Profile of the Day: Reese Witherspoon

Happy birthday to actress Reese Witherspoon! Today the star turns 46.

Image: Reese Witherspoon / dtstuff9, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

She was born Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon on March 22, 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She chose to go by the name “Reese,” which is her mother’s maiden name. Witherspoon briefly studied at Stanford University as an English literature major before leaving to pursue an acting career.

Since her breakout roles in Election and Legally Blonde, Witherspoon has found great success both on screen and behind the scenes as a producer. In 2006, she won an Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in the film, Walk the Line. Unhappy with the roles she was seeing, Witherspoon decided to take matters into her own hands and formed her own production company. One of the first films she produced was Wild, in which she also starred. The role landed Witherspoon her second Academy Award nomination.

Witherspoon has also produced and starred in several critically acclaimed television series, including Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, and Little Fires Everywhere.

How are you related to Reese Witherspoon? Explore her family tree and share your connection to the star.

View Reese Witherspoon’s Geni Profile