Reese Witherspoon is the classic all-American girl who's been gracing our screens since she was just a teenager. She got her first big acting break at only 14 years old in the movie, Man in the Moon. She actually auditioned for a minor role but did so well at the audition, she ended up landing the co-leading role. At 7 years old, she began modeling, which led to several television commercial appearances. After high school, she intended to take a break from acting to study English literature at Stanford but wound up taking on two movie roles instead. While she did gain prominence for her roles in Cruel Intentions and Pleasantville, her role in Legally Blonde really catapulted her into fame.
After successfully starring in several rom-coms, she won her first Oscar for her much more serious role, as Johnny Cash's wife in Walk the Line. It was the 2014 film Wild though, which Witherspoon said, "I don't know if I'll ever work that hard again, but it changed me on a cellular level," and considers it to be her best performance.
Though Witherspoon is extremely talented in acting, she is also quite the singer. She did her own singing in Walk the Line and in the animated movie, Sing! Prior to Walk the Line, she had never sung professionally and worked with a voice coach for only six months prior to filming to really capture June Carter's signature tone. As well as acting and singing, Witherspoon has produced over 40 movies and shows. She even has her own production company, Hello Sunshine, which highlights female storytellers and the female perspective, as seen with the Emmy-nominated series Daisy Jones & The Six.
With over 60 acting credits to her name, we'll explore Reese Witherspoon's 15 best movie roles.
Legally Blonde (2001)
Tracy Bennett/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
You cannot mention Reese Witherspoon's name without immediately thinking of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Elle is a fashion maven who, after being dumped by her boyfriend, follows him to Harvard Law School to win him back. What, like it's hard? Through her studies and help from her friends, she sheds her "dumb blonde" stereotype, while proving herself as a capable lawyer in the making. Though on the surface it's a typical rom-com, Witherspoon's strong performance turned the film into an inspiration for women, with Elle being the unlikely heroine we all love to root for.
Walk the Line (2005)
Fox 2000 Pictures
This movie chronicles the life and legacy of the legendary country singer, Johnny Cash. Witherspoon plays his beloved wife, June Carter, alongside Joaquin Phoenix as Cash. Both Phoenix and Witherspoon sang in the film (quite well, by the way) and Witherspoon won her first Academy Award for her performance. Johnny and June had a love story for the ages and one that is deeply ingrained in country music history. Witherspoon was captivating in her performance as June Carter Cash, effectively bringing a true music legend to the screen.
Wild (2014)
Anne Marie Fox/Fox Searchlight
The movie is based on Cheryl Strayed's memoir, which chronicles her journey on a 1,100-mile hike, all on her own. Witherspoon plays Cheryl, who embarked on the journey to help heal after the tragic loss of her mother and the ending of her marriage. Witherspoon earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her performance which was emotional, raw, and unlike anything we'd seen of the star before.
Election (1999)
CBS via Getty Images
Tracy Flick is easily the most hilarious (and somewhat terrifying) aspiring high school politician we'll ever see on the screen. This was one of Witherspoon's early comedic roles that proved that there was much more to her talent than just an emotional drama. Her quick wit and unmatched delivery in this high school comedy really paved the way for Witherspoon to shine in rom-coms down the road.
Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
Screenshot
Just like the title indicates, the movie is a charming tale of a high-society woman in New York who is forced to go back home to her small town in Alabama. Witherspoon plays Melanie Carmichael, who is set to marry her picture perfect NYC prince, but has to get her husband to finally sign their divorce papers back home. In true rom-com fashion, she discovers her life down South may already be perfect. It's the typical cheesy rom-com you'd expect in 2002, but there's something about Witherspoon's honest performance and her unmatched chemistry with Josh Lucas that makes this one a stand out.
Pleasantville (1998)
New Line Cinema Productions
It's the early 90's, and David Wagner (Toby Maguire), a young teen, is obsessed with the 1950's show Pleasantville. After being given a magical remote, he and his sister (Witherspoon) are transported to the fictional black-and-white town, which appears completely perfect from the outside. After the duo arrives in the town, their presence and point of view begin to change the color of the town in more ways than one. It's a slightly absurd premise that really only works because of the stellar performances from the cast. Witherspoon particularly shines as a teen girl who slowly finds herself in her new reality and becomes a person she never knew she could be.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
Columbia Pictures
The story of teenage romance gone awry has earned this film cult classic status. Kathryn and her step-brother Sebastian (Witherspoon's ex-husband Ryan Phillippe) are the epitome of spoiled uppercrust teens, who attend an elite Manhattan preparatory school. The siblings make an unscrupulous bet that Sebastian can sleep with Annette (Witherspoon), who has the intention of staying pure until marriage. It's a campy, ridiculous, and downright addicting teen drama.
Water for Elephants (2011)
David James/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Based on the best-selling novel, the movie centers on Jacob Jankowski, a vet student who joins a traveling circus to care for the animals. Witherspoon plays Marlena, the wife of the circus ringmaster. The ringmaster is very overbearing and possessive of his wife, whom Jacob ultimately falls in love with.
The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)
Miramax Films
Witherspoon plays an English woman named Ceily and even picked up an English accent for the role. The story focuses on two men who use the same pseudonym, Earnest. All is well until both men fall in love with the same woman, which creates a problem when no one is sure who is who. The costumes, the accents, the mostly British cast...swoon.
Mud (2012)
Jim Bridges/Roadside Attractions
Two young teens discover a mysterious treehouse on an abandoned island on the Mississippi River. The teen boys find that a Texas fugitive has been hiding out on the island while trying to reunite with the love of his life, who is being kept in a hotel under surveillance. The young boys agree to help the fugitive (Mud, a glorious Matthew McConaughey) and, in exchange, wind up learning about life and love.
The Man in the Moon (1991)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
In Witherspoon's film debut, she starred in this coming-of-age drama at only 14 years old. The story takes place in the South, where Witherspoon's character finds herself with complicated emotions surrounding her new, handsome neighbor. She has to navigate adolescence while also dealing with her complicated relationship with her older sister. It was a strong performance for such a young actor and one that perfectly kicked off Witherspoon's career in Hollywood.
Rendition (2007)
Sam Emerson/New Line Cinema.
After a terrorist attack kills an American in Africa, an Egyptian chemical engineer is apprehended on his way to America. The suspect's wife (Witherspoon) is American, yet she is given no information about him or his whereabouts after he is taken into custody. She enlists the help of U.S. government officials to help track down her husband. While not necessarily the best movie on this list, Witherspoon shines in this high-stakes thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Fear (1996)
Universal/Getty Images
Young Reese Witherspoon plays teenager Nicole Walker, who seemingly has a great relationship with her boyfriend David (Mark Wahlberg). He is young, charming, and charismatic, but has another side to him that turns the relationship from love to fear. His obsession turns into stalking, which leads to an attempted kidnapping. Is this movie a bit ridiculous? Sure. But Witherspoon is great in it, and who doesn't love a creepy Marky Mark?
Vanity Fair (2004)
Focus Features
An orphaned girl in England leaves her girls' school with the hopes of climbing the social ladder. She is able to use her charm and wit to weasel her way into high society. It's another period piece where Witherspoon effortlessly fits into a new world (and with a new accent). Not to mention that red hair. She fully transforms into this historic character who you can't help but root for the entire time.
Twilight (1998)
Paramount Pictures
This film noir crime drama involves a retired cop who gets mixed up in a decades-old case after he is unintentionally involved in a blackmail scheme. Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman and Paul Newman fill out this stacked cast in a film that shouldn't be overlooked.
