Reese Witherspoon first found fame with light airy chick flicks Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama but the 38-year-old actress has admitted that she hates to be stereotyped, revealing in a new interview: "Don’t put me in that box. Or any box, for that matter. People are complex, on-screen and off. Can’t we do justice to that?"
The pint-sized Tennessee beauty won her first Oscar in 2006 for her performance as June Carter Cash in Walk The Line and her upcoming film Wild is already garnering some award season buzz.
Speaking in Harper's Bazaar UK, Reese discussed Wild, which is based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed, a young women who decides to hike the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest trail alone following a devastating personal tragedy.
"It wasn’t as if there was a lack of roles being offered to me," the Hollywood star said of her decision to play Cheryl. "It was the dynamic aspect of playing a really interesting, complicated person that was not readily available. "Honestly, I don’t know a woman who isn’t complicated.
It’s strange that you don’t see many complicated women on film; complicated meaning complex, I should say."
Reese approached Cheryl on behalf of her new production company, Pacific Standard, after reading the book.
"At the end of it, I was in a river of tears," Reese said of reading the book. "I was so moved by Cheryl’s words. I didn’t know who this woman was, but I had to call her.
REESE WITHERSPOON STARS IN FIRST INHERENT VICE TRAILER
"'I want to hug you. I feel like I know you. I feel like I went on this journey with you. I would love to option this book.’"
Reese premiered the film at the 2014 London Film Festival in October, and revealed: "When you see me putting together the tent, that's literally me putting together the tent. It took me two hours."
She also admitted that she was hoping her rucksack would be full of newspaper, but director Jean-Marc Vallee had other ideas. "I got there on the day, and Jean-Marc said, 'Actually, I think it would be better.' And I said: 'Are you joking?' And he said, 'No, I think it would be better' and then just walked off. "She continued: "So I ended up carrying it the whole time. I've never been as strong as I was after that movie. I had a back problem."