ACTOR · BORN 1976
Reese Witherspoon
- Born
- 22 March 1976, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Known for
- American Psycho (2000), The Simpsons (1989), Friends (1994), Sing (2016)
95 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
58 Interesting Facts About Reese Witherspoon
- #001
After providing her own singing voice for Walk the Line (2005), several companies approached her to record music.
- #002
She considers Wild (2014) her best film and her best performance.
- #003
On September 7, 2011, she was hospitalized after being hit by a car while jogging in Santa Monica, California. She was treated for minor injuries before being sent home. She had a quarter-inch scar on her forehead that she hid with her bangs.
- #005
She was a gymnast for seven years.
- #008
Guests at her wedding included Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr., Alyssa Milano, Isla Fisher, Selma Blair and Salma Hayek.
- #009
She considers Meryl Streep's performance in Sophie's Choice (1982) the best female performance of all time. Witherspoon also states that she has been influenced by Streep.
- #012
She is best friends with Selma Blair, Chelsea Handler and Renée Zellweger.
- #014
Neither she nor her ex-husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, uses their real name — Reese's name is Laura, and Ryan's is Matthew.
- #017
She worked as an office production assistant on The Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) for extra credit for a high school class. Director Carl Franklin paid tribute to her in Out of Time (2003) by referencing Legally Blonde (2001).
- #018
She collects antique linens and loves old embroidery.
- #020
As a child, Reese Witherspoon modeled children's tracksuits and similar items for a local market newspaper. She has said she was creative for herself. She was paid $50 a day.
- #022
Reese Witherspoon runs a production company called "Type A Films" together with Debra Siegal.
- #023
Reese Witherspoon was the first person to host Saturday Night Live (1975) after the September 11 attacks.
- #024
As a small child, Reese Witherspoon lived in Wiesbaden, Germany.
- #025
Reese Witherspoon's performance as Tracy Flick in Election (1999) ranked 45th on Premiere magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
- #027
Reese Witherspoon had a relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, whom she met on the set of Rendition (2007) (January 2007-November 2009).
- #028
At the age of seven, Reese Witherspoon began acting classes for children at a state college. By the time she was nine, she was taking acting classes for adults.
- #029
Ryan proposed to Reese Witherspoon in December 1998 while the couple were on holiday at The Planter's Inn in Charleston, South Carolina.
- #031
Reese Witherspoon returned to work to begin filming her guest appearance on Friends (1994) four months after giving birth to her daughter Ava.
- #033
Reese Witherspoon performs the audiobook version of Go Set a Watchman, the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird. In Four Christmases (2008) she appears alongside Sissy Spacek, who narrated the audiobook of To Kill a Mockingbird, and Robert Duvall, who played Boo Radley in the film.
- #035
Reese Witherspoon's wedding ring was a Neil Lane Asscher-cut diamond dating from the early 1990s, and only a few like it existed in the world.
- #041
Witherspoon sang her own vocals in Walk the Line.
- #042
In high school she was a cheerleader and was presented as a debutante.
- #044
Steve Dontanville of the William Morris Agency is still her manager. They came together after The Man in the Moon (1991).
- #047
The dress she wore to the 2006 Golden Globe Awards had also been worn by Kirsten Dunst at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards.
- #049
She owns a clothing company called Draper James, a retail brand inspired by the South that focuses on fashion and home decor.
- #051
In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated her earnings that year at 7 million dollars.
- #052
In 2007, The Hollywood Reporter named her the highest-paid actress in Hollywood.
- #053
Witherspoon, a big fan of Dolly Parton, honored her on the Kennedy Center Honors TV special broadcast on December 26, 2006.
- #054
She attended Harpeth Hall School, a private girls' school in Nashville, Tennessee.
- #055
She has two Barbie dolls made in her likeness: the first was released to promote Elle Woods in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde (2003). The second is a Barbie in the role of Mrs. Whatsit, released to promote A Wrinkle in Time (2018).
- #056
Reese Witherspoon is mentioned as "the prom queen" in Bowling for Soup's song "High School Never Ends".
- #057
On October 30, 2006, Reese Witherspoon announced her separation and that she would file for divorce from her husband Ryan Phillippe after seven years of marriage.
- #058
As a young girl of 11, Reese Witherspoon won the "Ten State Talent Award".
- #061
Reese Witherspoon is friends with Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew McConaughey, Selma Blair and Kate Hudson.
- #062
At the age of 7, Reese Witherspoon appeared in a television commercial for a local Nashville florist.
- #065
Reese Witherspoon's first perfume was "In Bloom" (2009), released by Avon.
- #066
Reese Witherspoon starred in four films that share their titles with songs: Jack the Bear (1993), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Just Like Heaven (2005) and Walk the Line (2005).
- #067
Reese Witherspoon has an older brother, John D. Witherspoon.
- #068
Reese Witherspoon was named "Favorite Female Film Star" by People magazine (2004).
- #072
As of August 2014, Reese Witherspoon owns a property in Nashville, Tennessee.
- #074
On August 1, 2007, Reese Witherspoon became Avon's first Global Ambassador and will serve as Honorary Chairman of the Avon Foundation.
- #075
On November 8, 2006, Reese Witherspoon filed for divorce from her husband Ryan Phillippe.
- #077
She was named one of Rolling Stone's "People of the Year," alongside Eminem and Kelly Osbourne.
- #078
She ranked first on E!'s 2003 list of Hollywood's Hottest Blondes.
- #080
Witherspoon has been a co-founder of Draper James, a Southern clothing store, since 2015.
- #081
She was named one of E!'s 2002 "Entertainers of the Year."
- #083
She has worked with three actors who have played comic book characters: Tobey Maguire, who played Spider-Man; Tom Hardy, who played Bane; and Christian Bale, who played Batman.
- #084
She was chosen by People magazine as one of the World's 50 Most Beautiful People (2002).
- #085
She ranked 40th in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special issue.
- #086
She spoke at an event held by the Stanford Graduate School of Business. [May 20, 2017].
- #087
She has four dogs: a Chocolate Labrador named Hank, a bulldog named Lou, a French bulldog named Minnie Pearl and a Black Labrador named Major. She also had a German Shepherd named Nash, a bull terrier named Lou Ann, a French bulldog named Coco Chanel, an English bulldog named Frank Sinatra and a French bulldog named Pepper, who died of cancer on October 19, 2020.
- #088
She ranked 22nd on Entertainment Weekly's Most Powerful List.
- #089
She was chosen as one of People magazine's "25 Most Intriguing People of 2001."
- #090
She was named one of E!'s "Top 20 Entertainers of 2001."
- #091
She ranked 34th in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" issue.
- #093
She was born at 2:00 p.m. (CST).
- #094
She was born one day before Keri Russell and Michelle Monaghan.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
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