This has been a busy award season for Reese Witherspoon. She recently won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA (the British equivalent of the Academy Award), a Screen Actors Guild award, and an Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. Has all the awards gone to her head? Doubtful as she mentioned that her daughter liked to “sneak them off to her room and dress them up.”
The rest of the world may just be discovering the talent of Reese, but I actually fell in love with her a long time ago. It started when I first saw her great performance in Fear with Mark Wahlberg and continued through to 1999’s Cruel Intentions. But, my absolute favorite Reese movie is Election in which she is both adorable and annoying as overachiever Tracy Flick. As the adversary of teacher Jim McAllister (played by Matthew Broderick), we begin to see Reese really develop as an actress. In 2001, she had her biggest hit yet with Legally Blonde. It was so popular, it was followed up in 2003 by Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. In Walk the Line, Reese went above and beyond the call of duty, not only putting in a outstanding performance as June Carter Cash, but also doing her own singing and learning to play the autoharp.
Shortly after winning Best Actress, it was announced that Reese Witherspoon will become Hollywood’s highest paid actress. Her upcoming thriller, Our Family Troubles, will net her $29 million dollars, passing Julia Roberts’ take home pay of $25 million for the less than fabulous Mona Lisa Smile.
Reese married her Cruel Intentions costar Ryan Phillippe in 1999 and they have two children together, Ava Elizabeth and Deacon. There have been many rumors about their marriage being on the rocks, but they seem to be based mainly on Reese being the more successful of the duo. But, Ryan won a Screen Actors Guild award of his own for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for Crash and Crash also was the surprise winner of the Oscar for Best Picture, so maybe his recent success will put to rest those rumors.
With a beautiful smile, a handsome husband, many trophies of her work, an enormous paycheck, and two beautiful children, it really is good to be Reese Witherspoon.