Reese Witherspoon on dating younger men and southern charm

Reese Witherspoon. Photo / Getty Images

The movie is called Home Again. What is home for you?

Home I think is where you feel most comfortable and most free to be the best version of yourself, and where you are surrounded by people who want all of your dreams to come true for you.

What do you think about the older woman/younger man dynamic?

I think it's interesting to explore that dynamic. I see a lot of older men with younger women on film and we don't even talk about it. Frequently I see a lot of men I have worked with over the years and they are with younger and younger and younger women. I have dated younger men in my life. I feel that if you see it more on film, then it may seem a little more acceptable in society.

As a producer, especially on Big Little Lies, it was an estrogen-heavy ensemble - not just in front of but also behind the camera. Is that what prompted you to become a producer?

Well, yes. To be honest I started a production company because I was seeing a complete lack of interesting characters for women and watching really fantastic actresses all clamouring for one horrible part as "the wife" or "the girlfriend" in a movie and it really bothered me. And same for behind the camera.

Is there a strong community between women in Hollywood or is it very competitive?

I think things are shifting. I think there's a big movement within the Hollywood community for women to stick together because we have to build up our numbers since they're a little low.

What would be the perfect balance?

Well, I am not saying that women should take over. I think we're 50 per cent of society. We should be 50 per cent of the movie industry and reflected 50 per cent of the roles should be women. I mean, that just makes logical sense.

With three kids, ranging in age from 16 to 5, and a husband, I'm imagining you have a busy household?

Well, yes. My house is a mess. We have a lot of people over.

Do you have a small group of close friends or do you prefer to surround yourself with a lot of people?

I'm very close with my friends, I'm very close with my husband, we tell each other everything and we laugh all the time. I'm very close to very few people because, well, you know, obviously I'm busy.

What is the last piece of art you looked at, book you read or film you saw that unexpectedly moved you?

I just read this phenomenal book called Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng and it's beautiful. It comes out this month (September) and it's all about how your mother isn't necessarily the person that you are born to, but it's where you find her. And it's about parenting teenagers and about class and race in our country. It was just beautiful and beautifully written.

You're an avid reader. How many books do you read a week?

I probably read three books a week. I read really fast. My grandmother taught me when I was little how to read very quickly. So I don't know if I could take a test on them, I don't always remember things, but I read pretty quickly, particularly if it's really good. And if it's not good, I just put it away. I don't waste my time.

You were born in Tennessee and you're very proud to call yourself a "Southern woman". What does that mean?

Southern women have a really funny sense of humour. They don't take themselves seriously, they don't like people who are really fancy. They like very down to earth, grounded people. I would say I taught all my kids how to ride a horse.

That's a big Southern thing. I don't ever want them to be scared of bugs. That's city stuff. I can tell if it's a city kid when they scream if there's a bug. I'm like, "Ugh you must be a city kid."

When they were little I had this farm and they would like go out on the farm. They'd be like, "There's no television!" I'd say, "Great, play with sticks and rocks! Welcome to my childhood!"

• Home Again is in cinemas now.