Reese Witherspoon was born on March 22, 1976, in New Orleans to parents Betty and John Witherspoon. Witherspoon started modeling at an early age and earned her first major role in "The Man in the Moon" in 1991. After this, she landed roles in "Jack the Bear" and "A Far Off Place" in 1993. 

Witherspoon put her acting on hold for a short time in hopes of earning a degree from Stanford, but she was unable to finish due to her busy career. 

In 1996, Witherspoon starred in both "Fear" and "Freeway." In 1999, Witherspoon starred in "Election" and "Cruel Intentions," a movie she was in alongside Ryan Phillippe. She went on to marry Phillippe the year the movie released. They share two children, Ava and Deacon. Witherspoon and Phillippe got divorced in 2006. She later married Jim Toth in 2011. The two share their son, Tennessee. Witherspoon and Toth got divorced in 2023. 

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It was 2001 when Witherspoon had her breakout role as Elle Woods in the comedy "Legally Blonde." A sequel to the original film came out a couple of years later in 2003. 

Witherspoon starred in the popular movie "Sweet Home Alabama" in 2002, and earned herself the best actress Oscar for playing June Carter Cash in the movie based on the life of Johnny Cash, "Walk the Line." 

In December 2010, Witherspoon joined the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2014, she produced and starred in "Gone Girl" and "Wild." 

Witherspoon is no stranger to the big screen, or the small one. In 2017, she found success in television with the show "Big Little Lies," which won an Emmy for outstanding limited series. She then was on the show "Little Fires Everywhere" and "The Morning Show."