Reese Witherspoon has been in the public eye for decades thanks to her long, successful career in TV and film. She's now a producer in her own right, along with being a mother of three. Witherspoon was famously wed to Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Phillippe for years, with the two welcoming their first child back in 1999 when Reese was just 22 years old. Now the Oscar winner has opened up about why she was so nervous about becoming a new parent at the time.
Celebrity couples have always interested the public, and Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe were no exception. The two met at the actress' 21st birthday, and eventually created a family in their years as a couple. Three children came as a result, although Witherspoon was gracious enough to share her experience as a new mother, and why she was worried about having her first child. As she put it,
To be completely candid, I was terrified, too. I got pregnant when I was 22 years old, and I didn't know how to balance work and motherhood. You just do it, you know I didn't know if I was going to have steady work, too. I wasn't a popular… like, I made movies, but I hadn't established myself as someone who could demand that it shoot close to my kid's school. I didn't have any real power or leverage within my industry. So I think I was just like every other mom trying to figure it out, and dad and partner and grandparent who's raising a child.
While Reese Witherspoon was already a working actress, she worried about her ability to balance parenthood and career. This is a pressure many new parents face, although a budding film career puts its own spin on the well-known adjustment to having a child. Luckily, we all know how things ended up for Witherspoon in the end.
Reese Witherspoon opened up about this particular point in her life during an appearance on the new talk show The Drew Barrymore Show. The young actress gave birth in September of 1999, just a few months after her iconic performance with husband Ryan Phillippe in Cruel Intentions hit theaters. While she's had roles in projects like Pleasantville and Election, it's before she gained the true iconic status she has now. And as such, it was nerve wracking to discover how becoming a new parent would affect her day to day.
You can watch Reese Witherspoon's appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show below.
Of course, we all know how well things ultimately turned out for Reese Witherspoon. Her career would continue to skyrocket in the years after becoming a mother, with iconic roles in Legally Blonde, American Psycho, and Walk the Line. The latter movie would earn her an Academy Award, before Witherspoon launched her own production company and branched out as a respected producer.
As a producer, Reese Witherspoon helped bring projects to life like Gone Girl, Wild, and Hot Pursuit. Now much of her focus as a producer is on the small screen thanks to acclaimed series Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, and The Morning Show. She's also got a slew of movies coming down the line as a producer, including Legally Blonde 3.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Reese Witherspoon as her career continues to thrive. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
