“I have high expectations for the future. There’s a lot of hard work involved but it is very rewarding.”
Reese Witherspoon returns to her romantic comedy roots with Home Again, as a 40-year-old single mom Alice Kinney who struggles to rebuild her life in L.A. after separating from her husband played by Michael Sheen. Riding high after the success of her critically acclaimed mini series, Big Little Lies, Witherspoon remains grounded in knowing what she wants to do. It was a personal triumph for the 41-year-old actor, as she spearheaded the development and brought an ensemble cast and crew of talent powerhouses together. With Nicole Kidman on board both as an actor and co-executive producer, nominations for best actresses followed suit. Under the direction of Jean-Marc Vallée, with whom she had previously worked on Wild, Witherspoon delivers the best performance of her career in the role of Madeline, a whirling dervish, Type A meddlesome Monterey mom and social gadfly. The series earned Reese some of the best reviews of her career and could well be said to eclipse even her Oscar-winning turn in Walk the Line.
Returning to rom-com duty, however, Witherspoon confesses that she always enjoys the chance to indulge in comedies. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to switch between genres, projects like Wild and Big Little Lies have been very important, but
“I always enjoy doing comedies and getting to laugh a lot. Over the years, I’ve learnt the art of laughing at oneself and enjoy life more.”
Reese, this appears to be a very creatively fertile time for you?
Reese Witherspoon: I’m in a good place in my life and as an artist, I have high expectations for the future. There’s a lot of hard work involved but it is very rewarding and at the end of the day, a lot of fun.
What is the difference between where you are today and where you were a decade ago when you admitted going through a crisis?
RW: I felt that I had lost my inspiration and my sense of direction back then. Today, however,
“I have clarity about what I want to accomplish and energy to sustain the ideas I have for new projects.”
My work fits with my ambitions. My husband Jim has had a lot to do with this, he encouraged me to be bolder in my outlook. Also, with my production company, I am able to create opportunities, not just for myself but for other women as well to write and direct.
Now that you’ve entered your 40s, would you say that you have attained a certain calm and confidence about how you want to move forward?
RW: Yes. As you grow older so many things become clearer. Now
“I focus on the positives, working on what I know how to do instead of wasting time on things that are not important.”
Big Little Lies must give you a tremendous sense of accomplishment in being able to put together such an impressive cast of women that are not often seen on TV or film?
RW: I’m very proud of being able to bring together such extraordinary women and gifted actors like Nicole, Shailene, Laura, and Zoe to be a part of this series. I was getting tired of seeing so many talented women relegated to secondary roles. Getting to spend time with them has made me appreciate, more than ever, how frustrating it is for women in showbiz to be able to find good roles.
You were obviously frustrated with the lack of opportunities out there?
RW: I wasn’t just frustrated for myself but for a lot of other women I know who share horror stories about not being able to find fulfilling roles. What made me really angry was the lack of interest that our industry has in telling stories from a women’s perspective and, even worse, seeing fantastic actresses typecast as either wives or girlfriends. It’s important to talk about women with greater complexity.
Do you share similar traits with your character Madeline?RW: There are a lot of similarities, Madeline for me is a cross-section of what so many women are facing in their forties. She’s divorced and remarried, a mother seeing her eldest child begin asserting her independence, and dealing with issues all mothers face as their relationship with their partner changes or breaks down after many years or when their children start asserting themselves more when they get to be teenagers. It’s not the story of my life, but it’s not that far off from what I’ve been through and some of the experiences I’ve had and the questions I’ve had to deal with.
You’re a mother of three children and now that your production company is more active than ever, has it become harder to manage things?
RW: The teenagers are a lot more demanding. I have to constantly guide them through all those big first moments in their lives; the first loves of their life, getting their first cars and then thinking about college. The relationship is much more complicated as compared to when they’re young and the main concerns were very practical; making their meals, driving them to school, getting them to bed on time. Also, they would usually listen to you.
And teenagers don’t?
RW: They very rarely agree with anything anymore and when it’s a 17-year-old girl, you begin to realise that you suddenly don’t know anything about her anymore. I find myself calling my mom and asking her for advice. I tell her “Am I ruining their lives?” (Laughs)
You grew up in Tennessee and you’re raising your children in Los Angeles. Do you try and give them a sense of your Southern upbringing and roots?
RW: Southern women have a strong sense of humour, they laugh at themselves, and they won’t scream if they see a cockroach. The first thing I taught my eldest was spending time outdoors. Instead of watching television all day, I made sure they were horse riding, spending time with their pets and playing outside. Also, when they were little I tried to get them involved in as many creative kinds of activities as possible.
Do you have any particular philosophy with respect to your role as a mother?
RW: My parents were very thoughtful and inspiring, I grew up with an independent spirit. I also want to give my children enough freedom so that they can develop their own individuality and not feel like their mother is trying to control their lives, not that they listen to you anyway! (Laughs) I try and encourage them to be active and do sports. I want my children to be able to discover their own interests and pursue their own ambitions.
You seem to still have plenty of ambition when it comes to your work these days?
RW: I do! I’ve seen how much you can do when you work hard and don’t wait for the phone to ring. I went through that and then I decided to stop being complacent and start creating my own projects and working with people whom I admire and who have a vision similar to my own.
You’re still very youthful-looking. Does ageing bother you?RW: No, not at all. It’s amazing in fact. When I first saw Big Little Lies in the rehearsal room, I immediately noticed the wrinkles on my face and I said, “I like them, I won them one by one” (laughs). I worked hard for these wrinkles!
INTERVIEW: JANE TAYLOR/FAMOUS
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY
