Reese Witherspoon has recently left fans stunned by revealing that Reese isn’t her real name. This surprising revelation came during an interview with her close friend and co-star Nicole Kidman with Vanity Fair.
The 48-year-old Legally Blonde actress was born Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon. When she embarked on her acting career, she decided to adopt her mother’s maiden name, Reese, to stand out in the industry. This decision certainly paid off as she ascended to become one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars.
However, not everyone remembers that Reese was originally Laura — including Nicole, who momentarily forgot her friend’s birth name during a recent interview about their show, Big Little Lies. The interview with Vanity Fair turned into a heartfelt exchange as Nicole, 56, and Reese reminisced about their time on set.
Reese explained her reason for calling their co-star Laura Dern by her last name. “My other favorite thing is that I called Dern when we were shooting Big Little Lies’, Reese shared. Nicole, expressing her dislike for the nickname, interrupted, “I hate how you call her Dern though. It sounds weird. I’m always like, ‘Laura’ and you’re like, ‘no, Dern, Dern, Dern’.”
Reese then clarified, “Do you know why? Because my name is Laura and her name is Laura, and it’s confusing to me.” Nicole, momentarily forgetting Reese’s real name, responded, “Oh, that’s right.”
© Getty ImagesReese continued, “So I get confused and so I call her Dern because we can’t both be Laura.” Nicole quickly pointed out, “But she doesn’t call you Laura, though.” Reese, with a playful tone, replied, “I don’t understand your point, I don’t like your tone, you’re trying to understand something.” Nicole then jokingly said she would “stay out of it.”
This amusing exchange left fans in a state of surprise and delight. Social media was abuzz with reactions to the revelation. One fan wrote, “I was today years old when I found out Reese’s real name is Laura lmao.” Another exclaimed, “Reese acting like ANYONE calls her Laura.” A user questioned, “Reese is Laura?!” while another added, “Even Nicole didn’t know.”
© Getty ImagesFans were clearly taken aback, with one commenting, “I did not know her full name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon!” Another echoed, “Wait, Reese has a real name. Reese is LAURA???!!!! I never knew!” and one more user added, “Never did I ever know that was her real name.”
In the same interview, Nicole revealed that she and Reese are “moving fast and furious” on the third season of Big Little Lies. Based on Liane Moriarty’s novel, the HBO show was initially a one-season miniseries but became such a hit that it received a second season and now has a third in the works. Both Reese and Nicole star in and executive produce the series, which delves into the lives and scandals of a group of suburban mothers in Monterey, California.
Reese is certainly keeping busy with multiple projects. She recently announced a prequel series for Legally Blonde,”much to the delight of fans. The announcement, delivered by Reese herself in a pink-filled video, sent fans into a frenzy, theorizing who should play young Elle Woods.
The prequel, titled Elle, will explore the character’s origin story, focusing on her high school years before she becomes a Harvard Law student. Many fans have already taken to social media to suggest that Reese’s daughter, Ava, should step into the role of young Elle.
