Despite never having made a movie together, fans may be surprised to learn that fellow A-listers Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner are such good friends. Sure, the two actresses share a lot in common. They’ve been in the business for decades. They’ve had hit films and TV shows. And they’re both devoted moms (Witherspoon has three children with ex-husbands Jim Toth and Ryan Philippe while Garner shares three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck).
Both Garner and Witherspoon are also social media savvy (remember when Witherspoon started the calendar challenge and Garner joined in too?), and both also care deeply about the environment. Recently, the two women have also been working on their first project together, the Apple TV+ series The Last Thing He Told Me.
Are Jennifer Garner And Reese Witherspoon Friends?
Some Hollywood relationships may seem fake but not this one. As it also turns out, Garner and Witherspoon have known each other for decades. And while Garner didn’t detail exactly how they met, she did confirm that their first meeting took place “a long time ago.”
During a recent interview, Garner recalled being in “awe” of Witherspoon from the beginning. “She seems to be five steps ahead always and she’s younger than I am, so you just feel like how do you know all of this,” the actress said.
At the same time, Garner also revealed that she’s kept some gifts from Witherspoon over the years and that she even continues to use them today. This includes a set of bowls from the Oscar winner, which may have been a housewarming present or a birthday gift.
Garner has also since reciprocated the gift. For Witherspoon’s birthday last year, the actress gifted her with a bowl that she made herself (with the help of a coach). As fans of The Last Thing He Told Me may know, Garner’s character, Hannah, is an artist who specializes in wood spinning to make the most uniquely crafted homeware.
They’ve Supported Each Other Throughout Their Very Public Divorces
Both Garner and Witherspoon know firsthand what it’s like to go through a public divorce and luckily, they’ve had each other to lean on through it all. In fact, just days after Garner and Affleck officially filed for divorce in April 2017, Witherspoon was pictured attending Garner’s birthday party. The Oscar winner also took to Instagram to give her friend some birthday wishes.
And more recently, when Witherspoon’s split from Toth was announced, Garner was also by Witherspoon’s side as she made her first public appearance following the announcement. Granted, the appearance had been for the premiere of The Last Thing He Told Me.
Reese Witherspoon Also ‘Pushed’ Jennifer Garner To Become A Producer
The Last Thing He Told Me marks Garner’s first-ever project with Apple TV+. More importantly, the series is also the first time that she ever collaborated with Witherspoon after being friends for such a long time. That said, only Garner is onscreen for this one as Witherspoon serves as an executive producer along with her Hello Sunshine banner.
Based on a novel of the same name by Laura Dave, The Last Thing He Told Me tells the story of a woman who forms an unexpected relationship with her stepdaughter following the mysterious disappearance of her husband.
Julia Roberts was originally attached to play the lead but when the actress dropped out, Garner took the opportunity to pitch herself, sending letters to the creative team that includes Dave and her husband, Josh Singer, who are co-creators of the series.
As expected, Garner also immediately got in touch with Witherspoon. “It was so great to hear her passion. She picked up the phone, we had long conversations about it,” the Oscar winner recalled while speaking with Access Hollywood. In that moment, she also somewhat knew that her friend was meant to play the show's lead.
And once Garner signed on, Witherspoon got the actress to serve as an executive producer on the show too. For Garner, it’s a relatively new role, having only served as a producer on a handful of her projects, including Alias, Butter, and her Netflix family comedy Yes Day. In contrast, Witherspoon has served as a producer on multiple projects, and over time, this convinced Garner to do more too.
“She has really pushed me,” Garner recalled. The actress also recalled a previous conversation she had with Witherspoon where the Oscar winner pointed out, “Nobody is sitting around thinking, what can I shoot in L.A. that’s going to have a 50-year-old woman in it?” while also convincing Garner to “create your own stuff.”
And while Garner and Witherspoon aren’t sharing the screen in The Last Thing He Told Me, the Alias star has teased that she is interested to guest-star in Witherspoon’s other Apple TV+ project, The Morning Show. So far, not much is known about the third season of Witherspoon’s critically acclaimed series alongside Jennifer Aniston.
Since The Morning Show started its run, the series has been known to bring in several veteran stars onboard. So far, the ones confirmed to be joining the cast for Season 3 include Jon Hamm, Tig Notaro, Natalie Morales, and Nicole Beharie. Maybe, just maybe, this list would soon include Garner too.
“Put me in, coach,” Garner even remarked.
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