Reese Witherspoon: In Control And in 'Earnest'

For an actress who has just achieved name-above-the-title stardom, Reese Witherspoon is amazingly down-to-earth. Perched on a chair in her Manhattan hotel suite, the force behind such wildly diverse films as "Cruel Intentions," "Election," "Legally Blonde," and the new "The Importance of Being Earnest" comes off as one of the most self-possessed performers in the business.

So direct and brisk is Witherspoon that it only takes about half as long to interview her as it does most actors. Bring up a topic, and she has something short and snappy to say about it.

On her all-purpose theory of acting: "I fancy myself an anthropologist. I like to watch the way people move and behave. Do they kiss each other when they greet, or do they shake hands? All of those kinds of details are important when you're building a character."

On losing her Southern accent: "People assume that you're not too smart if you're from the South. I was told to get rid of the twang. Now, I only bring it back for a small fee. A large fee, actually."

On her similarity to "Legally Blonde's" Elle Woods, her best-known character: "I'm a Southerner and I'm a blonde, so of course, I've been underestimated too. I've been told I wasn't sexy enough and that I wasn't pretty enough. In Hollywood, they'll say it right to your face."

On being the only American in the almost-all British cast of "Earnest": "I'm sure they were talking about how terrible I was when I was in the bathroom, but I said, 'Oh well, I'll make fun of them when they do American movies.'"

On being a mom and an "It" girl at 26: "It's good to go to a premiere and then come home and change diapers and wipe the peanut butter and jelly off your pants. It reminds you what life is really about."

Witherspoon's ease with interviews is perhaps a result of years of practice. After all, she's been in movies since she was 14, when "To Kill a Mockingbird" director Robert Mulligan discovered her in Nashville and tapped her for the lead in 1991's "Man in the Moon."

Afterward, she briefly considered following in the footsteps of her parents, both of whom are physicians. "I was in college [at Stanford] when Robert Benton called up and offered me a role in 'Twilight' with Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, and Gene Hackman," recalls the actress, who was born in New Orleans and reared in Nashville.

"It was Pysch 101 or working with Paul Newman. It wasn't a hard decision. I was, like, 'Pack me up. See you kids later.' "

Since "Twilight," Witherspoon's career has burned brighter than ever. The $100 million success of last summer's "Legally Blonde" lifted Witherspoon into a different solar system. Overnight, her asking price zoomed from $1 million to $8 million a movie. That said, Witherspoon decided to work for a fraction of her usual salary to join the ensemble cast of "The Importance of Being Earnest," the latest screen adaptation of Oscar Wilde's masterpiece. The movie - which opens nationwide Friday - was directed by Oliver Parker, who, three years ago, turned Wilde's "An Ideal Husband" into a hit.

In the comedy, Witherspoon plays the spunky ingenue Cecily alongside such formidable thespians as Judi Dench, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, and Frances O'Connor.

"Reese and I had so much fun," says O'Connor. "I really loved working on our scenes together. She's remarkable because she's got such an inherent comic ability. She's just so naturally good at comedy."

It wasn't all fun and games for Witherspoon. She admits to being intimidated trying to nail the perfect British accent. "I was petrified to do this movie, absolutely terrified," she says. "So I spent six weeks, three hours a day, working on my accent. I was still scared to open my mouth when I got to the set."

It didn't help matters that during her first scene with Dench, Witherspoon struggled to find her groove while Dench already had the eight-page scene memorized.

"She had every line down pat," says Witherspoon. "I turned to my driver, an English guy, and said, 'Judi has it all memorized! I cannot believe it!' And he just said, 'She's a national treasure.' They take such a sense of pride about her and her work."

There are plenty of people who take pride in Witherspoon, beginning with her husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, and their 3-year-old daughter, Ava.

"It's really fulfilling to reach a place career-wise that once seemed so out of reach, and then to be able to have a wonderful family to share it with," says Witherspoon. "It really makes it that much more fulfilling."

Phillippe, who had just wound up filming on "Gosford Park" as "Earnest" went before the cameras, was a frequent visitor to the set. According to Witherspoon, she and Phillippe made a pact never to work at the same time, so that one of them can always be home with Ava. "We want to spend as much time with our daughter as we can," she says.

"Legally Blonde" director Robert Luketic recalls the delight that young Ava takes in watching her mother at work. "Ava would sit in the director's chair and clap her hands at everything Reese did, going, 'Mommy, mommy,' " recalls the filmmaker. "You could see what a great dad Ryan is. To have that kind of support is wonderful. Reese is really fortunate."

Witherspoon is the first to admit that Phillippe is an ideal dad. "I was the neophyte as far as babies are concerned," she says. "Ryan's mom ran a day-care center [in Wilmington, Del.] when he was a kid, so he can do a diaper like you wouldn't believe. He can do it in nine seconds flat."

Next up for Witherspoon is "Sweet Home Alabama," a comedy about a small-town girl who moves to New York in search of a more cosmopolitan life.