Laura Dern's name confuses Reese Witherspoon, whose given name isn't Reese at all (2024)

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‘Big Little Lies’: How Meryl Streep redeems a mediocre season Director Jean-Marc Vallée died from a heart attack, rep says Witherspoon, McConaughey mourn Jean-Marc Vallée: ‘Love stories were everywhere in his eye’ Commentary: ‘Big Little Lies’ is less white this season. That doesn’t mean it’s smart about race More to Read Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh petitions to drop her dad’s surname Emma Stone would like to be called by her real name, if you don’t mind With ‘Palm Royale,’ Bruce and Laura Dern are (finally) father and daughter on screen More to Read Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh petitions to drop her dad’s surname Emma Stone would like to be called by her real name, if you don’t mind With ‘Palm Royale,’ Bruce and Laura Dern are (finally) father and daughter on screen More to Read Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh petitions to drop her dad’s surname Emma Stone would like to be called by her real name, if you don’t mind With ‘Palm Royale,’ Bruce and Laura Dern are (finally) father and daughter on screen Hilary Swank revealed the names of her twin ‘little loves’ on Valentine’s Day Teri Hatcher splits with dating apps after Hinge found her account ‘too good to be true’ Kaitlyn Dever has been cast to play a pivotal role in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 — Abby Birth certificate delivers details on Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s new baby Love affairs, the diva thing and that nose: Takeaways from Barbra Streisand’s huge memoir Abigail Breslin refused to be alone with Aaron Eckhart on set. Now the production is suing her References

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Reese Witherspoon’s real name is a big little lie that co-star Nicole Kidman just put an end to.

The “Big Little Lies” co-stars — who just confirmed that a third season of the acclaimed HBO drama is a go — also set the record straight about Witherspoon’s given first name, which isn’t Reese at all.

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‘Big Little Lies’: How Meryl Streep redeems a mediocre season

This post contains spoilers from Episode 6 of “Big Little Lies,” Season 2.

July 14, 2019

The Oscar winners were discussing their current projects, their friendship and the upcoming “BLL” season with Variety when Witherspoon happened to refer to co-star Laura Dern as “Dern.”

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“I hate how you call her ‘Dern’ though!,” Kidman interjected. “Because it sounds weird.”

“You know why?” Witherspoon said. “Because my name is Laura, and her name is Laura, and it’s confusing to me.” That’s right: Little Tracy Flick’s full given name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.

“So I get confused and just call her Dern,” she said. “We can’t both be Laura.”

Television

Director Jean-Marc Vallée died from a heart attack, rep says

Emmy-winning director Jean-Marc Vallée, whose work included ‘Big Little Lies’ and ‘Dallas Buyers Club,’ died from a heart attack, his publicist said.

Dec. 27, 2021

(Witherspoon is one of a number of actors known by a stage name famously and by a given name to co-stars and friends. Fellow Oscar winner Emma Stone recently revealed that her given name, the one she goes by in real life, is Emily. Alas, another person had joined the actors union first under the name “Emily Stone,” and union names can’t be repeated, so “Emma Stone” was born.)

During their conversation, Witherspoon and Kidman also let a few tidbits slip about Season 3.

Kidman had already hinted in 2019 at more “BLL” to come, then said at the premiere of her new series “Expats” that she and Witherspoon had been “texting every day” about the HBO show’s upcoming season. “This one has already said too much!” Witherspoon exclaimed.

“We’re moving fast and furious. Liane is delivering the book,” Kidman explained, referring to Liane Moriarty, who wrote the novel on which the show’s first two seasons were based. “We’re in good shape.”

In addition to Kidman, Witherspoon and, well, Dern, the cast of “Big Little Lies” includes Shailene Woodleigh and Zoë Kravitz. Meryl Streep joined the cast in Season 2.

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Witherspoon, McConaughey mourn Jean-Marc Vallée: ‘Love stories were everywhere in his eye’

Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Matthew McConaughey and Nicole Kidman paid tribute to Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée, who died over the weekend.

Dec. 27, 2021

Television

Commentary: ‘Big Little Lies’ is less white this season. That doesn’t mean it’s smart about race

Warning: This story contains spoilers from Sunday’s episode of “Big Little Lies.”

June 16, 2019