Reese Witherspoon Biography

Reese Witherspoon, Actress

Date of Birth: March 22, 1976

Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana

Sign: Aries

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon was born Mar. 22, 1976 in New Orleans, LA. She lived in Germany for four years as a small child, but was raised mostly in Nashville, TN, where she received an Episcopalian, Southern upbringing. Reese is actually a descendant of John Witherspoon, a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence.

She began her acting career at age 7, when she was chosen as a model for a florist's TV ads. The spot motivated her to begin acting lessons, and at age 11 she took first place in a talent fair. As a child and teen, Witherspoon loved reading and cheerleading. She attended Stanford for one year, but left to pursue acting.

It paid off - her film debut came in 1991's "The Man in the Moon." Her performance in the drama, which depicts a first love, received wide critical acclaim, catapulting her to roles in several TV movies and a CBS mini-series "Return to Lonesome Dove." She was lead again in the 1994 film "S.F.W." In 1996 she appeared in major movies "Fear" and "Freeway" alongside stars like Mark Wahlberg, Alyssa Milano and Kiefer Sutherland. The roles earned her more recognition - including the Best Actress Award at the Cognac Police Film Festival. Witherspoon began dating actor Ryan Phillippe in 1997, and in 1998 returned to the big screen with more major roles in "Overnight Delivery," "Pleasantville" and "Twilight." She continued to capture attention with charming performances in "Cruel Intentions" and "Election" in 1999.

But it was 2001's "Legally Blonde" that made Witherspoon a mega-star. Witherspoon gave a loveable portrayal of Elle Woods, a preppy blonde who goes to law school to try to win back her jerky boyfriend. The performance earned her heavy praise from critics, awards and nominations, and of course, popularity. Witherspoon kept on, starring in 2002's romantic comedy "Sweet Home Alabama," 2003's "Legally Blonde" sequel and 2005's "Just Like Heaven."

Witherspoon took on what was probably her most challenging role in 2005's "Walk the Line." Here she played June Carter Cash, the second wife of musical legend Johnny Cash. She spent six months learning how to sing for the movie before finally performing before a live audience. Her efforts proved worth it - she won multiple awards for her portrayal, among them the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actor's Guild and the Academy Award for Best actress in a lead role.

Aside from acting, Witherspoon owns her own production company, Type A Film, and is a supporter of organizations like Save the Children and the Children's Defense Fund. She has also served as Global Ambassador for cosmetics company Avon Products. She also married Ryan Phillippe in 1999 and gave birth to two children with him. The couple separated in 2006 and divorced in Oct. 2007. Witherspoon is currently dating Jake Gyllenhaal.

Witherspoon's upcoming movies include 2008's "Midnight," 2008's "Monsters vs. Aliens" and 2009's "Our Family Troubles."