She may have given up acting for a couple of years to have daughter Ava Elizabeth with husband Ryan Phillippe, but don't look for 25-year-old Reese Witherspoon to bow out of the business any time soon. She's got a new movie, another in the can and three more in various stages of development.

First things first. Witherspoon returns to the screen with a sunny vengeance in Legally Blonde, an update of Clueless featuring Reese as Elle Woods, a quintessential California girl who heads to Harvard Law to win back the man she loves. The part called for more than 40 hairstyles and 60 wardrobe changes, but for an actress who likens her work to "anthropology," no bit of authenticity goes unrewarded.

Here, the Nashville-born Witherspoon talks about how tough it was to walk in Elle's shoes, explains why she named her production company Type A Films and worries that she's getting "stupider every year."

In Legally Blonde, everyone assumes Elle's a ditz because of her hair color. Have you ever been the victim of blonde prejudice?
Blonde prejudice, no. But I have had to deal with stereotypes of being southern. People hear a southern accent, and automatically figure you have seven children and are barefoot, living on a farm, married to your cousin.

Obviously that's not true. I can clearly see that you're wearing shoes.
[Laughs.] Oh, I had to fight it. When I started acting, I was told to lose my accent, or I wouldn't work that much. But I still have it. It comes out whenever I go back home.

Was it hard playing a character who was so irrepressibly cheery?
It was definitely a challenge to be perky all the time, especially when you have a 5 a.m. call and you've been up all night with the baby.

What was even more challenging was making her somebody the audience would like. You look at her, and she's a rich sorority girl who has it all, and you wonder, Who's going to identify with her? So, we worked on making her giving and friendly and likable.

Did you have to work on walking in those massively high shoes she wears?
I actually have a huge podiatrist bill from this movie. I mean, I'm 25 and I had to go to the podiatrist and have things cracked and shaved off my feet.

Other than the shoes, could you at all identify with her?
I don't have the kind of self-image that I'm the type of girl that everyone wants to be friends with. I've always been the kind of person--even when I was a little girl--who was very independent, always in my room playing by myself. I see myself as very private and very quiet. So, Elle was definitely a stretch.

How about the assertive and opinionated young women you played in Election and Pleasantville. Are they more your type?
Oh, I'm good at letting my opinions be known. What I'm bad at is probably the vulnerable sides of characters. That's difficult for me and a challenge I'm facing now. I'm trying to push myself to be more vulnerable.

You had a pretty good career roll going, and then you got pregnant. Did you worry about what taking time off might mean?
I've always been very serious about what I do. I know what I want out of life, and I try to focus on those things. I've always wanted to be one of those people who had a long career, and I wanted to be taken seriously. So, I've worked hard at taking roles that were very unique. So, no, I didn't worry, because I'm in this for the long haul, and I think I've done a pretty good job at establishing myself. Being gone for a year or two wasn't that big of a deal. I believe things happen for a reason.

Is motherhood what you expected?
Nobody told me about the sleep deprivation. Ava was waking up several times a night for the first five months, and I just remember standing over her crib thinking, Please go to sleep! Please go to sleep! That was a challenge. But it's great having something in your life that is really grounding, something that gives you a focus. So much of what we deal with is artificial, and a child is a dose of reality.

Since no one told you about the sleep thing, what would you tell expectant moms?
Well, I'd definitely tell them about the sleep thing, and I'd tell them to be patient. Parenthood is an exercise in tolerance and patience. It's a challenge, but you have to know other people have gone through it, too. That's one of the most important things--talk. Talk to other women and have your husbands talk to other dads. It's so important to have friends to rely on, even if they're not people you know. I met a lot of people in a parenting support group.

How's Ryan coping?
He's a great dad, but I always knew he would be. He's just such a nice, kind person and really giving. He's not into himself. There was no doubt in my mind that he would be a wonderful father.

In other words, he changes diapers.
[Laughs.] Absolutely!

Ava's almost two. Whose personality did she get, yours or Ryan's?
I'm not sure. She's so girly. I was sort of this tomboy, always running around in my brother's old clothes and scraping up my knees. Ava won't even touch sand. I took her to the beach the other day, and she took one look at the sand and said, "Mommy, pick me up." I had to carry her the whole day. She doesn't like to be dirty.

Is she like you in any way?
She wants to read books more than she wants to play. I taught myself to read when I was about 3. I got to kindergarten and they called my mother in and said, "Do you know your daughter can read every single book we have here?" They were shocked.

So, you were an advanced child?
Yes, but it has evened out. I feel like I'm getting stupider every year. I really thrived in a school environment, and I don't have that any more. I'm not pushed to read or write papers or have intellectual discussions every day.

But everyone who has worked with you--at least the ones I've talked to--say just the opposite. Selma Blair calls you the smartest person she knows and says you're her career counselor.
Selma and I have known each other for so long. It's really been nice for me--and hopefully for her--because I've benefited so much from actresses like Julianne Moore and Susan Sarandon giving me advice. Selma has asked me a lot of questions, because I was in the business seven years before I met her. Basically, I just tell her to stick up for herself and let people know her opinions.

Naming your production company Type A Productions wasn't an accident, was it?
Ever since I was little, my parents called me Little Type A. I guess it fits. I was always very driven. I always did extracurricular activities, and I always did the extra credit. I would do it even before the teachers assigned it.

So, are you the kind of person who has to work at relaxing?
I probably don't stop enough to relax. There's a lot to be done! I love to bake--that's my stress reliever.

It's probably hard to breathe with Legally Blonde being your first big solo star vehicle.
It's a huge sense of responsibility. It's a big pressure to have it all on you, that's for sure. But I've had a lot of experience leading up to this. Nothing prepares you for it, but you just try to take it in stride.

What does Ryan think about seeing you so glamorous on the movie's billboards?
I don't think he recognizes it's me. It's such a departure. With that hair, I think I could be standing underneath one of those advertisements and go completely unrecognized. In that sense, it's perfect.

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