The Powerful Life Story of Reese Witherspoon, the (Legally) Blonde Who Changed Hollywood Forever
There is simply too much to say about Reese Witherspoon, known as an actress, but also as a serious producer and businesswoman. Not only is she talented onscreen, but she also has a mind of her own. She was accepted into Stanford, but dropped out to continue acting before having her first kid at 23, as she juggled family life and holding down a career. This is a woman who simply knows how to make anything she touches a success.
Because she is such an aspirational woman, Bright Side is dedicating a whole article to her and her astounding achievements to give you the motivation you may need right now.
She had a phenomenal start in acting.
Reese Witherspoon’s success began from the young age of 14, with the movie Man in the Moon, which opened the door to her acting career, and much more. By 29 she had been the star of several box office hits, including the cult classic Legally Blonde, when she was only 25. Her hard work paid off when, at just 29, she won an Oscar for her role in Johnny Cash’s biopic Walk the Line.
She hit a bump in the road.
After her biggest career success she was faced with one of the most challenging times of her life as she went through a divorce and was left with her 2 kids. On top of that, she dropped below the Hollywood radar and could’ve been classified as a failed actress at 36 since she didn’t hit any big time movies. Life really was testing her and throwing all that it could in her direction.
She then decided to take her career into her own hands, and create the characters she would like to play.
She furiously questioned why there weren’t any complex and interesting female protagonists in TV and cinema. She really did not want to play a male accessory. This led her to found her own production company, Hello Sunshine, in order to create intricate and real female characters that she herself would love to play. Now she was back with a vengeance, as an actress and a producer.
As you’ve probably guessed, it was a huge success. Many of her productions have become household names: Gone Girl, Wild, and Big Little Lies. Finally, her success was recognized again as she was also nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Wild. Now she knows how to make something good out of a bad situation!
She keeps on proving that she is unstoppable.
Today, there is no question as to whether she’s a talented businesswoman, actress, entrepreneur AND, producer... she is definitely a force to be reckoned with! She didn’t stop at becoming a producer, she branched out to speak to women across America and beyond using her podcasts, newsletters, YouTube videos, and live events.
She paved the way for other women.
Witherspoon is making a huge impact on Hollywood with her entrepreneurial skills by creating roles for women and female dominant dramas. She is among the founding members of the Time’s Up movement, that famously exposed the pay gap between male and female actors.
She is making sure that women of the future don’t have to face the same hardships she lived through in Hollywood as a young, bright, and talented actress. She has already left her mark with equal pay rights at HBO, and who knows what else she can change in the future!
Do you have a woman in your life who you look up to because of the battles she has fought? Please let us know, we know there are a lot of powerful women out there!
Preview photo credit Samuel Goldwyn Films/Courtesy Everett Collection, Courtesy Everett Collection