Witherspoon braves Wild weather

Reese Witherspoon has braved Wild weather to promote her latest film.

The actress has been tipped for an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Cheryl Strayed, a woman who took on a solitary three-month hike along the Pacific Crest Trail to help her to cope with the death of her mother, the breakdown of her marriage and her heroin use.

Wild sees the character battle through desert heat, record snowstorms and driving rain to make the trek from Mexico to Canada under the weight of a giant backpack.

Witherspoon, 38, was joined by Strayed, whose memoir the film is based on, for the film’s outing as part of BFI London Film Festival in London’s Leicester Square.

Witherspoon said: “It was more challenging in a way that I’ve never had before. It’s definitely the hardest movie I’ve ever made, physically, emotionally, mentally, but when I got through it I was so happy.”

The role involved going make-up free and she said: “The no make-up thing I didn’t think about at all. They covered up all the mirrors in the make-up trailer so I didn’t really know how I looked and it became sort of like a documentary. I wasn’t the only person there filming but I felt all alone.”

She said the film was unusual in many ways: “It’s a revolutionary thing to see a woman on film who ends up with no man, no money, no family, no parents, no job and it’s a happy ending.

“It’s a great thing to see a woman in nature like this and I’m hard pressed to think of another similar situation other than maybe Sandra Bullock in Gravity.”

Witherspoon also produced the film after snapping up the rights to the book with her production company Pacific Standard, and was joined by production partner Bruna Papandrea at the event.

Talking about the awards buzz attached to the role, Witherspoon continued: “It’s so flattering, people have been so sweet. The most important thing is it’s the first movie I ever produced so it’s like my baby.”

Wild’s screenplay was written by novelist Nick Hornby who was also on the red carpet.

BFI London Film Festival closes on October 19 when Brad Pitt will attend the gala screening of his Second World War drama Fury.

Wild is due to be released in cinemas on January 16.

Witherspoon braves Wild weather