REESE’S LAST LAUGH
THE ACTRESS REVEALS WHY SHE’S STILL WILD ABOUT HER JOB
I’m still working after 40!
She’s a one-woman Hollywood hit-making machine, but now Reese Witherspoon has gone and made an enemy out of Jennifer Aniston. Yes that’s right, everyone’s favourite friend is now Reese’s biggest rival – but on screen only!
The pair star together in new comedy-drama The Morning Show and, even behind the cameras as co-producers of the TV breakfast show behind-thescene series, the pair are just as tight as the days when
Reese guest-starred with Jennifer in Friends.
That was almost 20 years ago and while Reese’s journey to now has been quite different to Jennifer’s, both on and off screen, the two actresses have remained close.
The Morning Show sees Reese play the younger, more ambitious rival to Jennifer’s stalwart news anchor character, who faces a big change in her career after the shock departure of her co-presenter, played by Steve Carell.
What follows is a series inspired by recent news events and fuelled by the new shift of power in the media as well as other industries. With its sharp writing and star-studded cast, it’s little wonder The Morning Show has been chosen to launch Apple’s new streaming service, but for Reese it’s just another chance to tell a compelling story with positive female characters.
The 43-year-old mother-ofthree is one of Hollywood’s most successful and prolific producers – so much so that it’s impossible for her to star in all of the projects she options. Going toe-to-toe with Jennifer on screen and working alongside her off it was too good a chance to pass up though, and she’s already preparing for more with a second season commissioned.
Here, Reese talks about her version of fake news, her fight for acceptance in Hollywood and how, while everyone wants a Friends reunion, she’s busy bringing Elle Woods back to life for Legally Blonde 3.
What has it been like reuniting with Jennifer Aniston for
“Amazing. She was a big part of why I ended up doing it and we have both been part of getting the project going from the beginning.”
Apart from have you had the opportunity to work together before this?
“We talked about doing a movie probably about 10 years ago, but we never got a handle on what we wanted to do. Then this emerged and it was kind of perfect.”
What was it like to go from being pals to shooting those tense scenes together with Jennifer as your rival?
“It was actually great because there is this level of trust between us. I’m like, ‘Anything you need from me, I’m here for you. I got you. Hey, let me know if there’s anything I can do different.’”
How much do you love being able to partner up with other women on screen?
“It’s so great. I have had so much success with female partnerships. I think it speaks to the power of female friendship. We are better together.”
Describe the relationship between the two
‘I have had so much success with female partnerships... We are better together’
characters, Bradley and Alex, on the show?
“What I think is really interesting about our characters is that
Alex has existed in a system that barely made space for her. She felt lucky to be the only woman in that space. Then my character, Bradley, comes in and says, ‘Hold on, just one woman isn’t enough. There needs to be more.’ To me, it’s actually kind of second and fourth wave feminism. There’s different ideologies just because women grew up in different times. It’s like my daughter; she has a different idea of what feminism is than what I grew up with.
You see clashing ideologies between Bradley and Alex, but you also see us galvanising toward a singular purpose.”
Have you experienced similar issues in your own career?
“Sure. I was told all of the time that I wouldn’t work past 40, but I have worked even more
past 40. I was also told never to play a mum because that would age me.”
In what way have you seen opportunities in Hollywood evolve?
“Well, it’s interesting because seven years ago I was like, ‘The parts are terrible!’ There was a moment around 2008 when we had a writers’ strike and there became a lot less material. That’s when I started to say, ‘Okay, well I am just going to go and buy some books and turn them into movies.’ The first two I did were Wild and Gone Girl. It seemed like a successful formula. These writers spend so much time thinking about the plot and characters so it naturally transitions to the screen. You can’t wait around for the phone to ring. Nobody believes in your dreams more than you believe in them. So I wake up every day and I just feel so driven to get these stories to the screen.
I love it. I love my job.”
How do you approach working as an executive producer as well as a cast member on the show?
“You basically accumulate all of this life experience and you’re like, ‘I know how to run a team.’”
Do you think it’s fair that some are comparing Steve Carell’s character to former US TV anchor Matt Lauer?
“No. This isn’t Matt Lauer. This is an amalgam of a lot of different people. We chose to make a fictional show and this is about a lot of characters.”
The show features raging female characters. How are you with anger and claiming your own power?
“We don’t see an expression of female anger and rage as much as we feel it so I think it becomes a little bit normalised, particularly in high pressure worlds such as the media. I can’t imagine not screaming some days!”
What is it about getting older that you love?
“I just feel so much more centred. I feel so much less worried. I used to be worried all the time and so concerned with, ‘Am I a good actor? Do people take me seriously? Am I funny? Am I not funny?’ Now I’m just calm. There is some security that comes from being a parent and going, ‘Okay, the world is not going to end.’ The most important thing is that my kids are safe, happy and healthy. Everything else is just icing.”
How do you usually catch up with the news?
“I listen to podcasts and I look at Twitter.”
What project are you looking to do next?
“The next project I’m starting is called Little Fires Everywhere,
with Kerry Washington. It’s based on the book by Celeste Ng. It’s fabulous and so immersive. I’m Elena and Kerry plays Mia, who comes to town. We sort of circle each other. We don’t know about each other and we both have secrets.”
Finally, what can you tell us about Legally Blonde 3?
“We want to get it right because Elle is so beloved. We want to make sure it’s really satisfying, that it hits all the right beats and it feels big enough.”