Cinema: Steel Behind the Smile

That's the secret of Legally Blonde's Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon's parents have more degrees than a thermometer. Dad is a surgeon; Mom has a Ph.D. in pediatric nursing. They are under the impression, Witherspoon says, that someday she will return to Stanford, which she left after a year, to get her B.A.

Now that the success of Legally Blonde has finally certified her as a bankable movie star, returning to Stanford seems a remote possibility. And yet Witherspoon is keeping quiet on the subject. "I haven't broken it to them," she says. "They still think I'm going to finish."

Or maybe, like a lot of smart people, her folks...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!