2010
as Self - Guest
TVWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
TVThe Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
2009
as Self - Guest
MovieMutant Pumpkins from Outer Space
2009
as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
MovieMonsters vs Aliens
2009
as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
MovieFour Christmases
2008
as Kate
MoviePenelope
2007
as Annie
MovieRendition
2007
as Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi
TVThe Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self
MovieCelebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line
2006
as Self
MovieJust Like Heaven
2005
as Dr. Elizabeth Masterson
MovieWalk the Line
2005
as June Carter
I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash
2005
as Self
MovieVanity Fair
2004
as Becky Sharp
Freedom: A History of Us
2003
as Factory Girl
TVThe Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
as Self
MovieLegally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
2003
as Elle Woods
TVDreamWorks 6 Spooky Stories Collection
2003
as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice)
TVJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self
MovieSweet Home Alabama
2002
as Melanie Smooter
TVAmerican Idol
2002
as Self
MovieThe Importance of Being Earnest
2002
as Cecily Cardew
Revealed with Jules Asner
2001
MovieLegally Blonde
2001
as Elle Woods
MovieThe Trumpet of the Swan
2001
as Serena (voice)
MovieAdam Sandler Goes to Hell
2001
as Self
MovieLittle Nicky
2000
as Holly
MovieAmerican Psycho
2000
as Evelyn Williams
TVRove
1999
as Self
TVTeen Choice Awards
1999
as Self
MovieElection
1999
as Tracy Enid Flick
MovieBest Laid Plans
1999
as Lissa
MovieCruel Intentions
1999
as Annette Hargrove
MoviePleasantville
1998
as Jennifer
TVTRL
1998
MovieOvernight Delivery
1998
as Ivy Miller
MovieTwilight
1998
as Mel Ames
TVThe View
1997
as Self
TVKing of the Hill
1997
as Debbie (voice)
MovieFreeway
1996
as Vanessa Lutz
TVThe Daily Show
1996
as Self - Guest
MovieFear
1996
as Nicole Walker
MovieS.F.W.
1995
as Wendy Pfister
TVFriends
1994
as Jill Green
TVReturn to Lonesome Dove
1993
as Ferris Dunnigan
TVLate Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
as Self - Guest
TVLate Show with David Letterman
1993
as Self - Guest
MovieJack the Bear
1993
as Karen Morris
MovieA Far Off Place
1993
as Nonnie Parker
MovieDesperate Choices: To Save My Child
1992
as Cassie Robbins
TVThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
MovieWildflower
1991
as Ellie Perkins
MovieThe Man in the Moon
1991
as Danielle "Dani" Trant
TVThe Simpsons
1989
as Greta (voice)
TVLIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988
TVEntertainment Tonight
1981
as Self
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host
TVPeople's Choice Awards
1975
as Self - Winner
TVThe American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
TVThe Oscars
1953
as Self
TVToday
1952
as Self
Wish List
Tiny Trailblazers
as Fern
