Mindy Kaling thinks Reese Witherspoon is an "icon".
Mindy Kaling
The 'Mindy Project' actress has revealed she knew the 'Wild' star was an "artist (and a) hustler" ever since the pair first met.
Writing in support of Reese being named as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People, she said: "But the reason Reese is on this list is that she is no longer just a talented and famous actress. She is an icon.
"Yes, she is beautiful, and I would buy any lipstick or bottled water she is selling. Hell, I'd buy cigarettes if her picture were on the pack. But that's not it (even though I think she could make a lot of money doing that). Reese is an artist, but she is also a hustler, a quality I recognized in her the first time I met her."
The 35-year-old star also praised Reese for having the "impatience" to not wait for quality acting roles for women and instead invent her own.
She added: "She's impatient that Hollywood won't generate the kind of quality roles she wants to play, so she creates quality roles by creating quality movies.
"That resourcefulness is what makes her someone I not only admire, but someone who inspires me. And that is influence."