Jennifer Lawrence

Lawrence's lead role in Debra Granik's Winter's Bone, which won best picture at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010, is often cited as a breakout performance for her.[23] She portrayed Ree Dolly, a 17-year-old in the Ozark Mountains who cares for her mentally ill mother and her younger brother and sister.[24] The performance was highly acclaimed by film critics. David Denby from The New Yorker said "the movie would be unimaginable with anyone less charismatic playing Ree."[25] Peter Travers from Rolling Stone also spoke highly of her and noted that "her performance is more than acting, it's a gathering storm. Lawrence's eyes are a roadmap to what's tearing Ree apart."[26] Receiving accolades for her performance, Lawrence was awarded the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance.[27] She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress on January 25, 2011.[28] Also in 2011, Lawrence co-starred in the independent film Like Crazy, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.[29]

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. Her first major role was as a lead cast member on the TBS sitcom The Bill Engvall Show (2007–09). She subsequently appeared in the independent films The Burning Plain (2008) and Winter's Bone (2010), for which she received her first Academy Award for Best Actress nomination; at the time, she was the second youngest person to receive a nomination in the category.

At age 22, Lawrence's performance as Tiffany Maxwell in the David O. Russell-directed romantic comedy Silver Linings Playbook (2012) earned her several awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) and the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the second-youngest Best Actress winner at the Oscars.

For her supporting role in Russell's comedy-drama American Hustle (2013), she was awarded the Golden Globe Award, the BAFTA Award and received a third Academy Award nomination, all for Best Supporting Actress.

Lawrence is also known for playing Raven Darkhölme / Mystique in the superhero film X-Men: First Class (2011) and its sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Beginning in 2012, she gained international fame for playing the leading heroine, Katniss Everdeen, in the popular The Hunger Games film series, which established her as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time.

Lawrence was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. She is the daughter of Karen (Koch) Lawrence, a children's camp manager, and Gary Lawrence, a construction worker. She has two older brothers, Ben and Blaine. By the age of 14, she had decided to pursue an acting career, persuading her parents to take her to New York City to find a talent agent. Prior to finding success in Hollywood, Lawrence attended Kammerer Middle School in Louisville. She graduated from high school two years early with a 3.9 average, aiming at a career in acting. While growing up and in between acting, Lawrence served as an assistant nurse at the children's summer day camp that her mother ran.

2006–09: Career beginnings

In July 2007, Lawrence started her acting career as a teenager in the TBS comedy series The Bill Engvall Show, playing Lauren Pearson, the oldest daughter.[13] The series premiered in September 2007 and was canceled in 2009 after three seasons.[14] Lawrence was nominated for and won a Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Performer in a TV Series in their 2009 award show for her role, and was nominated for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama).[15][16]

In 2007, she auditioned for the role of Bella Swan in Twilight, but the role went to Kristen Stewart.[17][18] In 2008, she appeared in a small role in the film Garden Party as Tiff.[19] Lawrence had the role of Agnes in The Poker House.[20] She was awarded the Los Angeles Film Festival Award for Best Performance in the Narrative Competition in 2008 for her role in the film.[21] This was followed by an appearance in Guillermo Arriaga's film directorial debut The Burning Plain, opposite Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. Her performance in the film earned her the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best emerging actor/actress at the Venice Film Festival in 2008.[22] She appeared in the music video for the song "The Mess I Made", from the band Parachute's 2009 album Losing Sleep.[13]

2010–12: Breakthrough

Lawrence at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011

She starred as shape-shifting villain, Mystique, alongside James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class, a prequel to the rest of the X-Men film series.[30] Lawrence's Mystique is a younger version of the character played by Rebecca Romijn in earlier X-Men films.[31]

In 2011, Lawrence appeared in The Beaver, a dark comedy starring Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson; it was completed in 2009 but the film spent an extended period of time stalled due to controversy and was released on May 6, 2011.[32] In June 2011, it was announced that Lawrence was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[33]

Lawrence at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival in 2012

In 2012, Lawrence starred as Katniss Everdeen in the film The Hunger Games, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. Despite being a fan of the books, Lawrence took three days to accept the role because she was initially intimidated by the size of the movie and how it might affect her career.[34][35] She underwent extensive training to get in shape for the role, including stunt training, archery, rock and tree climbing, combat, running, parkour, pilates, and yoga.[36][37] The film was released on March 23, 2012, and set a record for the third-largest opening weekend, making a record-breaking $152.5 million in three days for a non-sequel film.[38] The success of The Hunger Games, and Lawrence as Katniss, broke the male-centric nature of action films — prior to The Hunger Games, among the "top 200 worldwide box-office hits ever ($350 million and up), not one had been built around a female action star."[39] Forbes stated "No one who has seen The Hunger Games would question star Jennifer Lawrence's ability to play an action star."[40] Though the film generally received positive reviews, Lawrence's portrayal of Katniss Everdeen was the most highly praised, with Todd McCarthy from The Hollywood Reporter saying Lawrence embodies Katniss, "just as one might imagine her from the novel" and "anchors" the whole film "with impressive gravity and presence", ultimately calling her "the ideal screen actress."[41] Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times stated that Lawrence is the "best possible performer as Katniss and is the key factor in making 'Hunger Games' an involving popular entertainment with strong narrative drive that holds our attention."[42] Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert also agreed that "Lawrence is strong and convincing in the central role."[43]

In October 2012, Lawrence was announced as the new face of Dior.[44] The following month, she played the recently widowed Tiffany Maxwell in David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Matthew Quick, opposite Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.[45] She received widespread critical praise for her performance in the film, with Richard Corliss of Time writing, "The reason to stay is Lawrence. Just 21 when the movie was shot, Lawrence is that rare young actress who plays, who is, grown-up. Sullen and sultry, she lends a mature intelligence to any role... Jennifer Lawrence is the silver lining in this mostly ordinary playbook."[46] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also wrote that Lawrence "is some kind of miracle. She's rude, dirty, funny, foulmouthed, sloppy, sexy, vibrant, and vulnerable, sometimes all in the same scene, even in the same breath. No list of Best Actress Oscar contenders would be complete without the electrifying Lawrence in the lead. She lights up the screen."[47] She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.[48][49] She also starred alongside Max Thieriot and Elisabeth Shue in Mark Tonderai's thriller House at the End of the Street.[50] She was originally cast to play Ophelia "O" Sage in the film Savages directed by Oliver Stone, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.[51]

2013–present: International success

Lawrence at the 70th Golden Globe Awardsin 2013

Filming for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the next installment in the Hunger Games series, began in September 2012, and the film was released on November 22, 2013.[52] It became a major commercial and critical success. Lawrence's portrayal of Katniss Everdeen won her praise from fans and critics alike. Stephanie Zacharek of The Village Voice wrote that Lawrence is "both on fire and in the process of becoming, and it's magnificent to watch."[53] Catching Fire surpassed Iron Man 3 on January 9, 2014, for highest box office earnings of 2013 in North America with $409.4 million.[54] Lawrence also played Rosalyn Rosenfeld, a supporting role in David O. Russell's crime drama American Hustle. The film, based on the FBI ABSCAM operation, is set against the backdrop of political corruption in New Jersey in the late 1970s. Lawrence played the wife of a con artist portrayed by Christian Bale. The film also features Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, and Jeremy Renner in principal roles, and was released on December 20, 2013.[55] Lawrence received critical acclaim for her performance[56] and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by the Screen Actors Guild and the Critics' Choice Awards.[5][6] She won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress on January 12, 2014.[57] She also received the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and a third Academy Award nomination, her first for a supporting role,[4][58] becoming the youngest actress to have three nominations.[59]

Lawrence replaced Angelina Jolie in Susanne Bier's depression-era drama, Serena, based on the novel of the same name by Ron Rash.[60][61] She plays the role of an unstable woman named Serena who learns that she can never bear her husband's children and sets out to murder the woman who bore her husband an illegitimate son before their marriage. Filming was completed in 2012, and the film is scheduled to be released in 2014.[62] In 2014, Lawrence again played Mystique, in the film X-Men: Days of Future Past, with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. She will reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen in the film adaptations of the final Hunger Games book, Mockingjay. The first part of the film is set to be released on November 21, 2014, and Part 2 on November 20, 2015.

Lawrence will star in and produce the film adaptation of Claire Bidwell Smith's memoir The Rules of Inheritance, directed by Susanne Bier.[64] In September 2013, it was announced that Lawrence was to star in the adaptation of the novel East of Eden with director Gary Ross.[65] The film is based on the John Steinbeck novel and was already adapted to film in 1955, starring James Dean.[66] Additionally, she was chosen to star in Burial Rites, a film adaptation of Hannah Kent's debut novel, where she would be joined again by Gary Ross.[67] She will also be starring in The Ends of the Earth,[68] which is described as "a fact-based love story about a powerful oil tycoon who has everything stripped from him after he is caught in an affair."[69] In addition, Lawrence will play Jeannette Walls in the film adaptation of Walls' best-selling memoir The Glass Castle.Lawrence will also reprise her role Mystique in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. Lawrence will be starring in her third collaboration film directed by David O. Russell, titled Joy, portraying the titular character, which follows the life of the inventor of the 'Miracle Mop'. The film is scheduled to be released Christmas Day 2015.

Philantrophy

Lawrence is active in charities such as the World Food Programme, Feeding America, and The Thirst Project. She organized an early screening of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to benefit Saint Mary's Center, a special disabilities organization located in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, and raised more than $40,000 for the cause.Lawrence is an official ambassador of the Special Olympics, the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with disabilities. Lawrence has created an organization called the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, which supports charities such as the Screen Actors Guild Foundation and Do Something.

Public image

Lawrence's performances thus far have prompted Rolling Stone to call her "the most talented young actress in America." In 2013, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, ELLE Magazine named her the most powerful woman in the entertainment business in 2013, and in 2013 she ranked No. 1 on AskMen's list of Top 99 Most Desirable Women of the year. In June 2013, Lawrence was ranked #49 on Forbes' list of the world's most powerful celebrities. She was ranked second among actresses, having earned an estimated $26 million over the previous year.

In 2014, Lawrence was ranked #1 on the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World list. That year, she also topped the Forbes list of Most Powerful Actresses and was ranked No. 12 in the list of Celebrity 100. In August 2014, Lawrence was named the second-highest-paid actress in Hollywood behind Sandra Bullock, making her the youngest actress in the top 10.

Donald Sutherland compared Lawrence to Laurence Olivier and also described her as an "exquisite and brilliant actor." Film director David O. Russell has praised her effortless acting that make her performances look easy. Lawrence was never involved with theater and did not take acting classes.[10] She stated, "I've always studied people and been fascinated by their reactions and feelings. And I think that's the best acting class you can take – watching real people, listening to them and studying them."

The same week, Lawrence was recognized as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time in the 2015 edition of the Guinness World Records for the role of Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games franchise.

Personal life

Lawrence began dating Nicholas Hoult in 2011 after filming X-Men: First Class, but they ended their relationship in January 2013 after two years of dating. They reconnected six months later in July 2013, after filming X-Men: Days of Future Past together. The couple reportedly separated in August 2014, with sources stating different work schedules to be an issue. Lawrence and Chris Martin from Coldplay were reported to bring their romance to the public on September 11, 2014. The couple is said to have started dating during the summer, after Martin separated from Gwyneth Paltrow.

On August 31, 2014, nude photographs of Lawrence leaked online as part of the 2014 celebrity photo leaks, believed to be obtained from her iCloud account by a hacker. Lawrence confirmed that the photographs were real.

Sources: Wiki

image source: google images.

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Michelle Rodriguez

Date of Birth

12 July 1978, Bexar County, Texas, USA 

Birth Name

Mayte Michelle Rodriguez 

Nickname

MRod 

Height

5' 5" (1.65 m) 

Mini Biography

Known for tough-chick roles, Michelle Rodriguez is proof that there is a cross between beauty and brawn. Born in Bexar County, Texas on July 12, 1978, Michelle always knew she was destined to become a star, she just didn't know how to get there. Michelle lived in Texas until the age of 8 when her family moved to the Dominican Republic where she lived for two years before moving to Puerto Rico. At 11, Michelle's family relocated for the last time to Jersey City, New Jersey. Although she has been working since 1999 as an extra in such films as Summer of Sam (1999) and Cradle Will Rock (1999), it only took a magazine ad announcing an open casting call in New York for Michelle to decide to finally step into the spotlight. The role was the female lead, the movie was Girlfight (2000). Despite the lack of experience in film and boxing, Michelle auditioned, along with another 350 girls. After various trials inside an actual boxing ring and five arduous months of training in Brooklyn's Gleason's Gym, she was finally chosen to portray the role of Diana Guzman. As soon as the independent film began making the rounds at various film festivals, Michelle began gaining critical acclaim for her performance earning her awards like the Deauville Festival of American Cinema award for Best Actress and the Las Vegas Film Critics Society for Female Breakthrough Performance. As Girlfight (2000) continued to gain notoriety with its September 2000 release, Michelle was already hard at work with films like 3 A.M. (2001), the blockbuster hit The Fast and the Furious (2001), and Resident Evil (2002). With Hollywood calling her name, the future for this feisty Jersey girl is as strong as the punches she throws.

Trivia

Was raised in Texas, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and in Jersey City.

Is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent.

She beat out 350 other girls for the role of Diana Guzman in Girlfight (2000).

Girlfight (2000) was her first acting audition, and she got the role. The Fast and the Furious (2001) was her second audition, and she also got that role.

Is an avid in-line skater.

Didn't have a driver's license before filming The Fast and the Furious (2001) and had to obtain one during her training for the car chase sequences.

Plays the piano.

Has two half-sisters on her father's side.

Has two older twin brothers named Raul and Omar.

Dropped out of high school at 17, but later obtained a G.E.D. equivalency certificate.

Ranked #77 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women In The World" (2002).

Ranked #34 in Maxim's "100 Sexiest Women" (2002).

It was announced in 2005 that she would be joining the second season cast of the hit ABC drama "Lost" (2004).

She was the original choice for the title role in Æon Flux (2005).

When interviewed to join the cast of "Lost" (2004) as a tough LAPD cop, she insisted that she would only sign on for one year because she is a "nomadic spirit". The producers came up with a story line and sold the idea of the short contract to the network.

Is often seen singing karaoke alongside Lindsay Lohan, Bo Barrett, Emile Hirsch, and Nicole Richie at Beverly Hills hot spot "Guys" .

Has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Was considered for the part of Christine Thayer in Crash (2004/I).

Good friends with Jason Sarayba and Nicole Eggert.

Is a vegetarian.

Personal Quotes

I think empathy is a beautiful thing. I think that's the power of film though. We have one of the most powerful, one of the greatest communicative tools known to man. It's a form of communication and it's gonna reach you in a way of growth- most of the time.

I don't want people thinking of me sexually. I don't want people to be like, 'She's hot-looking,' you know? I want them to listen to me for what I am saying. And I think the best way to do that is to sniff my armpits, and like, sit and burp every now and then. It just completely throws people off. I had a couple of offers to do some hot scenes in the shower with some guy and to make it real hot and sexy. The next thing you know, I'd be the next J.Lo or something. But that's easy. I want [success] the hard way.

My favorite part of my body is my brain. I think no matter what my body looks like I wont be satisfied unless I know how to use it.

I don't think it's narcissistic at all to love yourself and believe in yourself. I think some people are really scared to do that. I have to. If I don't, I would not succeed in what I do.

No matter what, people are so narrow minded that it won't ever be Michelle Rodriguez the actress, it will always be Michelle Rodriguez the Latin actress. And it's just something that I have to live with, because of the fact that people need labels to understand things. I can't even get into this ignorance that I'm dealing with. So I just ignore it, you know? Ignore the ignorance.

[on why she always plays the "tough girl"]: Well, could you really imagine me playing the girlfriend that needs rescuing? Or the girlfriend?

You can keep knocking me down forever, I'll keep getting up and trying.

Basically, right now Hollywood is a giant factory of remakes because everyone is pussying out and they don't want to try anything new because they're scared, I guess. The money situation in the States isn't so keen right now. Our dollar is shitty, so I can understand why the studios are doing the guaranteed hit-off movies. I'm banking on that and I'm proud to be part of franchises that want me back.

Azealia Banks stars in Alexander Wang T video

Her track "212" was the unofficial soundtrack to last season's fashion week shows, and hip-hop star Azealia Banks' domination of the fashion world is showing no sign of slowing down as she's now the face of Alexander Wang's T line.

The rapper is the latest in a string of musicians to front a campaign for the designer's diffusion line, following in the footsteps of Santigold, Spank Rock and Die Antwoord.

This isn't the first time Wang and Banks have teamed up either -- the star was Wang's date for the 2012 Met Gala, and she provided music for his Spring 2012 ready-to-wear campaign with Liya Kibede.

Daniel Jackson directed Banks in the T Fall 2012 video, where she raps "Van Vogue" from her recent EP "1991".

"She exudes a certain rawness that makes her a very unique talent," Wang told style.com.

"I loved working with her on this video for T Fall 2012, and think the collaboration captures a collision of energies."

Other designers to have fallen for the charms of Banks include Karl Lagerfeld, who asked the musician to perform in his home during a dinner celebrating the launch of his Net-a-Porter clothing line earlier this year.

Watch the Azealia Banks for Alexander Wang T video here; http://youtu.be/1NnbZjpU_Qg

Sources : Yahoo...

Reese Witherspoon, the glamour girl in hollywood

Reese Witherspoon 

Date of Birth

22 March 1976, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA 

Birth Name

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon 

Height

5' 1½" (1.56 m) 

Mini Biography

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon was born on March 22, 1976 at Southern Baptist Hospital (now Memorial Medical Center) in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the second child born to Dr. John Witherspoon and Betty Reese. Her father was a military surgeon specializing in the ear, nose and throat. Her mother was a Registered Nurse who later became a Ph.D in pediatric nursing. Reese spent the first four years of her life in Wiesbaden, Germany where her father served as a lieutenant colonel in the US Army reserves. Shortly after, John moved the family back to the States, settling in Nashville, Tennessee.

Reese was introduced to the entertainment industry at a very early age. At age 7, she began modeling. This led to appearances on several local television commercials. At age 11, she placed first in a Ten-State Talent Fair.

In 1990, she landed her first major acting role in Robert Mulligan's The Man in the Moon (1991). Her role as a 14-year old tomboy earned her rave reviews. Roles in bigger films such as Jack the Bear (1993) and A Far Off Place (1993) followed shortly after.

Following high school graduation in 1994 from Harpeth Hall, a Nashville all girls school, Reese decided to put her acting career on hold and attend Stanford University where she would major in English literature. However, her collegiate plans were shortly dashed when she accepted roles to star in two major motion pictures: Fear (1996) alongside Mark Wahlberg and Freeway (1996) with Kiefer Sutherland. Although neither film was a huge box-office success, they did help to establish Reese as a rising starlet in Hollywood and open the door for bigger and better film roles. Those bigger roles came in movies such as Pleasantville (1998), Election (1999) and Cruel Intentions (1999).

Her breakthrough role came as Elle Woods in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde (2001). The movie was huge box-office smash and established Reese as one of the top female draws in Hollywood. The next year, she scored a follow-up hit with Sweet Home Alabama (2002) which went on to gross over $100 million dollars at the box office. In 2006, she took home the best actress Oscar for her role as June Carter Cash in theJohnny Cash biopic Walk the Line (2005). In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Reese continued to star in more romantic comedies such as Four Christmases (2008) and How Do You Know (2010). In December 2010, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Off the screen, she was married to Ryan Phillippe from 1999 to 2007. They met at her 21st birthday party and subsequently worked together inCruel Intentions (1999). They have two children: a daughter, Ava Elizabeth (born 9 September 1999) and a son, Deacon (born 23 October 2003). In March 2011, Reese remarried talent agent Jim Toth.

Spouse

	(26 March 2011 - present)
Ryan Phillippe	(5 June 1999 - 13 June 2008) (divorced) 2 children

Trade Mark

Mostly plays chipper-type women convinced of their own successful destiny

Her characterful smile

Trivia

Majored in English Literature at Stanford University; on leave from her studies as of 1996.

Shortly after she started acting she had an audition for a role in Cape Fear (1991). She was supposed to meet with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese for the audition, but at the time didn't really know who they were. On the plane she was talking to the man next to her about her audition, and the man started to rave to her about De Niro and Scorsese. This made her so nervous that she completely blew the audition and the role eventually went to Juliette Lewis.

Refused the lead roles in two horror movies, Scream (1996) and Urban Legend (1998).

Was considered for the role of Juliet in Romeo + Juliet (1996).

Her mother, Betty, has a Ph.D. in pediatric nursing and her dad, John, is a surgeon.

Named one of People Magazine's "25 Most Intriguing People of 2001"

Named one of E!'s "Top 20 Entertainers of 2001".

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.

Went to Harpeth Hall School, a private school for girls in Nashville, Tennessee

She runs a production company called "Type A Films" with Debra Siegal

Appears in Entertainment Weekly's Most Powerful List sitting at #22

At the young age of 11 she won the "Ten State Talent Award"

She was a cheerleader in high school and a debutante.

Reese is her mother's maiden name.

Has moved her production company, Type A Films, to Universal Pictures. Has signed a two-year first-look production pact with Universal. The studio has already picked up a romantic comedy pitch, Sports Widow (2010), for her to star in and produce.

She appeared in a television commercial when she was 7 for a local Nashville florist.

Has been named one of Rolling Stone's "People of the Year" along with Eminem and Kelly Osbourne.

She lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, as a young child.

Her Gap ad appeared on a six-story-high building on Sunset Blvd,.

Named one of E! 2002 "Entertainers of the Year".

Her daughter, Ava, is named after her ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe's, grandmother.

Steve Dontanville from the William Morris Agency is still her agent. They got together after The Man in the Moon (1991).

She can trace her family all the way back to Scotland, UK. John Witherspoon, her Gifford-born "favourite ancestor", who attended Haddington Grammar School, obtained a Master of Arts from Edinburgh University in 1739, and was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Her wedding ring is an early 1990s Neil Lane, Asscher-cut-diamond, and there are only a few like it in the world.

Has an older brother, John D. Witherspoon

Ranked #1 on E!'s Hollywood's Hottest Blondes (2003)

As extra credit for a high school class, she worked as an office production assistant for the film Devil in a Blue Dress (1995). Director Carl Franklin paid homage to her by featuring Legally Blonde (2001) in the film Out of Time (2003/I).

She collects antique linens and is crazy about old embroidery.

Ryan proposed to her in December of 1998 while the couple was vacationing at The Planter's Inn in Charleston, South Carolina.

As a child she appeared in her local Sunday paper modeling kids' track suits and such. She said that it was creative for her. She was paid $50 a day.

Started children's acting classes at a community college at the age of 7. By the age of 9 she was taking adult acting classes.

Her son is named after former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Deacon Phillippe, a distant relative of her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe.

She was a gymnast for 7 years when she was younger.

Named 'Favorite Female Film Star' by People Magazine (2004)

Neither she nor her ex-husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, use their real first names - Reese's first name is Laura, Ryan's first name is Matthew.

Was the first person to host "Saturday Night Live" (1975) after the September 11th terror attacks.

Was approached by a few companies to record music after she provided her own singing voice for Walk the Line (2005).

Has appeared in four movies bearing the names of songs: Jack the Bear (1993), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Just Like Heaven (2005) andWalk the Line (2005).

She donated many items to Rocky Stone to be given to less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign.

The year she won her Oscar for Walk the Line (2005), her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe appeared in the movie that won Best Picture, Crash(2004/I) .

Her performance as Tracy Flick in Election (1999) is ranked #45 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Dyed her hair brown for her role in Walk the Line (2005)

Named #40 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005)

Is the second actress to win the best actress Oscar for portraying a female singer in a biography; the first was Sissy Spacek for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980).

The dress she wore at the Golden Globes in 2006 was also worn by Kirsten Dunst at the Golden Globes in 2003

Distant cousin of Daniel Morton

Named #34 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).

Announced on October 30, 2006 that she has separated and would file divorce papers against her husband, Ryan Phillippe, after seven years of marriage.

Best friends with Selma Blair, Chelsea Handler and Renée Zellweger.

Was originally cast in the lead role in Bunny Lake Is Missing (2012), but backed out a few weeks before shooting began.

Filed for divorce against husband Ryan Phillippe, also demanding sole custody for their children Ava and Deacon, on 8th November 2006.

Is a vegetarian.

Mentioned in the song High School Never Ends by Bowling for Soup, as "the prom queen".

Named the first-ever Avon Global Ambassador and will serve as the Honorary Chairman of the Avon Foundation [August 1, 2007].

Was named highest-paid actress in Hollywood by The Hollywood Reporter in 2007.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $7 million.

Is one of 9 actresses to have won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich (2000), Renée Zellweger for Cold Mountain (2003),Helen Mirren for The Queen (2006), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006), Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008), Mo'Nique for Precious (2009),Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010) and Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011).

Campaigned for the role of Christine Collins in Changeling (2008), but lost the part to Angelina Jolie.

Was in a relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, having met him on the set of Rendition (2007) (January 2007-November 2009).

Returned to work 4 months after giving birth to her daughter Ava in order to begin filming her guest appearance on "Friends" (1994).

Returned to work 8 months after giving birth to her son Deacon in order to begin filming Walk the Line (2005).

Auditioned for the role of Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins (2005), but Katie Holmes was cast instead.

Was in consideration for the role of Amy Stanton in The Killer Inside Me (2010), but Kate Hudson was cast instead.

Was awarded the 2,425th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by James L. Brooks and James Mangold, accompanied by her children, Ava and Deacon Phillippe, and boyfriend Jim Toth [December 1, 2010].

Announced her engagement to boyfriend Jim Toth, having been in a relationship with him since February 2010 [December 28, 2010].

Married Jim Toth on March 26, 2011, in a marquee on her ranch in Ojai, California, wearing a custom-designed gown by Monique Lhuillier, before 120 guests. Eighty white doves were released just moments after the couple said "I do".

Her bridesmaids at her wedding included her best friend Heather Rosenfield, daughter Ava Phillippe, and her two young nieces.

Amongst the guests at her wedding were Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr., Alyssa Milano, Isla Fisher, Selma Blair and Salma Hayek.

Played Robert Pattinson's mother in Vanity Fair (2004), but his scene was cut from the end product. In Water for Elephants (2011) the two of them play lovers.

She was honored with the MTV Generation Award at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards, being the second female in the history of the show to receive the award, following Sandra Bullock who received the award one year earlier.

Rushed to the hospital after being hit by a car on September 7, 2011 while jogging in Santa Monica, California. Was treated for minor injuries before being sent home. Received a quarter-inch scar on her forehead that she hides with her bangs.

Won the Academy Award for Best Actress, in 2006, for playing June Carter Cash in Walk the Line (2005). Funnily enough, Witherspoon had already played another Carter family member before; she played Mother Maybelle Carter (June Carter's mom) in her 4th Grade play.

Received a scar on her forehead from getting hit by a car on September 7, 2011.

Revealed in the 84th Academy Awards montage that her favorite movie is 'Overboard (1980)_.

Expecting her third child, first with husband Jim Toth [March 21, 2012].

Gave birth to her first child at age 23, a daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe on September 9, 1999. Child's father is her first husband, Ryan Phillippe.

Gave birth to her second child at age 27, a son Deacon Reese Phillippe on October 23, 2003. Child's father is her first husband, Ryan Phillippe.

Expecting her 3rd child, 1st with second husband Jim Toth [March 21, 2012].

Personal Quotes

[on having a baby]: "Obviously, this isn't the time in my life that I would have chosen to do this, but I feel like life gives you these challenges for a reason. I feel so happy and glad to be in the place that I am. I really feel blessed. This is something I need to face and take control of."

[talking about how she choose the films she will be in]: "I have a weird process, but the main thing is like this: I hear her voice in my head. There are a lot of wonderful scripts my agents can't believe I pass on, but I do because I can't hear the voice. It doesn't appeal to me then. I'm really careful. Unless I hear the voice, I can't do it."

[talking about Ryan Phillippe]: "I'm lucky to find a person to share my life, and the best friend I'll ever have."

[Talking about motherhood and her baby]: "I feel good, I'm proud of Election (1999) and very proud of this [her child]. It couldn't be a better time. It's always the right time when it happens. You make it the right time".

[talking about Pleasantville (1998)]: "We were thrilled for just the three nominations we got, but obviously it's a little sad. I went through so many press junkets with people saying they loved it. And Joan Allen was robbed but she can't get nominated every year. She's an inspiration for every young actress. She has that calm and reserve about herself and makes you think she appreciates the normal things of everyday. Then she transforms into this character that's so different."

[talking about the movie business]: "The battles that we face in this business aren't financial, but they are moral. And I certainly think that the longer you can keep your values, and your morality intact, and keep your head on your shoulders about what is important at the end of the day, you can get the most out of this business and really emerge with something wonderful."

"I grew up in Tennessee. We didn't know what Louis Vuitton was. I had to order all my prom outfits out of catalogs".

People want to try and move you into a place where you can be easily identifiable by every woman in America - to be this very likable woman in a romantic comedy. And it's really hard for me. I just don't see myself as the girl that everybody likes. I never have been and I don't know how to be that person.

As far as being in the spotlight and under public scrutiny, a lot of that's about how much you put yourself out there. It's not like we go to every premiere and every celebrity function and every charity auction. We really just try to maintain our privacy and never let our public persona get out of hand.

I'm not perfect! I'm human. I make mistakes. But I try to be as conscious as I can about things I should be. If I'm going to do something commercial and mainstream and made for the masses, I just believe you can make those kinds of films with quality - and good ideas and good intentions. There's a lot of negativity out there.

"While making Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003), I had like 50 outfit changes. It was great! I'm real into the whole "girlie" thing, it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it".

Attending an all-girls school has its advantages, there are no inhibitions. You can walk to school with your zit cream on and your hair in rollers and nobody cares.

"It's nice to come home to what's real." - E! "Revealed with Jules Asner" (2001).

[on husband Ryan Phillippe] "I don't think I can imagine a better guy than the one I've ended up with".

There's something timeless and important about making people laugh, about being the right spot in their day. - as quoted in the Dec 7, 2004 issue of Woman's World.

I was thinking about why I make movies, and I know why. Life is hard. It's nice to go escape and have a good time at the movies. If I can give people a movie about hope, love and the future, then I've done my job.

I do think things were meant to happen. I'm just this little girl from Tennessee, and here I am today. I think a lot of things are just out of your hands.

[Asked about the ways she is discriminated against] "I get discriminated against in three ways: I get discriminated against because I'm blond, I get discriminated against because I'm an actress and I get discriminated against because I'm from the South."

I did. I called my attorney. My agent. My manager. I said "You know y'all, you're serious about this? I'm really.. I gotta get out of this. Like, can't they call LeAnn Rimes? I mean she's good" - On trying to get out of the part of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line (2005).

The director came to us and he said "No, I really want you guys to learn to sing. To learn to play instruments and I want you to record an album". and that is what... and I just absolutely was just gob-smacked and I said .. "I don't know. I can't do that." And he said "Well I want you to try." Now that's the thing for me. If someone asks me to try, I will always try. - On doing her own singing in Walk the Line (2005).

Life isn't just about you: It's about family and friends and giving back. quoted in Woman's World magazine 2-21-06.

About dual careers and marriage: "Marriage and family come before everything. You don't want to make a movie at the cost of your relationship."

I feel like there's a race being run for some unattainable goal - to be the best, the skinniest, the most beautiful. I just admit that's what I'll never be.

What gets me is how many women - young women - give up their power and sense of self. Thinking they're going to get more out of life if they take off their clothes and objectify themselves, instead of functioning on the principle that they're smart and capable, that you can be an actress and not be on the covers of T&A magazines. I'm flabbergasted by how many legitimate actresses do that. It blows my mind.

(Part of Oscar Speech) I am so blessed to have my family here tonight. My mother and my father are here. And I just want to say thank you so much for everything, for being so proud of me. It didn't matter if I was making my bed or making a movie. They never hesitated to say how proud they were of me. And that means so very much to a child. So thank you, Mom and Dad. I want to say thank you to my wonderful husband and my two children who should be going to bed. And thank you for loving me so much and supporting me. And I want to say that, my grandmother was one of the biggest inspirations in my life. She taught me how to be a real woman to have strength and self respect, and to never give those things away. And those are a lot of qualities I saw in June Carter Cash. People used to ask June how she was doing, and she used to say -- 'I'm just trying to matter'. And I know what she means. You know, I'm just trying to matter, and live a good life and make work that means something to somebody. And you have all made me feel that I might have accomplished that tonight. So thank you so much for this honor".

I think everyone has their own set of problems, and sometimes I feel I'm in the middle of the biggest challenge of my life just trying to maintain normalcy in a kind of crazy lifestyle.

I'm pretty conservative or old-fashion, I should say, it's how I grew up. I think you have to let your children be individuals, but you have to set boundaries. Ryan and I have similar ideas about all of it, you really have to support you partner in the things that are important to them and hold the line together.

Many people worry so much about managing their careers, but rarely spend half that much energy managing their lives. I want to make my life, not just my job, the best it can be. The rest will work itself out.

I have cellulite. I have stretch marks. I feel intimidated by Victoria's Secret. Hollywood is one of those endless competitions, but it's like running a race toward nothing. There's no winning. You're never going to win the pretty race. I just want to be the best version of myself that I can be.

I feel like there's a race being run in Los Angeles for some unattainable goal -to be the best, the skinniest, the most beautiful. I just admit that that's what I'll never be. (Marie Claire - September 2005)

I don't think these women are stupid. I think they're selling a personality that's very marketable: Wouldn't it be fun if we were all gorgeous and didn't have a care? But creating a cultural icon out of someone who goes, "I'm stupid, isn't it cute?" makes me want to throw daggers at them! I want to say to them, "My grandma did not fight for what she fought for, and my mother did not fight for what she fought for, so you can start telling women it's fun to be stupid." Saying that to young women, little girls, my daughter? It's not OK. (Marie Claire - September 2005)

I feel there are certain people who are systematically ripping [feminism] down because of their lack of regard and their ignorance about what the women before us had to go through. (Marie Claire - September 2005)

What gets me is how many women - young women - give up their power and their sense of self. Thinking they're going to get more out of life if they take off their clothes and objectify themselves, instead of functioning on the principle that they're smart and capable, that you can be an actress and not be on the covers of T&A magazines. I'm flabbergasted by how many legitimate actresses do that. It blows my mind. (Marie Claire - September 2005)

I'm wary of what goal I set, because then I'll have to accomplish it. (Vanity Fair - September 2004 - "Regally Blonde" by Leslie Bennett).

Since when is self-improvement a negative? Why wouldn't I be interested in psychology? I like to read a lot of psychology books. I'm obsessed with child behavior; I would love to be a child psychologist. [on being criticized after admitting she and then-husband Ryan Phillippe have gone to couples therapy] (Vanity Fair - September 2004 - "Regally Blonde" by Leslie Bennett).

I've learned the art of ignoring people. When people give you some piece of direction you don't like, you just nod and ignore it. Just don't do it! Most people want to be heard and acknowledged, anyway. Just do what you want to do. [on how she handles people who disagree with her] (Vanity Fair - September 2004 - "Regally Blonde" by Leslie Bennett).

Even now, people want to marginalize me. They want to attribute all my success to teenagers seeing my movies. I really resent it when people say, "It's just a genre film; it's a teen comedy". It takes a lot of work to make these things have heart and resonance so they're not just empty, disposable confections. But I don't give a damn about other people's perceptions, because I'll show them. For women in this business, ascendancy is always a battle. It's scrape and claw. I just try to stick to my guns and respect myself. I want to take the ingénues aside and say, "Value yourself! It's O.K. if you have opinions!" [on struggling to be taken seriously in the industry] (Vanity Fair - September 2004 - "Regally Blonde" by Leslie Bennett).

They want people they can push around. I was the girl who was always asking, "Why? Yeah, I know you want me to do that - but why?" I always thought people wanted to hear my opinions. [Grins] But I gave them anyway. It's just blind self-confidence. I get like a little terrier about things. My mother says I should have been an attorney [on asserting herself, even with her employers] (Vanity Fair - September 2004 - "Regally Blonde" by Leslie Bennett).

It's one of those endless competitions, but it's like running a race toward nothing. "There's no winning. You're never going to win the thin race. You're never going to win the pretty race. You're never going to win the smart race. You're never going to win the funny race. I just want to be the best version of myself I can be [About the harsh standards placed on women by Hollywood] (Vanity Fair - September 2004 - "Regally Blonde" by Leslie Bennett).

I like work. If it's not hard enough, I try to make it harder. I like the process of being daunted by it, tackling it, and knowing I can do it (Vanity Fair - September 2004 - "Regally Blonde" by Leslie Bennett).

{On roles resembling the title character in Penelope (2006)] I like this girl because she is a bit of a bad-ass. I grew up watching movies with people like Barbara Stanwyck and, sometimes, I get frustrated that there aren't a lot of great female characters out there that young women can look at and go, 'I want to be like that'. I go to movies and yell at the women on-screen, 'Shoot him; just shoot him'. I mean, why why does the guy always have to shoot him?

When I was a question on "Jeopardy!" (1984), that's when I felt famous.

There's always going to be somebody younger or sexier. That's why I like to say, and it's become my famous line, "Funny doesn't sag."

[on storing her Oscar] I have it out [at home] with the kids artwork... I think it's great when they hold it and dress it up.