Long before she ruled the Oscars red carpets and built a media empire, Reese Witherspoon was a small‑town teen from Nashville with big dreams and zero roadmap for Hollywood. When she auditioned for her early role in Wildflower (1991), she found herself under the wing of the late Diane Keaton, who hired her on the spot and then offered the kind of advice every young actress needs but rarely hears.
In a candid conversation with Harper’s Bazaar, Witherspoon opened up about Keaton’s guidance. According to the Election star, the advice she received from the Godfather trilogy icon went beyond acting:
Those at the beginning of my career were incredibly encouraging, but also gave me a lot of real-world advice about how to behave, how to carry myself, what not to do: not to move to Los Angeles. They said: stay in Nashville. Be a child for a long as you possibly can.
The Legally Blonde star reflected that after arriving in L.A., she felt a sense of unease about the cultural differences she was used to. She added:
I was really friendly and bubbly and smiley. People thought I was faking it. The perception of being from the South was that I didn’t belong to the coastal-elite communities. I wasn’t part of the art world, or the cool-kid club. It was a culture clash. I didn’t understand the sharp elbows and competitive nature of what I did.
Witherspoon explained that Keaton paused the audition take when she overheard the young actress’s accent and simply asked, “Who are you?” When Witherspoon admitted she was from Nashville, the filmmaker replied, “Are you making that up?” Then she cast her anyway: “Well, you’re hired today, tomorrow, and the next day.” The moment stuck with Witherspoon, who says the experience taught her early that authenticity, and not polish, can shape a career.
But the lessons weren’t relegated to only on set. Witherspoon recalls Keaton pulling her aside during filming of Wildflower and delivering a directive she still carries with her. The Big Little Lies star (available with an HBO Max subscription) recalled Keaton's words:
‘Stand up straight, okay? I want you to have good posture. If you’re going to be an actress, you’ve got to work on your posture, okay?’
That advice, charming as it sounds, echoes through the professional diligence Witherspoon exhibits even today, in her posture, her voice, and her choices, all rooted in that early brush with a Hollywood veteran.
Growing up in the South gave Witherspoon a sense of humility and groundedness—two traits she credits for helping her manage the transition to Hollywood. Those attributes, in tandem with Keaton’s guidance, shaped the kind of career she built: one with both star power and substance. Witherspoon noted:
The thing I loved most about Diane was her originality. From Annie Hall to The Godfather to Something’s Gotta Give, she’s just incredible and indelible and a truly original person.
The mentorship came at a pivotal time in Witherspoon’s life. As a teenager entering a world she didn’t know, she found the wisdom of a seasoned actor invaluable. Now, decades later, the Cruel Intentions A-lister uses the same advice to guide others. She encourages young creatives to stay grounded, stay curious, and stay connected to what makes them who they are—not what the industry might try to mold them into.
Reese Witherspoon's most recent work, The Morning Show season 4, is available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription.
