Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon was born on March 22, 1976 at Southern Baptist Hospital (now Memorial Medical Center) in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the second child born to Dr. John Witherspoon and Betty Reese. Her father was a military surgeon specializing in the ear, nose and throat. Her mother was a Registered Nurse who later became a Ph.D in pediatric nursing. Reese spent the first four years of her life in Wiesbaden, Germany where her father served as a lieutenant colonel in the US Army reserves. Shortly after, John moved the family back to the States, settling in Nashville, Tennessee.

Reese was introduced to the entertainment industry at a very early age. At age 7, she began modeling. This led to appearances on several local television commercials. At age 11, she placed first in a Ten-State Talent Fair.

In 1990, she landed her first major acting role in Robert Mulligan's The Man in the Moon. Her role as a 14-year old tomboy earned her rave reviews. Roles in bigger films such as Jack the Bear and A Far Off Place followed shortly after.

Following high school graduation in 1994 from Harpeth Hall, a Nashville all girls school, Reese decided to put her acting career on hold and attend Stanford University where she would major in English literature. However, her collegiate plans were shortly dashed when she accepted roles to star in two major motion pictures: Fear alongside Mark Wahlberg and Freeway with Kiefer Sutherland. Although neither film was a huge box-office success, they did help to establish Reese as a rising starlet in Hollywood and open the door for bigger and better film roles. Those bigger roles came in movies such as Pleasantville, Election and Cruel Intentions.

Her breakthrough role came as Elle Woods in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde. The movie was huge box-office smash and established Reese as one of the top female draws in Hollywood. The next year, she scored a follow-up hit with Sweet Home Alabama which went on to gross over $100 million dollars at the box office. In 2006, she took home the best actress Oscar for her role as June Carter Cash in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

Off the screen, she was married to Ryan Phillippe from 1999 to 2007. They met at her 21st birthday party and subsequently worked together in Cruel Intentions. They have two children: a daughter, Ava Elizabeth (born 9 September 1999) and a son, Deacon (born 23 October 2003).
Just Like Heaven (2005): $15,000,000
Walk the Line (2005): $15,000,000
Vanity Fair (2004): $15,000,000
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003): $15,000,000
Sweet Home Alabama (2002): $12,500,000
Legally Blonde (2001): $5,000,000
Cruel Intentions (1999): $250,000
Fear (1996): $200,000
Majored in English Literature at Stanford University; on leave from her studies as of 1998. Shortly after she started acting she had an audition for a role in Cape Fear. She was supposed to meet with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese for the audition, but at the time didn't really know who they were. On the plane she was talking to the man next to her about her audition, and the man started to rave to her about De Niro and Scorsese. This made her so nervous that she completely blew the audition and the role eventually went to Juliette Lewis. daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe born [9 September 1999] Refused the lead roles in two horror movies, Scream and Urban Legend. Was considered for the role of Juliet in Romeo + Juliet. One of her ancestors, John Witherspoon, signed the Declaration of Independence. In the movie 1776, the role of Dr. John Witherspoon was played by James Noble. Her mother, Betty, has a Ph.D. in pediatric nursing and her dad, John, is a surgeon. Named one of People Magazine's "25 Most Intriguing People of 2001" Named one of E!'s "Top 20 Entertainers of 2001". Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002. Went to Harpeth Hall School, a private school for girls in Nashville, Tennessee She runs a production company called "Type A Films" with Debra Siegal Appears in Entertainment Weekly's Most Powerful List sitting at #22 At the young age of 11 she won the "Ten State Talent Award" She was a cheerleader in high school and a debutante. Reese is her mother's maiden name. Has moved her production company, Type A Films, to Universal Pictures. Has signed a two-year first-look production pact with Universal. The studio has already picked up a romantic comedy pitch, Sports Widow, for her to star in and produce. She appeared in a television commercial when she was 7 for a local Nashville florist. Has been named one of Rolling Stone's "People of the Year" along with Eminem and Kelly Osbourne. She lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, as a young child. Her Gap ad appeared on a six-story-high building on Sunset Blvd,. Named one of E! 2002 "Entertainers of the Year". Her daughter, Ava, is named after Ryan's grandmother. Steve Dontanville from the William Morris Agency is still her agent. They got together after The Man in the Moon. She can trace her family all the way back to Scotland, UK. John Witherspoon, her Gifford-born "favourite ancestor", who attended Haddington Grammar School, obtained a Master of Arts from Edinburgh University in 1739, and was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence. Her wedding ring is an early 1990s Neil Lane, Asscher-cut-diamond, and there are only a few like it in the world. Has an older brother, John D. Witherspoon Ranked #1 on E!'s Hollywood's Hottest Blondes (2003) Son Deacon Phillippe was born [October 23rd, 2003] As extra credit for a high school class, she worked as an office production assistant for the film Devil in a Blue Dress. Director Carl Franklin paid homage to her by featuring Legally Blonde in the film Out of Time. She collects antique linens and is crazy about old embroidery. Ryan proposed to her in December of 1998 while the couple was vacationing at The Planter's Inn in Charleston, South Carolina. As a child she appeared in her local Sunday paper modeling kids' track suits and such. She said that it was creative for her. She was paid $50 a day. Started children's acting classes at a community college at the age of 7. By the age of 9 she was taking adult acting classes. Her son is named after former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Deacon Phillippe, a distant relative of her husband Ryan Phillippe. Gymnast for 7 years Named 'Favorite Female Film Star' by People Magazine (2004) Is a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. Neither she nor her husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, use their real first names - Reese's first name is Laura, Ryan's first name is Matthew. Was the first person to host Saturday Night Live after the September 11th terror attacks. Was approached by a few companies to record music after she provided her own singing voice for Walk the Line. Has appeared in four movies bearing the names of songs: Jack the Bear, Sweet Home Alabama, Just Like Heaven and Walk the Line. Friend of Renée Zellweger. She donated many items to Rocky Stone to be given to less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign. The year she won her Oscar for Walk the Line her husband Ryan Phillippe appeared in the movie that won "Best Picture": Crash . Her performance as Tracy Flick in Election is ranked #45 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). Dyed her hair brown for her role in Walk the Line Named #40 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005) Is the second actress to win the best actress Oscar for portraying a female singer in a biography; the first was Sissy Spacek for Coal Miner's Daughter. The dress she wore at the Golden Globes in 2006 was also worn by Kirsten Dunst at the Golden Globes in 2003 Distant cousin of Daniel Morton Named #34 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006). Announced on October 30, 2006 that she has separated and would file divorce papers against her husband, Ryan Phillippe, after seven years of marriage. Best friends with Selma Blair. Was originally cast in the lead role in Bunny Lake Is Missing, but backed out a few weeks before shooting began. Filed for divorce against husband Ryan Phillippe, also demanding sole custody for their children Ava and Deacon, on 8th November 2006. Is a vegetarian. Mentioned in the song High School Never Ends by Bowling for Soup, as "the prom queen". Named the first-ever Avon Global Ambassador and will serve as the Honorary Chairman of the Avon Foundation [August 1, 2007]. Was named highest-paid actress in Hollywood by The Hollywood Reporter in 2007. In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $7 million. The last place her great great grandfather John Witherspoon lived was Paisley in Scotland UK, before he moved to the States where he was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence.