Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon was born on March 22, 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father was a military doctor so the Witherspoon family (including Reese's older brother, John) traveled during most of Reese's childhood before settling in Nashville, Tennessee.

Although Reese did some modeling and local commercials as a child, she didn't expect to become an actress. Reese recalls "I had always just accepted that I would be a doctor of some sort." That changed when she was fourteen. She heard that some extras were needed for a movie that was filming near Nashville. She went to the audition and ended up winning the lead role of Dani Trant in the film, "The Man in the Moon." The movie won rave reviews from critics and she was then cast in a few made-for TV movies (Wildflower and Desperate Choices: To Save My Child). She then went on to leading roles in films such s "Jack the Bear" and Disney's "A Far Off Place".

Next, Reese appeared in a string of Gen X targeted movies. Her first adult role was in the dark, satirical look at celebrity in which she played a prom queen held hostage in "S.F.W.". She followed with roles in "Overnight Delivery," "Fear," and "Freeway." Her image changed from "good girl" to "good girl with an edge" with these roles. She played up her blossoming sexuality and her innocence and became a box office draw.

In "Pleasantville" (1998) Reese played Jennifer, who learns about life when she and her brother (Tobey Maguire) are dropped accidentally into a 1950's TV show, where they become Mary Sue and Bud Parker. Next Reese teamed with her off screen love Ryan Phillippe in "Cruel Intentions". The movie, a modern day adaptation of "Dangerous Liaisons", was a hit with younger audiences. She also was cast in the satire, "Election", which was an MTV production about a manipulative teen that desired the role of school president.

Reese and Ryan Phillippe announced their engagement and that they were expecting a child in the fall of '99 in March of 1999. On June 5th, 1999 Reese and Ryan were married in South Carolina. Reese took a vacation for the last half of 1999 to concentrate on marriage and motherhood. She returned to work with a guest spot on "Friends" in February 2000.

She returned to the big screen in the controversial film, "American Psycho" in April 2000. Most recently, plans are in the works for "Slow Motion, a movie Reese will both produce (first time) and star in. The movie is about a college girl who has an affair with her roommate's father.