Witherspoon went by her real name Laura Jeane in school and has described herself as one of the popular nerdy girls who loved books growing up and received good grades.

"I was a big dork who read loads of books," Witherspoon told The Times in 2006. "But I was a popular dork because I learnt how to be funny."

Witherspoon was extremely busy in high school. Not only was she dividing her time between cheerleading, Spanish club, and Amnesty International, but she also started acting. At 14, she tried out for a background role in "The Man in the Moon," but ended up cast as the lead, a tomboy teen who fell in love with her 17-year-old neighbor.