Descendant of John Witherspoon, one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence
Began acting in commercials at age 7
Landed first movie role (and first on-screen kiss) in 1991's The Man in the Moon after auditioning in a 10-state talent search
Garnered critical acclaim in the film as a 14-year-old tomboy
Turned down roles in the slasher flicks Scream (1996) and Urban Legend (1998)
Played sister to Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) in two episodes of Friends in 2000
Was the first to host Saturday Night Live following the Sept
11 terrorist attacks
When Witherspoon and her then-husband, Ryan Phillippe, were co-presenters at the 2002 Academy Awards, he gestured to the envelope and joked, "You open it
You make more money than I do
" Named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2002
Awards
2020Producers Guild Awards-Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:nominated
2020Emmy-Outstanding Limited Series:nominated
2019Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:nominated
2018BAFTA Television Awards-Best International:nominated
2017Emmy-Outstanding Limited Series:winner
2015Critics' Choice Movie Awards-Best Actress:nominated