Reece Witherspoon

Last Updated on Sunday, 27 September 2009 00:48 Saturday, 26 September 2009 23:27

Reece Witherspoon with the cheeky smile that would have men do her bidding at a single flash was raised in the deep South (Tennessee) but did four years in Wiesbaden, Germany where her father worked for the U.S. military

Her path to fame and fortune began at the age of seven when a florist selected her for an advertisement. The experience sparked Reece's interest and she started taking acting lessons. Her first big break came in 1990 when she auditioned for a bit role in The Man in the Moon. She was instead cast in the lead role for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award.

There was a string of movie appearances before 1999 most notable were Wildflower, A Far Off Place, Fear and Freeway. Worldwide fame came in 1999 when she starring in Best Laid Plans. The same year she starred in Cruel Intentions The scheming over ambitious and smouldering Tracy Flick played by Witherspoon was a huge success and propelled Reece to worldwide fame. Reece has admitted she found it hard to find work after the movie due to typecasting.

Another huge hit was Legally Blonde, chic flick of the highest order. Sweet Home Alabama would have been a huge flop but for the attraction Reece brings to movies. More recent movies have included Walk the Line, Penelope and Rendition. She is currently working on Our Family Troubles, which is being produced under her own production company Type A. Her parents used refer to her in childhood as '"Little Type A' due to her high achievements.

Reece has two children from her marriage to Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions co-star). The couple separated in 2006 and were granted a divorced in 2007. Reece is currently seeing Jake Gyllenhaal (Rendition co-star). Rumours are doing the rounds that the pair are engaged or about to me (September, 2009).

Reece with her flirtatious manner in movies and stunning good looks has never received the type of bad publicity that often goes hand in hand with celebrity status. That in part is due to her generous nature. In  July she paid the grocery bill for a mother that had forgotten her purse. “I understand, I have kids too!” Reese told her. We guess the woman was sorry she hadn't being buying a porche at the time but that's fate.

Her latest appearance in the news is spending $1,000 on a bird that broke it's wing. With the kids distraught at the birds misfortune, Reece rushed the bird to the vet for an operation rather than have the bird put down - although if the kids hadn't seen it....

View our Reece Witherspoon Gallery

It's also emerged that she's earning a side line - in Chicken Farming. Maybe the movie business is slow given recession but she has so many eggs she has started giving them away to neighbours, friends, mums from the son's soccer team - so much so that they've termed her Chicken Lady. As nicknames go, it could be worse. Kinda.

Quotes we like from Reece Witherspoon:

"It's funny that it all becomes about clothes. It's bizarre. You work your butt off and then you win an award and it's all about your dress. You can't get away from it."

"I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything."

(About her Southern upbringing)

"[teaches you about]....being conscientious about people's feelings, being polite, being responsible and never taking for granted what you have in your life."