News | Entertainment
28 Feb 2026 16:52
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
     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
     27 Feb: Drew Barrymore travels down "memory lane" when looking at pictures of herself from her 1990s heyday
     27 Feb: Cruz Beckham's 21st birthday celebrations have gone on for a week
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    All Black Jordie Barrett is backing the talent of Hurricanes teammate Callum Harkin to step up at first five ahead of this afternoon's Super Rugby contest with the Fijian Drua in Lautoka More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    It's been revealed UK supermarket giant Tesco, declined the Finance Minister's invitation for a meeting to discuss the issues in our grocery sector More...



     Today's News

    Golf:
    Kiwi Kerry Mountcastle and Aussies Curtis Luck and Lucas Herbert are tied for the lead at 14-under overall midway through the third round of the New Zealand Golf Open in Otago 16:17

    Business:
    It's been revealed UK supermarket giant Tesco, declined the Finance Minister's invitation for a meeting to discuss the issues in our grocery sector 15:27

    International:
    Facing threats of war, Denmark turns to a new weapon: women 15:07

    Soccer:
    Auckland FC are keen to benchmark themselves against the best when they face the defending A-League champions at Mt Smart this evening 14:57

    Environment:
    All Black Jordie Barrett is backing the talent of Hurricanes teammate Callum Harkin to step up at first five ahead of this afternoon's Super Rugby contest with the Fijian Drua in Lautoka 14:07

    Auckland:
    A police operation is underway in Auckland's Papakura, with one person taken to hospital in a moderate condition 13:47

    Soccer:
    Aston Villa's Champions League hopes have taken a hit after a two-nil English Premier League loss to lowly Wolverhampton 13:27

    Motoring:
    Kiwi driver Scott McLaughlin's made a bright start to the new IndyCar season in Florida 13:17

    Motorsports:
    New season, new engineer, new attitude 12:27

    Law and Order:
    A person has been seriously injured, and another arrested, following an incident on Auckland's Great North Road in Glen Eden 12:27


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd