costar, Julianna Margulies. “I don’t have it in me to do what she does,” says Margulies. “Reese somehow manages to compartmentalize—and she’s good at being in charge.”
The beneficence in that project has also proved to be good business: In August 2021, Hello Sunshine was sold to Candle Media, a company run by former top Disney execs Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, for a staggering $900 million. That’s a lot of rocket fuel.When I meet Witherspoon in her hometown of Nashville in early May, there is no trace of caffeinated squirrel. She’s wearing jeans and a floral top, and her hair is cut in a wispy fringe.
Before meeting Witherspoon, I expected to encounter a mash-up of the traits of the indelible characters she has brought to life: the sunny feminist optimism of Elle Woods, the persistent perkiness of Tracy Flick, maybe even some of the intensity ofPerhaps there are some shades of them, particularly Elle Woods. Lauren Neustadter, president of film and TV at Hello Sunshine, tells me that their wrap tradition upon ending big projects is to drink pink champagne in Witherspoon’s trailer.
Witherspoon admits that she has slowed down “just a little bit.” “My brain has been going nonstop, and just life changes and running a company,” she says, trailing off. “But that’s okay. I really believe creativity is infinite and you’re just looking for that next bit of inspiration, so if you go through a little slow period, that’s okay.”