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Friday, July 22, 2011
Reese Witherspoon was born on 22th March 1976, in New Orleans, LA. Her mother was a professor with numerous degrees, including a PhD in pediatric nursing, while her father was a surgeon as well as a lieutenant in the Army Reserves. His military post led the family to relocate to Weisbaden, Germany, shortly after Witherspoon was born. She spent her infancy overseas before the family returned to the United States and settled in Nashville, TN.
The youngest of two kids as well as the only daughter, Witherspoon was bookish and ambitious, simultaneously planning to go into medicine like her parents, but also telling the girls in the schoolyard at the private Harding Academy that she was going to be the next Dolly Parton. A family friend recruited the perky blonde for a local TV commercial when she was seven; thus marking the humble beginnings of the girl who would one day find herself among the highest paid actresses in Hollywood.
Inspired by her brush with local fame, Witherspoon began taking acting lessons, and when she was 11 years old, took first place in a multi-state talent competition. For the next several years, Witherspoon maintained her focus on schoolwork and cheerleading, as well as absorbing her traditional Southern upbringing, which she would later credit with her strong work ethic and sense of responsibility. Her accomplished mother and grandmother instilled self-respect and high moral standards, which probably came in handy sooner than expected when their 14- year-old daughter inadvertently landed the lead role in a Hollywood film.
Though vehemently denied by both camps, Witherspoon was soon spotted with CAA talent agent, Jim Toth, in early 2010. Toward the end of the year, Witherspoon and Toth were a confirmed couple, complete with numerous photos ops with her children, while Gyllenhaal had reportedly moved on to actress Rachel Bilson. Back on the big screen, Witherspoon starred as a female professional softball player torn between a corporate executive (Paul Rudd) and a Major League Baseball pitcher (Owen Wilson) in James L. Brooks' love triangle comedy, "How Do You Know" (2010).
