The Real Reason Reese Witherspoon Is Taking A Break From Her Career

When it comes to the hottest stars in Hollywood, there's no doubt Reese Witherspoon is right on top with the best of them. She has proven her talents know no limits, and she's starred in everything from hit movies to popular television shows like "Big Little Lies" and "The Morning Show," just to name a few. And who could forget Witherspoon bringing the character Elle Woods to life in "Legally Blonde"? According to her IMDb profile, she's also stepped behind the lens as a producer and writer.

The mother-of-three has talked about working in the entertainment industry many times in her life, including how far she's come since starring in films since she was a kid. As Oprah would say, Witherspoon had an "aha!" moment when she was 34 and stopped relying so much on her reps. "I felt like I needed to take control of my career back. Because as a child actor, you just have a different relationship with your representatives," she explained to People in 2021, adding that she "wasn't making any of the phone calls or taking my career into my own hands." You go girl. 

After adopting a new work ethic, Witherspoon has still landed plenty of prominent roles and only has herself to thank for how her career has been going. And while the star seems to be at the top of her game, she's taking a little step back from the spotlight in a surprising move.

Reese Witherspoon is pausing projects for nine months

Reese Witherspoon is taking a break from acting. The "Morning Show" star sat down for an interview with the Apple Podcast "We Can Do Hard Things With Glennon Doyle," where she explained further details on her acting hiatus and how long she expects to stop filming. "I haven't really told anybody, but I made a pact with myself not to film anything for nine months," the actor explained, noting it's hard. "I know that sounds like 'Ah only nine months?' That's really hard for me. I have a very busy brain, I like to have that sense of accomplishment. I like to be on set." It makes sense, and it does seem like Witherspoon has been in tons of movies and films over the past few years.

Witherspoon also elaborated a little further. "But it has been a challenge for me, but it was a challenge where I wanted to get quiet, and you can't find your next steps forward when you're racing around and making yourself busy and not giving yourself to think about who am I?" she asked. Witherspoon has pondered what the next chapter of her life may look like, and hopefully, her break will give her some time to think about things.

But one thing she didn't say she's taking a break from? Her clothing line, Draper James. The actor posted a photo from her line on July 17 — proving that she still will likely be plenty busy.