Reese Witherspoon Looks Back on Motherhood in Her Late 20s and an Epiphany in Her Filmmaking Career
Resse Witherspoon made her name in the industry not only as an actress but as a filmmaker, having produced films like Wild and Gone Girl. However, while making these big creative decisions, Witherspoon had her children in mind.
The Morning Show actress was only 23 when she welcomed her first daughter Ava Phillippe, 25, with her ex Ryan Phillippe — with whom she also shares her 20-year-old son Deacon. As a young mom, she struggled to navigate her career and motherhood. On October 5, at Hello Sunshine’s second annual Shine Away event in Los Angeles, Witherspoon reflected on her life during a panel discussion.
Moderated by Kellyn Kenny, the panel also included Laura Dern and Octavia Spencer. Recalling her journey of finding her “voice,” the Legally Blonde actress said, “Being a single mom when I was in my late twenties, I had to make a lot of decisions for my two kids and a lot of financial decisions, too.”
When her hit HBO series Big Little Lies earned Emmys, and her films Wild and Gone Girl got Academy recognition, she was busy contemplating her career because she knew something was wrong. Her company, Hello Sunshine, had four employees back then, and she still “couldn’t keep the lights on.” The actress recalled getting a call from her accountant, who claimed she didn’t earn enough money to keep them.
That’s when she had an epiphany to change her professional approach. After having an “a-ha moment” she decided to find collaborators and that’s when she sought a friend to help her create a business plan. “It’s also good to know what you’re not good at, and I know what I’m really good at, but it’s also important to go, ‘I’m not good at something,’ ” she added.
When Sarah Harden became CEO of the company in 2017, Witherspoon joked that she’d asked the dumbest questions anyone possibly could. However, she believed that it was the vulnerability that led to their success. “You need to find a partner. If you’re super creative, find a partner who’s really good at business or really good at finance,” the Emmy-nominated actress advised.