She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Witherspoon began her career as a tender teenager and made her screen debut in The Man in the Moon (1991).
In 2005, her portrayal of June Carter Cash in the famous biographical musical film Walk the Line had garnered critical acclaim and also won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her credits also include voiceover work for numerous animated films like Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) and Sing (2016).
Witherspoon also owns the production company Hello Sunshine, under which she had produced the amazing thriller ‘Gone Girl’ and the famous drama ‘Wild (both 2014)’. She had also starred as Cheryl Strayed in the latter, for which she even received a second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
In 2017, she had begun producing and starring in the HBO drama series ‘Big Little Lies’, for which she even won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series. Witherspoon also owns the clothing company Draper James, and she is also actively involved in children’s and women’s help and advocacy organizations.
She further serves on the board of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and was also named as the Global Ambassador of Avon Products in 2007, serving as the honorary chair of the charitable Avon Foundation. She had also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.