Wait, Reese Witherspoon Changed Her Name
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When you think of Reese Witherspoon, you likely imagine her roles in Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, and Big Little Lies, as well as the other projects she has coming with her production company, Hello Sunshine. What you likely don’t think about? The fact that her real name is not actually Reese Witherspoon!
Shocked? So were we. But don't worry... it’s not like Reese has been hiding her identity all along. Instead, she’s simply shortened her birth name, which a quick Google search will uncover as Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.
One can assume that her reason for shortening her name was to make it less of a mouthful, but that’s not to say we’re not fans of her full name, too. (After all, who hasn’t seen To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before? Double names are everywhere!) Reese’s full name, while largely unused, has a modern romantic appeal that just about any millennial and Gen Z-er can appreciate.
As for why she chose Reese over Laura Jeanne? It’s her mother’s maiden name, and with just one syllable, it really rolls off the tongue. While it’s unclear when exactly she started going by Reese, she used the name for her first film appearance, The Man in the Moon, which debuted in 1991 when she was just 14 years old. According to Vogue, Reese legally changed her name early on in her career, although the actress hasn't seemed to confirm that.
Whatever the reason, we’re forever fans of Reese!
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