Reese Witherspoon Opens Up About Feeling 'Terrified' As A Young Mother In Hollywood

"But every bit of it—every bit of that sacrifice is truly worth it" - by Diandra Malivindi

A successful actress, producer and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon seems to have a perfect life. But even she has admitted that there was a time when she struggled to find her way in the world.

Appearing on a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the question of juggling motherhood and career brought up some memories for Witherspoon that the world never knew.

Barrymore recalled seeing Witherspoon with her first two children Ava and Deacon Phillippe—who she shares with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe—during the early stages of Witherspoon's career.

"How did you balance work and motherhood at that point?" the host asked. "Because I was just trying to balance work."

Witherspoon began to open up about her struggle at the time, saying: “To be completely candid, I was terrified too."

"I got pregnant when I was 22 years old, and I didn’t know how to balance work and motherhood, you just do it,” she said.

Reese Witherspoon Opens Up About Terrifying Young Motherhood Experience

The Little Fires Everywhere star also reminisced over how she didn't know if she was going to have "steady work" back then.

"I'd made movies but I hadn't, you know, established myself as someone who could demand that it shoot close to my kids' school", she admitted.

"I didn't have any real power, leverage within my industry," she recalled. "I was just like every other mom trying to figure it out—and dad out there, and partner, and grandparent who's raising a child."

Needless to say, Witherspoon's diligence clearly paid off. While juggling motherhood, Witherspoon has since starred in her fair share of hit films, such as Legally Blonde (and the sequel), Sweet Home Alabama and won an Academy Award for her portrayal of June Carter in Walk The Line.

And while Witherspoon said parenting involves a lot of compromising, she noted she wouldn't have it any other way.

"You take the food out of your mouth, the clothes off your back, the sleep out of your life," she told Barrymore.

"But every bit of it—every bit of that sacrifice is truly worth it because you feel like that's what makes me wake up on a Sunday. It's not movies or my job, it's my kids."

Magshop's $50,000 Winter Giveaway-Save up to 40%

Subscribe to marie claire

Subscribe Now

Magshop's $50,000 Winter Giveaway-Save up to 40%

Magazine Subscription Offer