Reese Witherspoon’s Greatest Character Never Leaves Her
Reese Witherspoon has one iconic character in her vast repertoire of incredible films that sticks with her even today, despite having played the character over two decades ago. The character in question is Tracy Flick from the 1999 black comedy thriller Election, which Witherspoon starred in alongside Matthew Broderick. In a recent interview, Witherspoon walked her fans down memory lane, reflecting on why the character is so special to her, and how she still feels a connection to the overachieving student today.
Reese Witherspoon As Tracy Flick In Election
Election was written and directed by Alexander Payne, who later went on to helm such films as Nebraska, Downsizing, and last year’s The Holdovers. The film is based on a Tom Perrotta novel of the same name.
It centers on a student body election at an Omaha high school, satirizing larger American politics along the way. Reese Witherspoon immediately made waves in the film as Tracy Flick, an overzealous student hell-bent on achieving her dream of becoming student body president by any means necessary.
Witherspoon Was Made For The Role
Reese Witherspoon connected with the material instantly upon reading the script and even remarked that she was invariably the right candidate for the job as she finished her audition. Payne must have seen this wry confidence and unshaken will within Witherspoon because he wholeheartedly agreed.
From there, Witherspoon describes Election as her dream shooting experience, explaining that the entire set was lively with creative collaborators who were comfortable joking with each other and experimenting to see what worked.
Nerves Over The Final Product
Her experience wasn’t 100 percent positive, however, as Reese Witherspoon recalls having mixed feelings about watching the final cut of the 1999 film. This is a common experience for many actors, as they often have no idea what editors, cinematographers, and special effects teams will do with the overall look and vibe of a given film while they’re performing the material. However, Witherspoon’s performance was met with near-universal praise from the viewing public upon the movie’s release, so her qualms were quickly squashed.
Her Career After Election
Now, over 25 years since Election premiered, Reese Witherspoon claims that she still feels connected to Tracy Flick, and retained the raw ambition exhibited by the character well into her adulthood. Witherspoon has gone on to appear in dozens of popular film and television projects since Election, including Legally Blonde, Walk The Line, Four Christmases, Inherent Vice, and the animated musical franchise Sing.
While her star power and head-turning good looks couldn’t have hurt her ability to get these roles, the ambition she mustered from playing Flick certainly helped her launch her career to the next level.
Up Next For Reese Witherspoon
Today, Reese Witherspoon has half a dozen upcoming projects in various stages of active production, proving that her career has only continued to heat up. Some of her latest work includes a third installment in the Legally Blonde franchise, as well as a Tinker Bell feature film. Witherspoon also created and stars in a Disney Junior animated series titled Tiny Trailblazers, which is set to air later this year.
Source: People
