To celebrate turning 60, Melinda French Gates sat down with iconic changemakers of all ages to talk about their biggest life transitions for a special series, “Moments That Make Us.” In this episode, she chats with actress and producer Reese Witherspoon about her passion for sharing women’s stories, what it’s like being a working mom in Hollywood, the one question she asks before deciding whether to recommend a book, and how she feels when someone doubts her. Check out all of the conversations in this series: Megan Rapinoe: Reese Witherspoon: Ava DuVernay: Michelle Obama: Oprah Winfrey & Gayle King: Billie Jean King: & don’t miss the Trailer! : In this episode: • 0:40 – Reflecting on Reese’s 40s and making peace with change and uncertainty • 1:19 – How Reese’s mother’s career as a pediatric nurse shaped her idea of working as a mother from a young age and her experience as a mom in Hollywood • 4:13 – Advocating for women’s representation in film to every film studio in Hollywood • 6:09 – Why books are meaningful to Reese and becoming a continuous learner • 7:05 – Starting a business without a business background, thinking beyond constraints, and raising money for Hello Sunshine o See more: • 8:42 – Reese’s decision to take the role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde after watching an interview of Gloria Steinem on Goldie Hawn’s role in Private Benjamin o See more: o See more: • 11:17 – Pushing back on the constant messages of perfectionism from society • 13:07 – Finding deep connections and Charlie Munger’s ‘Web of Deserved Trust’ o See more: • 13:53 – The formative experience of an all-girls school and Melinda’s own experience with her teachers at an all-girls school o See more: :li:activity:7162535433267064832/ • 16:00 – The joyful experience of raising kids • 17:22 – Starting Reese’s Book Club and the criteria for picking books to share with others o See more: • 18:58 – Telling strong female stories and the importance of asking others their story Produced by Feee Films Directed by Felicia Manning Photography c/o Pivotal Ventures Follow Melinda French Gates on: Twitter/X: @melindagates Facebook: @melindagates LinkedIn: @melindagates Instagram: @melindafrenchgates YouTube: @melindafrenchgates Follow Reese Witherspoon on: Twitter/X: @ReeseW Facebook: @ReeseWitherspoon Instagram: @ReeseWitherspoon TikTok: @ReeseWitherspoon YouTube: @ReeseWitherspoon
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