Look up means in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Means may refer to:

• Means (surname)

Definitions

• Mean (average), a term used in mathematics and statistics
• Means (ethics), something of instrumental value in order to achieve an end
• Means (law), an aspect of a crime needed to convince a jury of guilt in a criminal proceeding

Other uses

• Means, Kentucky, a small town in the United States
• Means (band), a Christian hardcore band from Regina, Saskatchewan

See also[link]

• Mean (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Chris Pine
Pine at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait following a screening of Star Trek, April 11, 2009
Born	Christopher Whitelaw Pine (1980-08-26) August 26, 1980 (age 31) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	University of California, Berkeley University of Leeds
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2003–present

Christopher Whitelaw "Chris" Pine^[1] (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. Best known for his role as James T. Kirk in the 2009 film Star Trek, he has also appeared in films such as The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), Just My Luck (2006), Smokin' Aces (2007), Unstoppable (2010), and This Means War (2012).

Early life[link]

Pine was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Robert Pine, is an actor who appeared in CHiPs as Sergeant Joseph Getraer, and his mother, Gwynne Gilford, is a former actress who is now a practicing psychotherapist.^[2] He has an older sister, Katie.^[3] His maternal grandmother, Anne Gwynne (née Marguerite Gwynne Trice), was a Hollywood actress, and his maternal grandfather, Max M. Gilford (born Max Goldfarb), was an attorney who was elected president of the Hollywood Bar Association.^[4][5] Pine's ancestry includes Jewish (from his maternal grandfather), Welsh, and English.^[6] He has stated, "I definitely have a spiritual outlook... I am not a religious guy, I am probably agnostic".^[7]

Pine attended Oakwood School for high school and received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002.^[8][9] He also studied English at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom for one year.^[10] After graduation, he studied at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.^[4]

Career[link]

2003 to present[link]

Pine's first professional role was in a 2003 episode of ER; the same year, he also appeared in episodes of The Guardian and CSI: Miami.^[11] In 2004, he appeared in Why Germany?, a short film, and in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Pine played the part of Nicholas Devereaux, the love interest of Anne Hathaway's character in the film, which was released in August of that year to a strong box office. In 2005, Pine appeared in an episode of the series Six Feet Under, as well as in Confession, an independent film that was released directly to video, and The Bulls, another short film.^[12]

Pine appeared in the made-for-television film Surrender, Dorothy which aired in early 2006. He also played Jake Hardin in the American film Just My Luck, a romantic comedy in which he starred opposite Lindsay Lohan, who played Ashley Albright. The film was released on May 12, 2006. Later that year, Pine appeared in the comedy Blind Dating and in the action film Smokin' Aces. In 2007, he starred opposite Scott Wolf in the Los Angeles production of Neil LaBute's play Fat Pig, winning positive reviews for his depiction of a competitive, alpha-male friend.^[4] He portrayed real-life Napa Valley vintner Bo Barrett in the 2008 film Bottle Shock.

In 2007, Pine turned down a role in a film adaptation of White Jazz,^[13][14] to accept the part of James T. Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek film, which was released to critical and viewer acclaim in May of that year.^[15] That same month, he made a brief appearance promoting the film on Saturday Night Live, with co-stars Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy.^[16] During the rest of summer 2009, he appeared in the Los Angeles production of the Beau Willimon play Farragut North.^[17] In September 2009, his film Carriers was released (after being filmed in 2007). His other 2009 roles included Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (voice work only) and the independent film Small Town Saturday Night. Pine appeared in the Los Angeles production of the black comedy The Lieutenant of Inishmore during the summer of 2010,^[18] for which he won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award, and at the MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010.^[19]

Pine was rumored to play the title role in the 2011 Green Lantern film, but the role eventually went to Ryan Reynolds.^[20][21] In the fall of 2009, Pine began filming the Tony Scott-directed and Mark Bomback-written action film Unstoppable, which was released in November 2010. In the film, he played a young train conductor who helped a veteran railroad engineer (Denzel Washington) stop an unmanned, half-mile-long runaway freight train carrying toxic liquids and poisonous gases from wiping out a nearby city.^[22]

In 2011, Pine sat down with the original Captain Kirk, William Shatner, for the feature length documentary The Captains, which Shatner wrote and directed. The film sees Shatner interview Pine about his career and how it felt to take the role of Captain Kirk for the 2009 movie. Their interview features a memorable moment where the pair arm wrestles, pictures of this incident "went viral" leading to internet headlines such as "Kirk V Kirk" and others.^[23]

Pine filmed the romantic comedy This Means War, with Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hardy, during the fall of 2010, in Vancouver.^[24] This Means War was released in February 2012.^[25]

Upcoming roles[link]

Pine co-starred with Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, and Michelle Pfeiffer in the family drama People Like Us, which was filmed in early 2011.^[26]

In 2009, Pine was in talks to team up with director D. J. Caruso on the film The Art of Making Money.^[27] On October 13, 2009, Paramount Pictures confirmed that Pine is also in talks to play CIA analyst Jack Ryan in a reboot of Tom Clancy's novels.^[28] He would be the fourth actor to play Jack Ryan, after Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October), Harrison Ford (Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger) and Ben Affleck (The Sum of All Fears).^[29]

He will voice Jack Frost in DreamWorks Animation's Rise of the Guardians, which is scheduled to be released in November 2012.^[30] He is also set to reprise his role of Captain James T. Kirk in the next Star Trek film, due out on May 17, 2013.^[31]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chris Pine

• Chris Pine at the Internet Movie Database
• Chris Pine at AllRovi
• Chris Pine at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009)

Swing Out Sister
Corinne Drewery and Andy Connell
Background information
Origin	Manchester, England
Genres	Pop, sophisti-pop, smooth jazz, electronic
Years active	1985–present
Labels	Mercury, Fontana, Shanachie
Website	www.swingoutsister.com
Members
Andy Connell Corinne Drewery
Past members
Martin Jackson

Swing Out Sister are a British "sophisti-pop" group best known worldwide for their 1986 song "Breakout". Other hits include "Surrender", "Twilight World", "Waiting Game" and a remake of "Am I the Same Girl?" Though album sales in the U.S. and Europe have levelled off since the early 1990s, the group continues to attract a loyal fanbase. The group is also very popular in Japan.

History[link]

Although Swing Out Sister is currently a duo, they began as a trio in the UK. The group were formed by Andy Connell (keyboards) and Martin Jackson (drums), and were later joined by Corinne Drewery (vocals). The name came from a 1945 movie starring Arthur Treacher, called Swing Out, Sister, and they claim they chose the name because it was the only thing the band could agree on, in that they all hated it. Both Connell and Jackson had been playing in other bands prior to forming SOS, while Drewery was actually a fashion designer and model before she became the band's lead vocalist.^[1]

[edit] Beginnings & Debut Album It's Better to Travel (1985–1987)

Together with their producer, Paul Staveley O'Duffy, they signed with Mercury Records. Prior to their first album, they released the single "Blue Mood" in the UK in November 1985. However, it did not chart.

In late 1986, the single "Breakout" was released. It reached the number four position on the UK Singles Chart in November 1986^[2] and number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in November 1987.^[3]

Consequently, when they released their debut album, It's Better to Travel, on 11 May 1987, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.^[4] The album registered with listeners for its mix of jazz and electropop, with a blend of real horns, synths (arranged subtly, to sound like strings), drums, and xylophones, scored by producer/arranger Richard Niles. The follow-up single to the effervescent "Breakout" was the brooding "Surrender", which featured a trumpet solo performed by John Thirkell. It rose to number seven on the UK charts in January 1987.^[5] The next single was the more serious and jazzy "Twilight World". This song was the subject of many remixes and was a dance club favourite worldwide. The final single "Fooled By a Smile" returned to the upbeat pop orientation characteristic of "Breakout".

The group were subsequently nominated for two American Grammy Awards in 1988: Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo ("Breakout").

In addition to long-time partner O'Duffy as well as Thirkell, Swing Out Sister also have enlisted the talents of saxophonist Gary Barnacle (who with Thirkell also comprise the Henpecked Horns known for their work with Level 42); percussionist Luis Jardim; guitarist Tim Cansfield; trumpet/fluegelhorn master Jerry Hey; and songwriter-arranger Jimmy Webb.

[edit] Kaleidoscope World (1989)

Original member Jackson left the group during the making of the second album, Kaleidoscope World. Although the liner notes give "special thanks to Martin Jackson" and his co-writing credits appear on the songs "Tainted" and "Between Strangers", they also point out that "Swing Out Sister are Corinne Drewery and Andy Connell." Drewery and Connell have been the core group on all subsequent albums. After leaving Swing Out Sister, Jackson later worked for Frank Zappa.

Kaleidoscope World was released in May 1989, achieving critical acclaim and UK Top 10 success. Their turn away from contemporary styles towards retro musical sources on this album would establish the musical path that they would continue to follow with their subsequent albums. The duo found inspiration in Easy Listening music, such as Burt Bacharach, as well as songwriter Jimmy Webb, who arranged two tracks, "Forever Blue" and "Precious Words". The incorporation of an orchestra to their recordings realised their sound in a richer, fuller way than their previous effort which relied more heavily on synthesisers. Consequently, this album featured arrangements and songwriting more classical in inclination. The lead-off single "You On My Mind" featured a more sophisticated blend of musical components (the video was strongly inspired by the 1968 cult film The Thomas Crown Affair) than their previous efforts while the upbeat tone of "Breakout" was echoed in the lead U.S. single "Waiting Game". Further singles included "Where in the World" and "Forever Blue", which featured a sample from the John Barry score from the film Midnight Cowboy.

[edit] Get in Touch with Yourself (1992)

Now a duo of Drewery and Connell, Swing Out Sister put out their third album, Get in Touch with Yourself, in June 1992. With strong dance rhythms reverberating throughout the entire album, tracks draw influences from 1960s and 1970s jazz, pop, soul, and funk, including a breezy cover version of the Barbara Acklin classic "Am I the Same Girl?" (which became their last US hit, reaching No.1 on the adult contemporary chart). The album's title track, a blend of 1970s soul music and modern pop, gained the duo heavy airplay on smooth jazz radio and was a crossover hit, gaining airtime on adult contemporary stations as well. The musical influences of Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, and others would become evident on this album but continue on through their later releases. In line with the album theme, Drewery also grew out her hair from her trademark bob which had become a visual signature for their early years.

[edit] The Living Return (1994)

Numerous changes were afoot by the time the fourth album, The Living Return, was released in September 1994. The replacement of producer Paul O'Duffy after initial studio sessions with Ray Hayden contributed to a looser, rawer feel to the songs that were often the results of studio jam sessions. Though Drewery and Connell still led Swing Out Sister, additional musicians (including former 52nd Street bassist Derick Johnson, Pa'lante percussionist Chris Manis, Jazz Defectors drummer Myke Wilson, and trumpet player John Thirkell) increased their group to ten members that replicate the live performances that had been captured on the Japan-only release Live at the Jazz Cafe. The album featured the single and Delfonics cover song "La-La (Means I Love You)", which was also included on the Four Weddings and a Funeral soundtrack.

[edit] Shapes and Patterns (1997)

Few of the band's releases charted highly on the pop listings in Western countries after the successful debut album (though they became radio-airplay staples on jazz stations). The band, however, became extremely popular in Japan. Their song "Now You're Not Here" (from their fifth album Shapes And Patterns, one of several released in Japan before other parts of the world) was used as the theme to a Japanese TV program, and was ranked at No.1 in the Japanese chart and received a Japanese 'Grand Prix' (the equivalent of a Grammy Award) for best international single in 1997.

Shapes and Patterns was first released in Japan in March 1997, and then in Europe and USA the year after. Producer Paul O'Duffy, who co-wrote half of the songs, was back at the helm. As an orchestra was once again employed (led by Gavyn Wright), the lush arrangements characteristic of Kaleidoscope World resurfaced. The liner notes, written by composer/singer-songwriter Mary Edwards, point out the influences of Bacharach, Webb, and John Barry are perceptible in the string arrangements and Latin rhythms, as well as Minnie Riperton, Rotary Connection and The 5th Dimension.

The album included a cover of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic" as well as the original version of "Better Make It Better", which appeared in a different mix on their previous album. A pervasive longing marks songs such as "Now You're Not Here", "Somewhere in the World" (their final US chart entry to date), "You Already Know", and "Icy Cold as Winter". This album would also mark the beginning of the duo's use of Japanese musicians in their studio sessions.

[edit] Filth and Dreams (1999)

Filth and Dreams, their sixth album, proved yet again that Swing Out Sister were eager to reinvent themselves. The album was released in Japan in March 1999, and it remains the only album not released in any other country. This album featured stronger jazz leanings than some of their early pop-oriented albums, and is restrained in mood. The track "Who's Been Sleeping" was promoted as a single and released with several remixes. For this record, SOS adapted to the growing popularity of hip-hop in the late '90s. "Who's Been Sleeping" kicks off the record with an aggressive beat and a few hip-hop flourishes (such as Drewery's counting and uttering "Yeah ..." in the background.) The rest of the record incorporates such sounds a bit more subtly, through the soaring retro stylings of "Closer Than the Sun" and "When Morning Comes" to the excitable lounge of the title track to the mid-tempo trip-hop of "Invisible" and scratch-laced "Sugar Free." Traditional SOS sounds are challenged successfully with the darkly dreamy "If I Had the Heart" and "Make You Stay." Background noises, from telephone conversations to child's play, also enrich the record and give the listener much more to cue in on. Drewery strays out of the usual love lyrics and colours a portrait of a darker world (as the title indicates) by singing about more urban subjects such as drugs (the eerie "Happy When You're High") and prostitution ("When Morning Comes").

All of their experimentation works surprisingly well and the result is probably the strongest SOS outing to date. Ironically, Filth and Dreams is the first SOS record not released in their native England, and is currently the most difficult CD to find.

[edit] Somewhere Deep in the Night (2001)

A seventh album, Somewhere Deep in the Night, was recorded in France, and released in May 2001 in Japan (with subsequent release in Europe and U.S.) It was dedicated to their friend Kazuhiko Yanagida. While it is quintessential Swing Out Sister, with lush, brassy and stringy arrangements, the melodic tunes which often feature melancholic, languid, or introspective atmospherics and is more sombre in tone. Many of the tracks are instrumental, or only feature vocal harmonies without lyrics. One song even features a French spoken-word monologue. O'Duffy, who produced the album, also has co-writing credits on all the songs, and provided backing vocals along with Connell and Cansfield.

Due to declining sales, their record label Universal dropped them from their contract in America. Consequently, they signed on with Shanachie Records.

[edit] Where Our Love Grows (2004)

Undeterred, the band bounced back with their eighth studio effort, Where Our Love Grows. It was released in Japan on 28 April 2004 with the UK edition following in July. GQ Magazine reviewed it and called it "indisputably their finest record to date". The album features a return to a rich, upbeat retro-sound that fuses jazz, soul, R&B, Latin, and easy listening music. Samples of Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends and Herbie Mann were incorporated also into some songs.

[edit] Beautiful Mess (2008)

Late 2005 saw Swing Out Sister return to their studio in London to commence recording of their new album. The band planned on making a second tour of America in 2006 however due to recording commitments this had to be cancelled^{[citation needed]}. In 2006 they composed incidental music for the ITV1 drama The Outsiders, which featured Nigel Harman. August 2007 saw a new single "Secret Love", co-written by Morgan Fisher.

The new album from the band was entitled Beautiful Mess and was released by the Japanese record company Avex on 27 February 2008. The title is taken from one of the tracks on the album. Prior to its release in late December 2007, two other tracks were made available for download: "Butterfly" and "Something Every Day". The album was released in the U.K. in August 2008 and in the U.S. in May 2009, reaching the Top 5 on the Jazz Album chart in the US.

2008/2009 Asia tour[link]

In 2008 and 2009, Swing Out Sister went back on tour and appeared at the Jakarta Convention Center then toured several venues in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and in the Philippines.

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (March 2011)

• Official Swing Out Sister website
• Official SOS @ MySpace.com
• Official Swing Out Sister Website "Le Grand Large"

Reese Witherspoon
Witherspoon in May 2011
Born	Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (1976-03-22) March 22, 1976 (age 36) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Occupation	Actress, film producer
Years active	1991–present
Spouse	Ryan Phillippe (m. 1999–2007) «start: (1999)–end+1: (2008)»"Marriage: Ryan Phillippe to Reese Witherspoon" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Reese_Witherspoon) Jim Toth (m. 2011) «start: (2011)»"Marriage: Jim Toth to Reese Witherspoon" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Reese_Witherspoon)
Children	2

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976), better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower. In 1996, Witherspoon appeared in Freeway and followed that appearance with roles in three major 1998 films: Overnight Delivery, Pleasantville and Twilight. The following year, Witherspoon appeared in the critically acclaimed Election, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

2001 marked her career's turning point with the breakout role as Elle Woods in the box office hit Legally Blonde, and in 2002 she starred in Sweet Home Alabama, which became her biggest commercial film success to date. 2003 saw her return as lead actress and executive producer of Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. In 2005, Witherspoon received worldwide attention and praise for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, which earned her an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Witherspoon married actor and Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Phillippe in 1999; they have two children, Ava and Deacon. The couple separated at the end of 2006 and divorced in October 2007. Witherspoon married her second husband, talent agent Jim Toth, in 2011. Witherspoon owns a production company, Type A Films, and she is actively involved in children's and women's advocacy organizations. She serves on the board of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) and was named Global Ambassador of Avon Products in 2007, serving as honorary chair of the charitable Avon Foundation. On December 1, 2010, Witherspoon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life and education[link]

Witherspoon was born at the former Southern Baptist Hospital (now the Ochsner Baptist Medical Center) in New Orleans, Louisiana, where her parents were living while her father was a student at Tulane University medical school.^[1][2] Her father, John Draper Witherspoon, Sr., is a Georgia-born otolaryngologist who previously served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army reserves.^[3][4] Her mother, Mary Elizabeth "Betty" (née Reese), is from Harriman, Tennessee, has a Ph.D. in pediatric nursing, and works as a professor of nursing at Vanderbilt University.^[4][5][6] Witherspoon claims descent from Scottish-born John Witherspoon, who signed the United States Declaration of Independence.^[7][8] She is also a descendant of Reformation leader John Knox.^[9] Because Witherspoon's father worked for the U.S. military in Wiesbaden, Germany, she lived there for four years as a child.^[5][10] After returning to the U.S., she spent her childhood in Nashville, Tennessee.^[5][10][11] She was raised as an Episcopalian.^[12]

Witherspoon was selected as a fashion model for a florist's television advertisements at age seven, which motivated her to take acting lessons.^[13][14] At age eleven she took first place in the Ten-State Talent Fair.^[13][15] Witherspoon received good grades in school;^[13] she loved reading and considered herself "a big dork who read loads of books."^[2] On mentioning her love for books, she said, "I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything."^[12] Witherspoon attended middle school at Harding Academy and graduated from the all-girls' Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Tennessee, during which time she was a cheerleader.^[15][16] She attended Stanford University as an English literature major.^[17] After completing one year of studies, she left Stanford to pursue an acting career.^[16]

Witherspoon is proud of the "definitive Southern upbringing" she received, which, as she said, gave her "a sense of family and tradition" and taught her about "being conscientious about people's feelings, being polite, being responsible and never taking for granted what you have in your life."^[16][18] Witherspoon is described as a "multi-achiever" and was given the nickname "Little Type A" by her parents.^[19][20] On discussing her early achievements, she told Interview magazine, "I just don't see any of it as that remarkable. Maybe that's the attitude I choose to have to keep me sane and keep my feet on the ground. I grew up in an environment where women accomplished a lot. And if they weren't able to, it was because they were limited by society."^[4]

Acting career[link]

Early work (1990–1998)[link]

In 1990, Witherspoon attended an open casting call for The Man in the Moon with some friends, intending to audition as a bit player.^[16] She was instead cast in the lead role of Dani Trant, a 14-year-old country girl who falls in love for the first time with her 17-year-old neighbor. Her performance was regarded as "memorably touching" by Variety magazine,^[21] and critic Roger Ebert commented, "Her first kiss is one of the most perfect little scenes I've ever seen in a movie."^[13] For this role, Witherspoon was nominated for the Young Artist Award Best Young Actress.^[22] Later that year, she made her TV acting debut in the cable movie Wildflower, directed by Diane Keaton and starring Patricia Arquette.^[3][7] In 1992, Witherspoon appeared in the TV movie Desperate Choices: To Save My Child, portraying a critically ill young girl.^[3] In 1993, she played a young wife in the CBS miniseries Return to Lonesome Dove and got a starring role as the leading character Nonnie Parker, a South African girl who must cross 1,250 miles (2,000 km) of the Kalahari, in the teen-aimed Disney film A Far Off Place.^[3] In the same year, Witherspoon had a minor role in Jack the Bear, which garnered her the Young Artist Award for Best Youth Actress Co-star.^[23] The following year, Witherspoon acted in another leading role as Wendy Pfister in the 1994 film S.F.W., directed by Jefery Levy.

In 1996, Witherspoon was offered parts in two major movies. She appeared in the thriller Fear alongside Mark Wahlberg (whom she dated^[24]) and Alyssa Milano, playing the role of Nicole Walker, a teenage girl with a handsome boyfriend who turns out to be a violent psychopath. She was also the leading actress in the thriller and black comedy Freeway, starring alongside Kiefer Sutherland and Brooke Shields. Her character, Vanessa Lutz, is a poor girl living in Los Angeles, who, on the way to her grandmother's home in Stockton, encounters a freeway serial killer.^[16] The film received positive reviews from the press. Among them was the San Francisco Chronicle, with Mick LaSalle commenting, "Witherspoon, who does a shrill Texas accent, is dazzling, utterly believable in one extreme situation after the other."^[25] Witherspoon's performance won her the Best Actress Award at the Cognac Police Film Festival and firmly established her as a rising star.^[16][26] The making of the movie also gave Witherspoon significant acting experience; as she said, "Once I overcame the hurdle of that movie – which scared me to death – I felt like I could try anything."^[17] Following completion of Freeway in 1997, Witherspoon took a break from acting in major movies for a year and began dating actor Ryan Phillippe. She returned to the screen in 1998 with major roles in three movies, Overnight Delivery, Pleasantville and Twilight.^[7][27] In Pleasantville, Witherspoon starred alongside Tobey Maguire in a tale about a pair of 1990s teenage siblings who are magically transported into the setting of a 1950s television series. She portrayed the sister Jennifer, who is mainly concerned about appearances, relationships and popularity. Witherspoon's performance received good reviews and garnered her the Young Hollywood Award for Best Female Breakthrough Performance.^[28] Director Gary Ross said he firmly believed Witherspoon was going to be an outstanding movie star.^[17]

Early critical success (1999–2000)[link]

In 1999, Witherspoon starred alongside Alessandro Nivola in the drama thriller Best Laid Plans; she played Lissa, a woman who schemes with her lover Nick to escape a small, dead-end town.^[3] In this same year, she co-starred with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe in the drama film Cruel Intentions, a modern take on the 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Her performance as Annette Hargrove was praised by the San Francisco Chronicle: "Witherspoon is especially good in the least flashy role, and even when called upon to make a series of cute devilish faces, she pulls it off."^[29] Coincidentally, she appeared in a music video by Marcy Playground for the film's soundtrack. In the same year, Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick starred in the film adaptation of the 1998 novel Election by Tom Perrotta.^[3] She portrayed Tracy Flick, a competitive and ambitious over-achiever who runs for student body president. She received vast critical acclaim for her performance and won the Best Actress Award from the National Society of Film Critics and the Online Film Critics Society, a first Golden Globe nomination and an Independent Spirit Award nomination.^[30][31] Witherspoon also received a rank on the list of 100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time by Premiere.^[32] Academy Award – winning director Alexander Payne praised her: "She's got that quality that men find attractive, while women would like to be her friend. But that's just the foundation. Nobody else is as funny or brings such charm to things. She can do anything."^[18] In spite of her successful performance, Witherspoon noted in an interview that she struggled to find work after completing the film, due to typecasting.^[33] When analyzing the reasons behind her difficulty to find work, Witherspoon commented "I think because the character I played was so extreme and sort of shrewish – people thought that was who I was, rather than me going in and creating a part. I would audition for things and I'd always be the second choice – studios never wanted to hire me and I wasn't losing the parts to big box office actresses but to ones who I guess people felt differently about."^[4]

In 2000, Witherspoon received a supporting role in American Psycho and made a cameo appearance in Little Nicky.^[27] She also appeared as a guest star in season six of Friends, playing the role of Jill Green, Rachel Green's sister.^[34] The next year, Witherspoon provided the voice of Serena in the animated film The Trumpet of the Swan, produced by Crest Animation Productions.

Worldwide recognition (2001–2004)[link]

2001 marked a significant turning point in Witherspoon's career, when she starred in the feature film Legally Blonde. She portrayed Elle Woods, a fashion merchandising major who decides to become a law student in order to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard University. Speaking about Woods' character, Witherspoon said "When I read Legally Blonde, I was like, 'She's from Beverly Hills, she's rich, she's in a sorority. She has a great boyfriend. Oh yeah, she gets dumped. Who cares? I still hate her.' So we had to make sure she was the kind of person you just can't hate."^[18] Legally Blonde was a box office hit, grossing US$96 million domestically.^[35] Witherspoon's performance earned her praise from critics, as the press began referring to her as "the new Meg Ryan".^[36] Roger Ebert commented, "Witherspoon effortlessly animated this material with sunshine and quick wit",^[37] and Salon.com noted that "she [Witherspoon] delineates Elle's character beautifully".^[38] Meanwhile, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer concluded, "Witherspoon is a talented comedian who can perk up a scene just by marching in full of pep and drive and she powers this modest little comedy almost single-handedly."^[39] For her work, Witherspoon garnered her second Golden Globe Best Actress nomination and an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.

Following the success of Legally Blonde, Witherspoon starred in several roles. In 2002, Witherspoon provided the voice of the animated character Greta Wolfcastle in The Simpsons episode The Bart Wants What It Wants.^[40] In the same year, she portrayed Cecily in the comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, a movie adaptation of the play by Oscar Wilde; she received a Teen Choice Award nomination for her performance.^[41][42] Her next feature film in 2002 was Sweet Home Alabama, a movie directed by Andy Tennant. Alongside Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey, Witherspoon played Melanie Carmichael, a young fashion designer who intends to marry a New York politician but must return to Alabama to divorce her childhood sweetheart, from whom she has been separated for seven years. Witherspoon regarded this as a "personal role" in that the role reminded her of experiences she had when she moved from her hometown Nashville to Los Angeles.^[43] The movie became Witherspoon's biggest box office hit to date, earning over $35 million in the opening weekend and grossing over $127 million domestically in the US.^[35][44] Despite the commercial success, Sweet Home Alabama was given negative reviews by critics. It was called "a romantic comedy so rote, dull and predictable" by The Miami Herald,^[45] and the press widely agreed that Witherspoon was the only factor that helped the movie attract a large audience.^[46][47] When describing Witherspoon's role in the movie, The Christian Science Monitor concluded, "She is not the movie's main attraction, she is its only attraction."^[48]

In 2003, Witherspoon followed up the success of Legally Blonde by starring in the sequel Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. Her character, Elle Woods, has become a Harvard-educated lawyer who is determined to protect animals from cosmetics-industry science tests. The sequel was not as financially successful as the first movie and it generated mostly critical reviews. USA Today considered the movie "plodding, unfunny and almost cringe-worthy", but also noted that "Reese Witherspoon still does a fine job portraying the fair-haired lovable brainiac, but her top-notch comic timing is wasted on the humorless dialogue."^[49] Meanwhile, Salon.com concluded that the sequel "calcifies everything that was enjoyable about the first movie".^[50] Despite being panned by critics, the sequel took over $39 million in its first five days in the U.S. box office charts and went on to gross $90 million in the US.^[51] Witherspoon received a $15 million paycheck for the role – a starting point to make her consistently one of Hollywood's highest paid actresses from 2002 onwards.^{[18][52][53][54]}

In 2004, Witherspoon starred in Vanity Fair, adapted from the 19th-century classic novel Vanity Fair and directed by Mira Nair. Witherspoon's character – Becky Sharp – is a woman whose impoverished childhood turns her into an ambitious person with a ruthless determination to find fortune and establish herself a position in society. Witherspoon was pregnant during the filmmaking of this movie and was therefore carefully costumed to conceal her pregnancy.^[55] This pregnancy was not a hindrance to her work, as Witherspoon believed the gestation had in fact helped her portrayal of Sharp's character: "I love the luminosity that pregnancy brings, I love the fleshiness, I love the ample bosom—it gave me much more to play with", she said.^[56][57] The film and Witherspoon's portrayal of Sharp received good reviews, as The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Nair's cast is splendid. Witherspoon does justice to the juicy role by giving the part more buoyancy than naughtiness."^[58] At the same time, The Charlotte Observer called her work "an excellent performance that's soft around the edges" and the Los Angeles Times concluded that Becky is "a part Reese Witherspoon was born to play".^[59][60]

[edit] Walk the Line and post-Oscar work (2005–2009)

In late 2004, Witherspoon began working alongside Mark Ruffalo on the romantic comedy Just Like Heaven. Her character, Elizabeth Masterson, is an ambitious young doctor. On her way to a blind date she gets into a car accident, and is left in a coma. Her spirit returns to her old apartment where she later finds true love.^[61]

Witherspoon at a promotional event for Walk the Line in 2005

Earlier that year Witherspoon was chosen to portray June Carter Cash, the second wife of country music singer and songwriter Johnny Cash, in Walk the Line. She never had the chance to meet Carter Cash, as Witherspoon was filming Vanity Fair at the time Carter Cash died.^[4] Witherspoon performed her own vocals in the movie, and her songs had to be performed in front of a live audience. When she learned that she had to perform live, Witherspoon was so worried that she asked her lawyer to terminate the film contract.^[62] "That was the most challenging part of the role," she later recalled in an interview, "I'd never sung professionally."^[63] Subsequently, she had to spend six months learning how to sing for the role.^[62][64] Witherspoon's portrayal of Carter Cash was well received by critics, and Roger Ebert wrote that her performance added "boundless energy" to the movie.^[65] She won several awards for her performance, including the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild, the BAFTA and the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role.

Besides critical success in the movie industry, Witherspoon and her co-star in Walk the Line, Joaquin Phoenix, received a nomination for "collaborative video of the year" from the CMT Music Awards.^[66][67] Witherspoon expressed her passion for the movie: "I really like in this film that it is realistic and portrays sort of a real marriage, a real relationship where there are forbidden thoughts and fallibility. And it is about compassion in the long haul, not just the short easy solutions to problems."^[68] She also spoke about June Carter Cash, stating that she believed Carter Cash was a woman ahead of her time: "I think the really remarkable thing about her character is that she did all of these things that we sort of see as normal things in the 1950s when it wasn't really acceptable for a woman to be married and divorced twice and have two different children by two different husbands and travel around in a car full of very famous musicians all by herself. She didn't try to comply to social convention, so I think that makes her a very modern woman."^[68]

Witherspoon's first post-Oscar role came in the modern-day fairy tale Penelope, co-starring Christina Ricci. Witherspoon played the supporting role of Annie, the best friend of Penelope, a girl who has a curse in her family. The film was produced by Witherspoon's company Type A Films and premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.^[62][69] After the final release date of Penelope was delayed twice, the movie eventually had a February 2008 release.^[70][71]

Witherspoon was back in front of the camera again in November 2006, as shooting began for the political thriller Rendition. She starred alongside Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard and Jake Gyllenhaal, playing Isabella El-Ibrahim, the pregnant wife of a bombing suspect. Rendition was released in October 2007 and marked Witherspoon's first appearance in theaters in two years, since the 2005 release of Walk the Line.^[72] The movie received mostly negative reviews and was generally considered a disappointment at the Toronto Film Festival.^[73] Witherspoon's performance was also criticized: "Reese Witherspoon is surprisingly lifeless", USA Today wrote, "She customarily injects energy and spirit into her parts, but here, her performance feels tamped down."^[74] In December 2007, Witherspoon began filming the holiday comedy Four Christmases, a story about a couple who have to spend their Christmas Day trying to visit all four of their divorced parents, and in which she stars alongside Vince Vaughn.^[75] The film was released in November 2008. Despite only receiving average reviews by critics, the movie became a box office success, earning more than 120 million US dollars domestically and US$157m worldwide.^[76] Witherspoon next provided the voice for Susan Murphy, the main character of the computer-animated 3-D feature film Monsters vs. Aliens, which had a March 27, 2009, release from DreamWorks Animation.^[77] In 2009, she also produced a spin-off film of Legally Blonde called Legally Blondes, featuring Camilla "Milly" Rosso and Rebecca "Becky" Rosso.

"Love triangle period" and commercial struggles (2010–present)[link]

Witherspoon at the White House in 2009 while in Washington to film How Do You Know

With the exception of her animated role in Monsters vs. Aliens, Witherspoon did not appear in a live action film for two years following the release of Four Christmases. Witherspoon told Entertainment Weekly that the "break" was unplanned, stating that, "I just didn’t read anything I liked...There are a lot of really, really, really big movies about robots and things- and there’s not a part for a 34-year-old woman in a robot movie."^[78] Witherspoon returned with three films in 2010, 2011, and 2012, all centered around Witherspoon as a woman caught in a love triangle between two men. In an interview with MTV, Witherspoon jokingly referred to this trio of films as her "love triangle period".^[79]

The first film was James L. Brooks's romantic comedy How Do You Know,^[80][81][82] which starred Witherspoon as a thirty-something former national softball player who struggles to choose between a philandering baseball star boyfriend (Owen Wilson) and a business executive being investigated for white collar crime (Paul Rudd). The movie was filmed over the summer and fall of 2009 in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.,^[83][84][85] and released on December 17, 2010. The movie was both a critical and box office failure. Despite an over $100 million budget, the film earned only $7.6 million in its opening weekend, leading the Los Angeles Times to call it "one of the year's biggest flops".^[86] The movie earned mainly negative reviews from critics, scoring 35% on Rotten Tomatoes with 111 reviews as of late December 2010.^[87]

Next up for Witherspoon was a second movie based on a love triangle, the film adaptation of the 1930s circus drama Water for Elephants. Witherspoon began circus training in March 2010 for her role as Marlena, a glamorous performer stuck in a marriage to a volatile husband (Christoph Waltz) but intrigued by the circus's new veterinarian (Robert Pattinson).^[88] Filming for the movie took place between late May and early August 2010^[89][90] in various locations in Tennessee, Georgia and California. It was released on April 22, 2011,^[91] and received mixed critical reviews, with many citing a lack of chemistry between Witherspoon and Pattinson.^[92]

In September 2010, Witherspoon began principal photography in Vancouver for the third film, This Means War, a 20th Century Fox spy comedy directed by McG. In the film, Witherspoon stars as a woman at the center of a battle between two best friends (played by Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) who are both in love with her. The film had a "sneak-peak" release on Valentine's Day, before fully opening on February 17, 2012.^{[93][94][95][96][97]} The film was panned by critics (with a 25% Rotten Tomatoes rating),^[98] and fared poorly at the box office, taking fifth place on its opening weekend with sales of $17.6 million. The New York Times remarked that this "extended the box office cold streak for the Oscar-winning Ms. Witherspoon", and that while "Hollywood keeps trying to turn Reese Witherspoon into a Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts for a new generation," the "new generation keeps refusing to take the memo."^[99]

Witherspoon's upcoming films signal a departure from the love triangle theme. In September 2011, nearly a year after beginning work on This Means War, Witherspoon began filming Jeff Nichols's coming-of-age drama Mud in Arkansas. Witherspoon plays the supporting role of Juniper, the former girlfriend of a fugitive (Matthew McConaughey), who enlists two local boys to help him escape capture and rekindle his romance with Witherspoon's character. It is slated for a 2013 release,^[100][101] but premiered in May 2012 in competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.^[102][103]

Witherspoon's next film will be Atom Egoyan's adaptation of the true crime book Devil's Knot, which examines the controversial case of the West Memphis Three. Like Mud, the story is set in Arkansas. Witherspoon will play Pam Hobbs, the mother of one of three young murder victims. The movie will begin filming in Georgia in June 2012.^[104] Egoyan has noted that although the role requires "an emotionally loaded journey", he "met with Reese, and...talked at length about the project, and she's eager to take on the challenge".^[105]

Witherspoon is subsequently attached to Big Eyes, written and directed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and produced by Tim Burton. Witherspoon will play Margaret Keane, an artist who produces wide-eyed portraits that became a sensation in the 1960s but were sold under the name of her husband Walter Keane (played by Ryan Reynolds), creating conflict between them.^[106]

It has also been rumoured that Witherspoon will produce (under the Type A banner) and star in both Pharm Girl, a film about a woman who takes on the pharmaceutical industry,^[107] and a Peggy Lee biopic to be directed by Nora Ephron.^[108] Witherspoon's name has also been attached to a number of other possible future films, including the upcoming Sony Pictures film Sex Tape,^[109] a Universal Pictures remake of the 1939 comedy Midnight, scripted by Michael Arndt,^[110] and the horror film Our Family Troubles, which she would produce through Type A with Jennifer Simpson, co-producer of Legally Blonde 2.^[111]

Witherspoon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 1, 2010, at 6262 Hollywood Blvd.^[112]

Other projects[link]

Witherspoon owns a production company called Type A Films. The company was at first believed by the media to have been named after her childhood nickname "Little Miss Type A."^[19][113] However, when asked about the company by Interview magazine, she clarified the name's origin: "... people think I named it after myself ... It was actually an in-joke with my family because at [age] 7 I understood complicated medical terms, such as the difference between type A and type B personalities. But I just wished I'd named the company Dogfood Films or Fork or something. You carry that baggage all your life."^[4]

Charitable work[link]

Witherspoon is actively involved in children's and women's advocacy organizations. She is a long-time supporter of Save the Children, an organization that helps children around the world through education, health care and emergency aid.^[114] She also serves on the board of the Children's Defense Fund, a child advocacy and research group.^[114] In 2006, Witherspoon was among a group of actresses who went to New Orleans, Louisiana in a CDF project to bring to light the needs of Hurricane Katrina victims.^[115] In this trip, she helped open the city's first Freedom School, as she met and talked with the children.^[116] Witherspoon later called this an experience that she would never forget.^[116]

In 2007, Witherspoon made her first move into the world of endorsements, as she signed a multi-year agreement to serve as the first Global Ambassador of cosmetic company Avon Products.^[114][117] She acts as a spokeswoman for Avon's cosmetic products and serves as the honorary chair of the Avon Foundation, a charitable organization that supports women and focuses on breast cancer research and the prevention of domestic violence.^[118][119] Witherspoon is also committed to participating in cosmetics product development and appearing in commercial advertisements.^[118] Explaining her motives for joining the foundation, she said, "As a woman and a mother I care deeply about the well being of other women and children throughout the world and through the years, I have always looked for opportunities to make a difference."^[118]

In the media[link]

Witherspoon being interviewed at the premiere of Walk The Line in 2005

Witherspoon hosted Saturday Night Live on September 29, 2001, which was the first episode to air after New York City was devastated by the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11.^[120] In 2005, she was ranked No. 5 in Teen People magazine's list of most powerful young Hollywood actors.^[121] In 2006, Witherspoon was listed among the Time 100.^[122] Her featured article was written by Luke Wilson.^[123] In the same year, she was selected as one of the "100 Sexiest Women In The World" by the readers of FHM.^[124] Witherspoon has appeared on the annual Celebrity 100 list by Forbes magazine in 2006 and 2007, at No. 75 and No. 80, respectively.^[125][126] Forbes also put her on the top ten Trustworthy Celebrities list.^[127] She was listed among CEOWORLD magazine's Top Accomplished Women Entertainers.^[128]

In 2006, Star fabricated a story saying Witherspoon was pregnant with her third child, which led to Witherspoon suing the magazine's parent company American Media Inc in Los Angeles Superior Court for privacy violation.^[129] She sought unspecified general and punitive damages in the lawsuit, asserting that the claim harmed her reputation because it suggested she was hiding the news from producers of her upcoming films.^[130]

Witherspoon has been featured four times in the annual "100 Most Beautiful" issues of People magazine.^[131] In 2007, she was selected by People and the entertainment news program Access Hollywood as one of the best dressed female stars of the year.^[132][133] A study conducted by E-Poll Market Research showed that Witherspoon was the most likable female celebrity of 2007.^[134] That same year, Witherspoon established herself as the highest-paid actress in the American film industry, earning $15 to $20 million per film.^[135][136] In April 2008, Witherspoon appeared as a guest star at the 2008 charitable campaign Idol Gives Back.^[137]

At the 2011 MTV Music Awards, while receiving the MTV Generation Award, Witherspoon criticized stars who have produced sex tapes and explicit photos.^[138]

In April 2011, she ranked 3rd on People's annual Most Beautiful issue.^[139]

Personal life[link]

Witherspoon met American actor Ryan Phillippe at her 21st birthday party in March 1997.^[140][141] The couple became engaged in December 1998,^[142] and married in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 5, 1999, at Wide Awake Plantation.^{[143][144][145]} They have two children: a daughter named Ava Elizabeth Phillippe, born September 9, 1999,^[146] and a son Deacon Reese Phillippe, born October 23, 2003.^[143] In October 2006, Witherspoon and Phillippe announced that they had decided to separate formally after seven years of marriage. The following month, Witherspoon filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.^[147] In her petition she sought joint legal custody of their two children and sole physical custody, with full visitation rights for Phillippe.^[147][148] The couple had no prenuptial agreement and the couple would be entitled to half of all assets gained during the marriage under California law, with Witherspoon's being the more significant.^[149][150] Witherspoon requested that the court grant no spousal support for Phillippe, which he did not contest.^[147] On May 15, 2007, Phillippe filed for joint physical custody of the couple's children and made no motion to block Witherspoon from seeking support from him.^[151] Witherspoon and Phillippe's final divorce documents were granted by the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 5, 2007.^[152][153]