Reese Witherspoon Was Rejected From A Role For Being “Too Smart”

The actress opened up about being rejected from numerous roles

Reese Witherspoon has discussed the difficulties of being rejected from various film roles earlier on in her career, revealing that she was once turned down for being “too smart”.

In a lengthy Instagram post, the Oscar-winning actress opened up about how rejection can be used as a positive tool, although it might feel disheartening at the time.

“Over the years, I lost as many parts as I got,” she wrote. “I was always considered TOO something. Too short. Too feisty. Too energetic. I once got told I seemed too smart to play a young female character. I’m not gonna lie, sometimes all the rejection would hurt my feelings, I would take it personally. I definitely cried in the shower a lot in my 20s.”

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So many stories on Instagram focus on success, but sometimes it’s important to remember that rejection or failure can really be a great help in our lives. When I first started as an actor, I went on an audition for a part that i wanted more than ANYTHING. This was an incredible movie with a huge male movie star as the lead. I had 3 callbacks, then a screen test and one day my agent called and said, “You didn’t get the part, the lead actor liked working with the other actress more. “ Oh boy, did I cry. Ugly tears. For 3 whole days. But I recovered. And I got a different job. It wasn’t the same and I never watched that movie (!) but I learned so much from that experience. Over the years, I lost as many parts as I got. I was always considered TOO something. Too short. Too feisty. Too energetic. I once got told I seemed too smart to play a young female character. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes all the rejection would hurt my feelings, I would take it personally. I definitely cried in the shower a lot in my 20’s. What I didn’t know then was : rejection teaches you perseverance and how to get tough. And you also learn … not every path is right for you. My friend @kerrywashington always says “Rejection is God’s protection”. You are on a path that is made for YOU. Sometimes the universe is protecting you from a bad job or a toxic relationship. So remember next time you fail at something or someone leaves you heartbroken…. let yourself be sad, grieve what didn’t happen for a minute but move ON. Better things are waiting for you. : @abeautifulmess

A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Sep 3, 2019 at 9:57am PDT

Noting that Instagram can too often focus on people’s achievements and highlights, rather than their challenges and realities, Witherspoon said that it’s important to remember the crucial role that rejection, whether professional or personal, plays in our lives.

“Sometimes the universe is protecting you from a bad job or a toxic relationship,” she said. “So remember next time you fail at something or someone leaves you heartbroken… let yourself be sad, grieve what didn’t happen for a minute but move ON. Better things are waiting for you.”

Witherspoon is currently working on numerous projects, including an AppleTV series with Jennifer Aniston out this autumn, and a screen adaptation of Celeste Ng’s novel Little Fires Everywhere, which she has both produced and starred in.

From Harper’s BAZAAR U.K.