Laura Dern’s name confuses Reese Witherspoon, whose given name isn’t Reese at all

Reese Witherspoon’s real name is a big little lie that co-star Nicole Kidman just put an end to.

The “Big Little Lies” co-stars — who just confirmed that a third season of the acclaimed HBO drama is a go — also set the record straight about Witherspoon’s given first name, which isn’t Reese at all.

The Oscar winners were discussing their current projects, their friendship and the upcoming “BLL” season with Variety when Witherspoon happened to refer to co-star Laura Dern as “Dern.”

“I hate how you call her ‘Dern’ though!,” Kidman interjected. “Because it sounds weird.”

“You know why?” Witherspoon said. “Because my name is Laura, and her name is Laura, and it’s confusing to me.” That’s right: Little Tracy Flick’s full given name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.

“So I get confused and just call her Dern,” she said. “We can’t both be Laura.”

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(Witherspoon is one of a number of actors known by a stage name famously and by a given name to co-stars and friends. Fellow Oscar winner Emma Stone recently revealed that her given name, the one she goes by in real life, is Emily. Alas, another person had joined the actors union first under the name “Emily Stone,” and union names can’t be repeated, so “Emma Stone” was born.)

During their conversation, Witherspoon and Kidman also let a few tidbits slip about Season 3.

Kidman had already hinted in 2019 at more “BLL” to come, then said at the premiere of her new series “Expats” that she and Witherspoon had been “texting every day” about the HBO show’s upcoming season. “This one has already said too much!” Witherspoon exclaimed.

“We’re moving fast and furious. Liane is delivering the book,” Kidman explained, referring to Liane Moriarty, who wrote the novel on which the show’s first two seasons were based. “We’re in good shape.”

In addition to Kidman, Witherspoon and, well, Dern, the cast of “Big Little Lies” includes Shailene Woodleigh and Zoë Kravitz. Meryl Streep joined the cast in Season 2.

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