Actor Ryan Phillippe recently opened up about attending the 2006 Academy Awards with his then-wife, Reese Witherspoon. During an October 14 appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, the 52-year-old actor called the historic evening an intense, “out-of-body, out-of-mind experience” fueled by rapid victories and all-night celebrations.
A Rapid Succession of Major Wins
The 2006 ceremony was a milestone for both actors. Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing June Carter in the biographical drama Walk the Line. Meanwhile, Phillippe starred in Paul Haggis’s Los Angeles crime drama Crash, which competed in the final categories.
According to Phillippe, the tension peaked when Witherspoon was away from their seats. “It was a wild night altogether because my wife at the time, Reese Witherspoon, also won Best Actress,” Phillippe recalled. “While she was backstage giving her post-award interviews, they called Best Picture for Crash.”
Leaping Into Ludacris’ Arms and Meeting Morgan Freeman
Sitting with the Walk the Line team when the Best Picture winner was announced, Phillippe crossed the venue in real-time. He rushed toward his castmates, celebrating by jumping into co-star Chris “Ludacris” Bridges’ arms while actor Larenz Tate grabbed him.
As the cast joined producers Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman on stage, Phillippe got distracted by screen legend Morgan Freeman, who presented the top prize. Starstruck, the actor seized the moment during the live broadcast.
“Morgan Freeman was the presenter of the Best Picture and I had never met Morgan Freeman so I fanned out on stage at the Oscars,” Phillippe said. “I’m like, ‘I’ve always wanted to meet you, sir,’ and this is while the producer is accepting the award. Kind of a funny moment.”
Partying Until Dawn and Lasting Family Ties
The celebrations lasted long after the cameras stopped rolling. Phillippe estimated that he and Witherspoon stayed out at exclusive post-awards festivities until five or six in the morning.
Although the couple separated later that year in October 2006-and finalized their divorce in 2008-they share two children, daughter Ava and son Deacon. They have maintained a cooperative co-parenting dynamic over the decades, most recently reuniting publicly in May to celebrate Deacon’s graduation from New York University.
