Reese Witherspoon Didn’t Work for a Year After Playing This Character
Reese Witherspoon is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. From her iconic roles in films like Legally Blonde and Walk the Line, the actor isn’t known to shy away from playing challenging characters. Most recently, her fans and followers have been gushing about Witherspoon’s new role in Netflix‘s Your Place or Mine.
However, some might find it hard to believe there was a time was Witherspoon was having difficulty landing any part. Surprisingly, it was due to playing one particular character early in her career.
Reese Witherspoon in ‘Election’
Witherspoon’s acting debut came in 1991 when she took on the part of Dani Trant, and slowly but surely the movie star built momentum. One of the many movies she appeared in throughout the 1990s was Election.
Election premiered in April 1999. Molly Hagan and Chris Klein were a few of the other talented actors who starred alongside Witherspoon in this film. At the heart of the plot was George Washington Carver High School’s student council election, and Witherspoon’s character, Tracy Flick, was most definitely in the running.
Tracy was not the average high school student. Her overachieving and slightly delusional ways often got the best of her. Though Witherspoon’s character may have tried to come across as innocent, Tracy was far from it.
From an affair with her teacher to sabotaging her peers’ posters in the election, there is clearly a more sinister side to the A + student. It definitely is one of Witherspoon’s most unforgettable performances.
Reese Witherspoon didn’t work for a year after ‘Election’
Although Election was marketed as a comedy, it may have been a bit darker than some may have anticipated. Witherspoon’s performance was also so chilling that some people wondered if she was really acting. As Witherspoon explained in her recent interview with Variety, “A lot of people thought I was that character, so I didn’t get jobs for a whole year because people thought I was like her.”
The Legally Blonde actor went on to add, “I had to like go on a whole campaign across Hollywood to go to like Cassie Richards and studios and be like, ‘No, no, I promise you I was playing a character.'” As the interviewer pointed out, it must be a testimony to Witherspoon’s skills.
What’s next for the actor
Witherspoon stars alongside Ashton Kutcher in Netflix’s new romantic comedy Your Place or Mine. The film follows two long-distance best friends who realize they could be something more. The rom-com rolled out on February 10th, and many of Witherspoon’s fans have already become fans. Jessie Williams, Tig Notaro, and Rachel Bloom are a few of the other talented actors cast in Your Place or Mine.
Looking ahead, the long-rumored Legally Blonde 3 is another movie Witherspoon’s fans are excited about. The movie was initially set to premiere in the spring of 2022 but is now scheduled for sometime in 2023.
