Reese Witherspoon is one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. She skyrocketed in popularity after she starred as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Her success in the movie industry would eventually lead to her winning an Oscar for Best Actress for her work in Walk the Line. A committed and intelligent actress, Witherspoon’s best performances have run the gamut, cementing herself as an icon in romantic comedies as well as dramas.

Within the last decade or so, Witherspoon has made significant strides in television, notably beginning with her role in HBO’s Big Little Lies. As an actress and now formidable producer, Witherspoon’s talents know no bounds. She started her own production company and has been conquering all facets of the film industry, churning hit series after hit series, from Little Fires Everywhere to The Morning Show. Next, her upcoming series Surface is set to debut on AppleTV+. Until then, here’s a look at Witherspoon’s journey through film and TV, as an actress and a producer.

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Reese Witherspoon’s Movie Career

     20th Century Fox

Witherspoon is a huge name in the acting world and was, per Forbes, recently named one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. Her rise to the top did not happen overnight, and her first movie role came with the film The Man on the Moon, where she won the leading role as a Southern girl in the late-1950s. From this point, her career would continue to grow. Arguably, the role that led her to being recognized more widely was that in the 1998 film Pleasantville, in which she starred opposite Tobey Maguire as modern-day siblings who are transported into the bizarre black and white town of a TV sitcom.

Following this, Witherspoon’s movie career would begin to seriously take off, firstly when she landed a role in Cruel Intentions alongside Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Here, she played an innocent-type of character, and she gained a lot of mainstream exposure. Shortly after this, she starred as the iconic Elle Woods in Legally Blonde in 2001, boosting her star status to new heights, marking the real beginning of her career as a main player in Hollywood. The film was a huge success at the box office and remains relevant culturally, with hilarious quotes that many still know by heart today and a threequel in the works.

Witherspoon tended to play the same type of roles, starring in rom-coms as a wholesome and likeable character that the audience couldn’t help but love, but her acting talents were not pushed as far as they could be. This would change when she starred as June Carter in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. She won Best Actress at the Oscars, and her superstar status was solidified thereafter.

Making the Transition to Television

     Hello Sunshine

Witherspoon had continued her success in film, starring in Wild, which was a huge critical hit for her. After this, she began to make the move to TV, beginning with Big Little Lies. Serving as both actress and producer of the HBO series, Big Little Lies proved to be a huge success for Witherspoon and everyone involved, particularly co-star Nicole Kidman. The show helped spark a kind of TV renaissance, where actors from film would increasingly transition to careers in television.

Witherspoon would continue this success with shows such as Little Fires Everywhere, which was adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name. She also found great success with The Morning Show, and she was listed as a producer on both projects as well.

Forming Her Own Production Company & Making an Impact

     MGM Distribution Co.

A lot of Witherspoon’s continued success has stemmed from her decision to take the reins and start her own production company, which has been hugely successful. She served as a producer on the projects she has been tied to lately, including Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, and The Morning Show, which have all been huge successes.

She has remained a powerhouse as a producer, being tied to three Netflix films as well as a movie entitled A White Lie, which is set to star Zendaya. She will also serve as producer for the upcoming sequel to Legally Blonde, Legally Blonde 3. She is also set to star and produce the upcoming movie based on Tinker Bell.

Witherspoon’s success as a producer has ultimately been a game-changer in Hollywood, as she has been able to produce and star in successful women-driven stories that have historically been lacking in Hollywood. Through Witherspoon’s lead, more of these stories are cropping up which is extremely important. She has used TV as the perfect medium to tell these stories, and Hollywood has become a slightly more inclusive space. We are excited to see what will be next in her career, as it’s certain to be very exciting.