After Her First Starring Role Reese Witherspoon Parked Cars for Celebrities, Including Denzel Washington
So many of us have trouble imagining our favorite celebrities in any other role other than the ones they are today. We often forget that many of them started out in humbling positions, doing everything from waiting tables to pumping gas. Reese Witherspoon has been in the spotlight for decades, with one hit film after another. However, life for her wasn’t always so glamorous. After her first starring role, Witherspoon parked cars for celebrities, including Denzel Washington.
Reese Witherspoon’s rise to fame
It was in the ’90s that Witherspoon became a household name. She can portray any type of character, from ditzy sorority girl Elle Woods in Legally Blonde to her more serious role as Cheryl Strayed in Wild. The Oscar-winning actress took acting classes to prepare for her time in front of the camera, and several commercials finally led to her first film role in Man in the Moon at the age of 14. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Witherspoon was still focused on school at that point.
However, by the mid-’90s, the roles were pouring in. By her second year of high school, she’d dropped out to pursue acting full-time, and her career took off with films such as Cruel Intentions, Fear, and Elections. It was in 1999 that Witherspoon gave birth to her daughter, and she said that “I had to grow up really fast”. She did just that, taking control as her career was propelled to new levels.
Reese Witherspoon worked on movie sets and parked cars for celebrities
Like most people, Witherspoon had to work hard to get where she is, and it took time and perseverance. During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the star opened up about her humble beginnings. Back in 1995, Witherspoon was working as a pre-production intern on the set of Denzel Washington’s film, Devil in a Blue Dress. She had a gig parking cars for celebrities, and she said that whenever Washington came in, she had the task of parking his Porsche. Witherspoon said that it was “not a good idea for a 17-year-old kid with a brand-new driver’s license,” adding “I stripped all the gears. it was terrible.”
However, this wasn’t the end of the story. Reese recalled how years later, Washington told the story himself when she ran into him at a wedding. He also revealed that one of his own daughters had assisted Witherspoon years later. When the actor told Witherspoon that his daughter had taken her costumes in and out of her trailer on the set of the film Water for Elephants, she joked that the incident had come “full circle”. Kimmel replied by saying that “You should let her ruin your car. It’s only fair.” According to People, Witherspoon agreed, saying that they should start a “tradition”, and one of her kids should intern for Washington and destroy his next vehicle.
The actor’s newest movie
Witherspoon has a new project called Your Place or Mine, starring alongside Ashton Kutcher. The romantic comedy tells the story of best friends who are complete opposites. According to the film’s producer, Brosh McKenna, “If you want to really be a Reese Witherspoon fan, work with Reese Witherspoon because up close and on set, she’s even more spectacular than you think she might be.” Your Place or Mine can be streamed on Netflix.
The film is as heartwarming as anyone would expect, with the director saying of Witherspoon and Kutcher that “It just seemed like such a good fit.” Looks like the amazing actor has come a long way from her days as an intern parking luxury cars for celebrities.
