News | Entertainment
3 Mar 2026 11:04
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Reese Witherspoon had panic attacks "for weeks" before filming 'Wild'

    The 45-year-old actress admitted making the 2014 movie - which is based on Cheryl Strayed's memoir about getting her life back together by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail - was the biggest career challenge she's ever faced and she turned to hypnosis to calm her fears before she started work on the project


    Speaking to Tracee Ellis Ross for Interview magazine, she admitted: "I was so scared to do that... 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?’”

    And the 'Big Little Lies' star admitted making the film changed her forever after pushing her to her limits.

    She said: "I don’t know if I’ll ever work that hard again, but it changed me on a cellular level.”

    But Reese - who has Ava, 21, and Deacon, 17, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, as well as Tennessee, eight, with spouse Jim Toth - thought Cheryl's book was "beautiful and sacred" because it had taught her a lot.

    She said: “[It] was so beautiful and sacred to me because it spoke to me so deeply about how we as women have to save ourselves. There’s no mother or father coming to save us. There’s no spouse.

    "I thought it was radical that at the end of the film, she ends up with no family, no money, no job, no partner, and she’s happy.”

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     03 Mar: Liza Minnelli wants to date an 18 year old
     03 Mar: Industry is to end after its fifth season
     28 Feb: Justin Trudeau's son approves of his romance with Katy Perry
     28 Feb: Lupita Nyong'o has "over 50" uterine fibroids
     28 Feb: Hilary Duff has admitted she "intentionally" gatecrashed the premiere of her "childhood nemesis" Lindsay Lohan's movie Freaky Friday
     28 Feb: Christian Bale appears to have confirmed he will join the cast of Heat 2
     28 Feb: Barbra Streisand has paid tribute to Jennifer Aniston following the actress' recent birthday and her growing relationship with Jim Curtis
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    All Blacks strength and conditioning coach Nic Gill is moving on from New Zealand Rugby, having been in the role since 2008 on a full-time basis More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    The Reserve Bank's remit may be expanded - as Labour considers a policy change More...



     Today's News

    Rugby:
    All Blacks strength and conditioning coach Nic Gill is moving on from New Zealand Rugby, having been in the role since 2008 on a full-time basis 10:47

    National:
    Primary care prevents health problems from becoming more expensive – why doesn’t NZ fund it properly? 10:37

    Entertainment:
    Liza Minnelli wants to date an 18 year old 10:35

    National:
    Why did Iran bomb Dubai? A Middle East expert explains the regional alliances at play 10:27

    Business:
    The Reserve Bank's remit may be expanded - as Labour considers a policy change 10:27

    National:
    The oil price surge is just one symptom of a supply chain network that is not fit for this age of global tensions 10:17

    Education:
    Does international law still matter? The strike on the girls’ school in Iran shows why we need it 10:07

    International:
    Three scenarios for what's next with Iran's leadership 10:07

    Rugby:
    The Crusaders are set to be without prop Tamaiti Williams for the upcoming rounds of Super Rugby Pacific 10:07

    Entertainment:
    Industry is to end after its fifth season 10:05


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd