At just 41-years-old, Reese Witherspoon has reached some pretty staggering milestones in her life to date.

From winning an Oscar in 2006 for 'Best Actor' in Walk The Line and starring roles in blockbusters Wild and Legally Blonde, to starring in/producing Emmy Award-winning series Big Little Lies, the actress could retire from Hollywood right now and still be regarded as one of the film industry's greats.

But let's not forget she's also balanced her acting career with being a mother to three children, and got married at the age of 23 to Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Phillippe - a decision she doesn't regret in the slightest, despite their split.

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In an interview on Lorraine, Reese discussed her former husband - with whom she shares daughter Ava and son Deacon – and the lessons she's learned over the years when it comes to love and loss.

'I got married when I was 23 and had two kids by 27,' she revealed. 'Sometimes it's good to know yourself.'

The star married Phillippe in 1999 before the pair divorced seven years later. She then went on to marry talent agent Jim Toth in 2011 and welcomed their son, Tennessee, a year later.

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Opening up about her first marriage, the Sweet Home Alabama star revealed: 'I would never change anything!'

With numerous television and radio appearances to promote her new film Home Again, which centres on a young mother who enjoys a relationship with a younger budding actor, the actress reflected on the project: 'It's about that next chapter in your life.

'What do you do when you get to 40 and you made a decision when you were 25 to get married and have kids?'

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However, when it comes to passing on words of wisdom to her 18-year-old daughter about relationships, the star is keen to encourage her to prioritise the relationship to herself, first.

'I said to my daughter, at 25 you start to know yourself better,' she admitted.

We couldn't have put it better ourselves, Reese.

Watch the interview below:

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Katie O'Malley
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.