Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. She landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991. In 1996, she appeared in Freeway and starred in Pleasantville in 1998. For her role in 1999’s Election, she earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Comedy or Musical nomination.