09/03/2026
Who is a woman who’s made an impact on your career?
For me, it’s Reese Witherspoon.
I have always admired how she refused to accept the limitations placed on women in Hollywood. Early in her career she became widely known for roles like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, but what inspires me even more is what she did after becoming successful.
In 2006 she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as June Carter in Walk the Line. Yet despite being an Oscar-winning actress, she later spoke openly about the lack of strong roles written for women and the pay gap between male and female actors.
Instead of waiting for the industry to change, she helped change it herself.
In 2016 she founded Hello Sunshine, a production company dedicated to telling stories centred around strong female characters. Through this company she helped bring powerful stories to the screen, including Big Little Lies and The Morning Show. Both projects feature complex, capable women and address real issues like power, equality and leadership.
Her work also contributed to conversations around equal pay for actresses, helping shift industry expectations for women leading major productions.
What I admire just as much is that throughout her success she has always spoken about how important her children are to her. She often shares that her proudest role is being a mother to her three children. Many working women relate to the challenge of balancing ambition, responsibility and family.
Her journey reminds me of something powerful.
If the door doesn’t open, sometimes you have to build your own.
Seeing a woman recognise a systemic problem, speak up about it, and then create opportunities for others inspired me to take action in my own career too. It also reminded me how many women are navigating similar challenges and how important it is that we support each other.
On this International Women’s Day, I’d love to know:
Who is a woman who has made an impact on your career or life?
