REESE'S RICHES

There's no stopping her as she becomes the wealthiest self-made female actor in the world

- MAXINE PETERS

SHE holds many titles Stanford University dropout, Academy Award-winning actress, mom, executive producer, creator of the iconic character who brought us the bend and snap. Now she has another to add and this latest accolade shows she's been smiling all the way to the bank.

Reese Witherspoon was recently named the wealthiest self-made female actor in the world by financial magazine Forbes. The 47-year-old, who made her screen debut in 1991 in The Man in the Moon, is now worth an eye-watering $440 million (R7,9 billion).

She's made a pretty penny from her acting roles, but the game-changer came when her production company, Hello Sunshine, started landing big projects.

Reese started the business because she grew tired of the lack of strong roles for women.

"I think it was literally one studio that had a project for a female lead over 30, she once said of her reason for starting her business. "And I thought to myself, I've got to get busy".

Hello Sunshine has since produced hit shows like Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere and The Morning Show. In 2021 she sold her majority share of it to Candle Media, which is owned by former Disney bigwigs, but she still holds 18% of the company.

This stake has helped her to amass great wealth, but it's not the only thing bringing in bucks. We take a closer look at Reese's riches.

SCREEN STAR

Reese's star rose rapidly since her breakout role in Cruel Intentions in 1999, for which she reportedly earned $250 000 (then R1,4m). Just two years later she reached global stardom as Elle Woods, the pink-loving student who proves she's no dumb blonde.