Reese Witherspoon told to 'dress sexy' to win Legally Blonde role

Reese Witherspoon might now be calling the shots as head of her own production company, but the 43-year-old actress has recalled that wasn't always the case.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Morning Show actress spoke about an incident early in her career when she was up for her now famous role of Elle Woods in the 2001 film Legally Blonde .

"They thought I was a shrew," Witherspoon said about studio executives. "My manager finally called and said, 'You've got to go meet with the studio head because he will not approve you. He thinks you really are your character from Election and that you're repellent.' And then I was told to dress sexy," she added.

At the time, Witherspoon noted that she was just 23, had a new baby with then-husband actor Ryan Phillippe and felt more compelled to go along with what she was being directed to do.

"It's funny to think of all the things we were told to do back then because now you're thinking, 'Oh God, if somebody told my daughter to do that, she'd be like, I really hope you're joking,'" the mom of three stated.

In the interview, Witherspoon shared that it was her frustrations with the film industry - and in particular with its treatment of women - that drove her to forge her own path. Founding her production company Hello Sunshine in 2016, Witherspoon is now involved in everything from movies and television shows to podcasts and publishing.

Most notably, Witherspoon has produced film and television adaptations of the critically acclaimed novels Gone Girl, Wild and Big Little Lies. Witherspoon is currently nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe alongside her co-star Jennifer Aniston for The Morning Show, while Big Little Lies received its own Best Television Series nomination.