Reese Witherspoon on Intelligence and Comedy

Reese Witherspoon often feels she has to prove herself in Hollywood - because she still faces prejudice about her level of intelligence.

The Southern belle, who attended America's prestigious Stanford University, has often complained that her roots and her blonde appearance have contributed to people assuming she's unintelligent.

But the problem has also spilled over to casting - which Witherspoon insists she'll never accept.

She says, "I had an interesting meeting the other day with a very prominent director. He sat there, looked me right in the eye, and said, 'To be honest, I didn't really see you as right for this part. I see you as a comedic actress.'"

"So I told him that in my experience, I have found that the smartest people are often comedians. To understand character and the subtle nuances of what makes things funny, you have to be incredibly emotionally intelligent about people. You have to be highly perceptive and attuned to what makes people tick."