Reese Witherspoon Through the Years: From ‘Legally Blonde’ to Her 1st Oscar Win and Beyond
22.03.2023 - 19:05
/ usmagazine.com
What, like it’s hard? Reese Witherspoon has had quite the evolution throughout her career — as an actress, producer and businesswoman.
The southern belle made a splash with her debut film, 1991’s The Man in the Moon, at the ripe age of 14. While she briefly put her acting aspirations on hold following her high school graduation to attend Stanford University, Witherspoon’s calling ultimately won out.
“Growing up in the South, it was very patriarchal. When I applied to Stanford, I was told by a [male] college counselor, ‘You’re never gonna get in, don’t bother. They don’t want you,’” Witherspoon recalled during an October 2015 interview with Glamour. “I said, ‘I’m going to try.’ And I got in! But I wouldn’t be the woman I am if I hadn’t had that conflict to overcome. It has given me an underdog feeling all my life.”
The Tennessee-raised star left college in 1996 to pursue acting full-time, which led to her roles in 1996’s Fear and Freeway. Three years later, Witherspoon cemented herself as a rising star in Hollywood with parts in 1999’s Cruel Intentions and Election.
As the This Means War actress’ career took off, her dating life also heated up. Witherspoon wed Ryan Philippe in June 1999 after meeting at her 21st birthday bash two years prior.
“I don’t know what came over me — maybe the seven Midori sours — but I told [Ryan], ‘I think you’re my birthday present,’” she confessed to Jane magazine in 1998. “He thought it was so flattering, and now that I think about it … how embarrassing!”
The twosome later welcomed daughter Ava and son Deacon in September 1999 and October 2003, respectively. Throughout their marriage, Witherspoon continued to captivate audiences with her work on screen, including 2001’s Legally Blonde, which