Reese Witherspoon Revealed the Aha Moment That Changed the Course of Her Career

Reese Witherspoon‘s career has seriously grown over the course of the past few decades. Witherspoon started out as a child actress in the ’90s, and has since become an Oscar winner, in-demand producer, book club enthusiast, and mom of three. But the actress’ career wasn’t always where it is today, and it actually took a major epiphany for Witherspoon to realize she was ready to reclaim control over her career.

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“I had a whole moment when I was about 34, where I started to realize I was letting other people be in a lot of control over my life and I didn’t feel comfortable with it,” the actress recently shared with People. “And I felt like I needed to take control of my career back. Because as a child actor, you just have a different relationship with your representatives. And then I had grown up and I had all the relationships with the heads of studio and all of that, but I wasn’t making any of the phone calls or taking my career into my own hands. So that, something flipped for me around [age] 34, 35.”

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.@ReeseW's daughter, Ava Phillippe, rocked a new hair style at the premiere of #Sing2. 🎥 https://t.co/dPG1wEMfJI

— SheKnows (@SheKnows) December 13, 2021

At the time of this realization, Witherspoon was a working mom of two who had already earned wide acclaim and her first Academy Award for her performance as June Carter Cash in Walk The Line. It was at this point in the late aughts, too, that Witherspoon began to craft the next phase of her career, which inevitably included founding her production company Hello Sunshine in 2016. Now, Witherspoon has built her confidence even more than where it was at that pivotal juncture in her life.

“I feel better about stepping into positions of leadership,” she shared with the outlet. Witherspoon has gone on to produce films and TV series such as Gone Girl, Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, and more. She already has a full slate of titles coming up, and she’s assured in her abilities now more than ever. “Because I have been doing this for 30 years, I do know what I’m doing. I can get on a set and pretty much tell you what’s happening,” she explained.

“And I’m really proud of the fact that I’m a really good problem solver. Part of what is so beautiful about our business is every single movie is this giant collaboration, and you’re only as good as the team that you’re on. So I really enjoy that teamwork. And it’s great to see now women leading those teams.” We know that Witherspoon will continue to be one of the many women to watch in Hollywood for years to come.

Before you go, click here to see actresses over 50 who are more successful now than ever.