Wild star, Reese Witherspoon, reveals that she underwent hypnosis to combat her anxiety surrounding the film. Adapted from Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of the same name, the 2014 drama debuted to critical acclaim. Reviewers particularly celebrated Witherspoon’s authentic, character-driven portrayal of a woman struggling to make sense of her grief. It was an unexpected box office hit, earning more than triple its original budget, and endured for weeks due to positive word-of-mouth buzz from viewers. During this time, Witherspoon received multiple accolades for her work, including an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
In Wild, Witherspoon embodies the real-life Strayed as she confronts the psychological aftermath of a recent divorce and the lingering loss of her mother, Bobbi Grey (Laura Dern). After engaging in reckless and self-destructive behavior, Strayed chooses to embark on an arduous hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, despite lacking significant experience. While on her journey, Strayed reflects upon her close relationship with her mother and finally grieves her death in an open and honest manner. At the same time, she learns how to survive and fight for herself in an unforgiving and harsh terrain, which ultimately leads to greater self-healing. Upon reaching the end of her trek, Strayed finds an inner sense of peace, fully able to face the world on her own.
While speaking to actress Tracee Ellis Ross during a Q&A for Interview Magazine, Witherspoon shared the emotional turmoil she experienced after accepting the role in Wild. Before the film even began shooting, she found herself overwhelmed by the ambitious script. As she explained to Ross, she fretted over whether or not she could do justice to the material. Read what Witherspoon said below:
I had hypnosis, I was so scared. I was having panic attacks for three weeks before I started. There was the nudity, sexuality, and drug-use aspect, but also being alone on camera with no other actors. I hadn’t ever been alone in scenes for days and days. There were probably 25 days of the shoot where I had no other actor opposite me. It was just me and a camera and a backpack. I was like, ‘Is this going to be so boring?'
Despite Witherspoon’s reservations, the actress was the primary driver behind the push to adapt Strayed’s memoir into a film. Before the book reached publication, Witherspoon received a copy of the manuscript and quickly fell in love with the source material. Her production company, now known as Hello Sunshine, had been actively looking for female-driven films in order to elevate and prioritize the work of women in the entertainment industry. Soon after, Witherspoon optioned Strayed’s Wild and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, both of which helped launch Hello Sunshine and established the company as one devoted to uplifting the stories of other women.
Overall, it is fortunate that Witherspoon persevered with her role and fully embraced the multifaceted and complicated aspects of her character. Wild succeeded because it acknowledged the complexities of its female protagonist, deep-diving into the messy sides of grief, trauma, and loss. In this film, Witherspoon imbued each and every scene with an honest grit and resilience, which expanded the evolution of Strayed’s story. Considering the triumphs of Wild, it will be exciting to see what Witherspoon does next with her upcoming projects at Hello Sunshine.
Source: Interview Magazine