On Tuesday night, Reese Witherspoon proudly debuted her passion project—HBO’s seven-episode series Big Little Lies—at its glitzy Hollywood premiere after working two and a half years to bring the dark comedy to the screen. She brought her look-alike daughter Ava Phillippe to the premiere and talked to Vanity Fair about Phillippe’s emergence in the public eye.
“We talk about things . . . like what she’s comfortable with,” said Witherspoon. “She doesn’t do anything that she’s not comfortable with. She wanted to come out and support me tonight, and that was really sweet of her.”
As the mother-daughter duo posed for photos together, fans were quick to note their likeness. Witherspoon sees it, too.
“I do see the resemblance. She’s a beautiful person inside and out. She’s just a good soul. I’m not sure what she thinks. I’m just ‘Mom’ to her. We’re happy to share this wonderful experience. I really have a rich, personal relationship with my daughter. I have a really great career, and it’s nice to be able to share it with my kids.”
As Ava gets older, does she want to follow in her mom and her dad Ryan Phillippe’s footsteps or become a model, like many celebrity offspring before her?
“She’s still in school so she has a lot of time to think about what she wants to do,” Witherspoon said. “I want for her whatever she wants for herself.”
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Big Little Lies is based on Liane Moriarty’s 2014 novel of the same name, and the mini-series, which was co-executive produced by and costars Nicole Kidman, centers around five mothers (played by Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz, to name a few) whose seemingly perfect lives unravel with a murder. As a full-time mother with a demanding career, it’s a story that resonated with Witherspoon.
When asked how she is raising her three children in the Donald Trump era where hostility and fear is constantly brewing, Witherspoon pivoted to how she believes teaching her children about acceptance is critical.
“Well, I’m not going to touch the political aspect of any question. I don’t think it’s fair and I think things are misconstrued,” Witherspoon told Vanity Fair at Tuesday night’s premiere. “I think it’s always important to teach my kids about tolerance and acceptance. Being compassionate and accepting each other no matter where you come from is very important. Actors are deeply empathetic. We live in each other’s shoes, you know. We walk a mile or sometimes a thousand miles in another person’s shoes, so it’s an opportunity to express and share with others different experiences and build tolerance.”
