Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon has spoken out to urge other women to be more confident in their own success, while questioning why so many hard-working ladies are made to feel ashamed about their ambition.
In an interview with Women’s Health for the publication’s 10th anniversary issue, which also features Reese as its cover star, the 39-year-old actress and designer explained that she doesn’t understand why society feels the need to view ambition in women as ugly or arrogant.
‘How wonderful it would be for our culture not to see ambition as an ugly thing within a woman’s personality. In our society, when we see women who want to succeed or who view themselves as leaders, it’s like, “How arrogant!” Well, I think it’s fantastic.’ She said.
Far from sitting back and simply discussing the problem, however, Reese is actively working towards a solution, both as one of Hollywood’s most successful leading ladies, and through her new fashion label, Draper James.
When it comes to the bright lights of the film industry, Reese, who is married to talent agent Jim Toth, is aiming to improve the way that women are seen on the screen, both in terms of the way characters are portrayed, and the roles that are available to actresses.
‘A few years ago I started a company called Pacific Standard Films and it came out of looking at scripts that were coming down the pipeline in Hollywood and just feeling really, “I think we can do better. I think we can create more female roles and different ways of seeing dynamic women on screen,”‘ she explained.