Abby James Witherspoon: “I Feel Like I’m Quite an Interesting Fashion Icon”

With the release of her latest project, ‘Monster Summer’, Abby James Witherspoon gives us insight into her budding acting career, what inspires her in creating characters, and her love for fashion.

If we mention the last name “Witherspoon,” iconic movies and shows like ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, ‘Big Little Lies’, or, of course, ‘Legally Blonde’ probably come to mind. However, we’re not talking about producer and actress Reese Witherspoon this time, but rather her young niece, 18-year-old Abby James Witherspoon. Determined to continue her aunt’s legacy, Abby started her acting career just a few years ago.

After a series of comedies like ‘Hot Pursuit’ and ‘Secret Headquarters’, Abby recently took on her first horror movie role, which premiered in late October: ‘Monster Summer’. She shared with us the extensive work behind it and the impressive realism of the film: “The final result is really close to what we experienced while shooting. They went to great lengths with set decorations and makeup—everything was very realistic. Most of the time, when we reacted to different things, those reactions were completely real, and that made acting so much more fun.”

While building her acting career, Abby is also pursuing college studies in Los Angeles, and she confessed that if she could relive her role as Lizzie in ‘Secret Headquarters’ and have a superpower, it would be teleportation: “I’d love to be in two places at once. Right now, I love being here in Los Angeles, but I also wish I could teleport home for a second, see my family and my dog, then get back to school.”

Though her career is still young, Abby grew up knowing how the film and TV world works thanks to her family, and she feels grateful for that: “I’m constantly learning from people, and every film set I’ve been on, I’ve learned something new. I grew up visiting the sets where my aunt was working, and I learned a lot there too. Plus, my dad is a location scout for film and TV, so he always teaches me so much since he knows the industry really well. When I was younger and couldn’t go to sets alone, having my dad with me was so helpful, really.”

Nonetheless, the young actress has faced her share of challenges: “Some genres are easier for me than others. I love comedy-based auditions and creating funny characters, and dramatic acting sometimes challenges me more. But I also enjoy that challenge. For example, in ‘A Unicorn for Christmas’, I had to do a scene where I was crying a lot, and I was nervous about it, but in the end, I let myself cry and really got into that world, which made me proud of myself. So that’s the good part—even if it’s challenging, it’s rewarding in the end.”

With a bright career ahead, Abby dreams big about the types of projects she’d like to do and shares that there are some people she’d love to work with: “I’ve been lucky to work with a really cool youth cast who are emerging in the industry and with some really nice people. Maybe working with some friends I haven’t worked with yet would be really fun. Raegan Revord would be a really fun person to work with, as well as Lily Brooks O’Briant or Pressley Hosbach, who are friends of mine. I also really admire Julia Garner, and working with Tom Hanks would be amazing.”

Alongside sharing the same profession as her aunt Reese Witherspoon, Abby also shares a love for reading. Both are members of ‘Reese’s Book Club’, and Abby explains how much reading inspires her and helps her create characters: “I read a lot of books that activate my creative mind and make me think about specific characters. For example, I read this book that was one of Reese’s picks, ‘Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine’. It’s a very character-focused story that describes the character’s mind. Stories like this really inspire me to create different characters.”

Besides reading, music is another motivating factor in Abby’s work, and she admits that she loves creating playlists for each of her characters. “I do it all the time, and I find it so much fun to make a playlist for each character and listen to it on the way to the set. I remember that during the summer when I was playing Lizzie in ‘Secret Headquarters’, I had a very long playlist of party music that I listened to a lot, and it really got me in the mood.”

Though her career so far has focused on film and television, Abby is a huge fan of Broadway and musicals, and she says working on that would be a dream: “I would love the opportunity. When I was little, I did a lot of musical theater, and I haven’t taken singing lessons or worked on my voice in a while, but I love singing.” The actress is a big fan of ‘Matilda the Musical’, one of her childhood favorites, but she confesses her dream role on Broadway has recently changed: “I recently saw ‘Six’, and the girls in that musical are so cool—it would be great to play a pop star. I don’t know which one I’d choose, but I’d love it.”

In addition to music and reading, Abby is passionate about fashion and describes her style as eclectic, enjoying a wide range of brands: “I feel like I’m quite an interesting person when it comes to fashion. I love Aerie and their super comfy sweaters. I have a gray one that I adore, and honestly, I wear a lot of oversized sweaters that I call ‘grandma fashion’” – she laughs – “I’m a bit preppy, but I also love Free People and Madewell jeans, which I wear quite a bit. And then, I love Alo’s athletic wear. So, I don’t know, I’m a bit of everything with the clothes I like.” But if she had to pick one favorite piece of clothing, the actress is clear: “Definitely sweaters or button-up cardigans. I’m always pairing them with any outfit.“

Editorial Credits:
Photography: Lauren Grey
Creative Direction: Hernan Ripiert
Styling: Veta Adrion