Everything You'd Ever Want to Know About Reese Witherspoon

She went from teaching us the iconic bend-and-snap in Legally Blonde to portraying an unfiltered journalist on The Morning Show—but this only scratches the surface of Reese Witherspoon's decades-long career. The actress has dozens of films and TV shows to her name, and she has even served as a producer on several projects, including Daisy Jones & The Six, The Last Thing He Told Me and Tiny Beautiful Things. She also runs a successful book club, which includes quite a few New York Times bestsellers and a few of our personal favorites. Oh, and did we mention the New Orleans native is a proud mom of three who owns a lifestyle brand?

Witherspoon has been quite vocal about her journey to success. In a panel discussion for her production company, Hello Sunshine, she said, "I didn't grow my career up in a corporate environment. I was on movie sets and I thought, 'Well I don't have any skills to run a business.' But the truth is I had all these skills, and I had to have a friend point it out to me. I know exactly how a team works, I know communication is super important, that everybody needs to feel included. It's just really helpful, and I have a lot of female mentors I call when I don't know what to do."

Now, with an Academy Award to her name, the entrepreneur has her hands full with several upcoming projects, including A White Lie and the highly anticipated Legally Blonde 3. Keep reading for more details on this Jill of all Trades.

• Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
• Birthday: March 22, 1976
• Spouse: Ryan Phillippe ​​(1999-2007)​, Jim Toth​ ​(2011-2023)
• Children: Deacon Reese Phillippe, Ava Elizabeth Phillippe, Tennessee James Toth
• Star Sign: Aries

Early Life & Rise to Fame

Born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, the actress was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana by her parents Mary Elizabeth and John Draper. And at just seven years old, she was recruited to model for a florist's TV ad, which inspired her to take some acting lessons. Still, Witherspoon continued her studies and excelled at school. She went on to attend the all-girls Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, then began to study English literature at Stanford University. However, she left early to pursue acting full-time.

Fortunately, that decision ultimately paid off, because she scored a lead role for her feature film debut in The Man in the Moon—a coming-of-age drama that received critical acclaim. She went on to appear is a series of other memorable '90s films and shows, like Wildflower, Freeway, Overnight Delivery and Pleasantville. But her big breakthrough came in 1999 when she played Annette in Cruel Intentions.

Top Movies & TV Shows

Though Witherspoon is best known for the Legally Blonde franchise, she has also made headlines with classics like Election, Cruel Intentions, Sweet Home Alabama and Water for Elephants. And more recently, she has appeared in and produced several popular adaptations of female-led novels, like Big Little Lies (which earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series), The Morning Show and Little Fires Everywhere. Still, the actress has been transparent about some of her projects not becoming a huge success.

Witherspoon said, "Every movie is not gonna be successful, but I'm also very optimistic. I'm like, 'But we're gonna make it good, we're gonna turn it out and it's gonna be great.' But then you get to the screening and you're like, 'Nope it was bad.' It's not a reflection of who I am as a person. I took a chance, it didn't work. It doesn't mean I'm not gonna try it again."

Now, she's got quite a few new shows in the works, including the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, the sequel, Legally Blonde 3, and the crime drama, Truly Madly Guilty.

Reese's Book Club & Other Ventures

In 2017, Witherspoon launched Reese's Book Club, where she selects her personal favorites from novels that center on women. Her picks span a variety of genres, from contemporary fiction and thrillers to romance, and the Book Club has since blossomed into a popular community that catapulted more than 60 books to the New York Times bestseller list, including titles like Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything. I love books.

Reese Witherspoon

The Book Club was eventually acquired by Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine, which she launched in 2016. Per the official website, the vision is to "change the narrative for women through story" and "elevate dynamic women's voices," which explains why the company is behind so many popular films and shows with female leads, like Little Fires Everywhere and Big Little Lies.

In addition, Hello Sunshine has acquired The Home Edit, Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space, but that's not all. Witherspoon is a proud advocate for children and women's rights and supports Save the Children. Oh, and on top of juggling motherhood with acting and other business ventures, she published a book in 2018 called Whiskey in a Teacup.

Personal Life

The Cruel Intentions actress has a star-studded dating history. First, she had a long-distance relationship with fellow actor Jeremy Sisto after they worked on the 1992 film, Desperate Choices: To Save My Child. Then, she struck up a romance with Ryan Phillippe when they first met at her 21st birthday party in 1997. After nearly two years of dating, they tied the knot in June 1999 and welcomed two children: Ava Elizabeth Phillippe (25) and Deacon Reese Phillippe (20). However, they divorced in 2007.

The star then dated Jake Gyllenhaal for three years after meeting him on the set of the 2007 film, Rendition, and in February 2010, she started dating talent agent Jim Toth. The pair got married in March 2011 and welcomed their son, Tennessee, in September 2012. But after 12 years of marriage, they parted ways in 2023.

Currently, according to People, Witherspoon is dating private equity financier Oliver Haarmann. 

Personal Style

From eye-catching floral dresses to cozy fall sweaters, Witherspoon knows how to keep things flirty, feminine and fun. You will often catch her wearing a stunning ensemble from her own brand, Draper James, which features flattering dresses, tops, skirts and jackets that highlight her Southern charm. But when it comes to red carpet events, you'll spot her in major brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Giorgio Armani, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Calvin Klein. (FYI, we're still not over her 2024 Emmys look, which included a stunning black Dior gown with floral detailing.)

Net Worth

According to Forbes, Witherspoon's net worth is a staggering $440 million, which is more than double the actress's previous total in 2020. This is mainly due to the success of Hello Sunshine, which sold at a $900 million valuation to a private equity firm backed by the Blackstone Group in August 2021. (The star reportedly retained an 18 percent stake, meaning she earned $162 million.)

Among her most profitable films are Sweet Home Alabama, for which she was paid $12.5 million, and Legally Blonde 2, which paid her $15 million. And as for her TV gigs, Witherspoon was paid $1 million per episode for Big Little Lies season two, and she earned $1.25 million per episode for Apple TV’s The Morning Show. NBD. 

Her total earnings from her clothing company, Draper James, haven't been made public, but according to WWD, she retains a minority stake and remains a board member. Also, in 2023, Forbes named her one of the richest self-made women in America, joining the ranks of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

Career Achievements & Awards

Witherspoon has received several accolades throughout her career, including an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of June Carter in Walk the Line. Her standout performance in the film also earned her a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe, but her lengthy list of trophies include a Critics' Choice Television Award, an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Big Little Lies.

She scored nominations for a total of four Emmy Awards, ten Golden Globe Awards, seven Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Oscars. And several of these nods came because of her critically acclaimed series, The Morning Show.