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Reese Witherspoon on motherhood: 'We're all trying to be the best parents we can be'

By Sarah Walker

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It's official: Reese Witherspoon and her daughter, 17-year-old Ava Phillippe, are practically twins. The pair posed together on the red carpet of Big Little Lies in similar floral, belted frocks on Tuesday night. The series, which is based on the book of the same name, will debut on Feb. 19 on HBO and focuses on a group of women who are all at difference stages of motherhood. It's been a passion project for Reese who worked with Nicole Kidman to get it made.

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Reese and the cast of Big Little Lies

Given the topic of the mini-series, it's no surprise that while attending the premiere, the 40-year-old spent some time opening up about her own experiences raising three children. "I think I'm sort of a blend of a lot of these different mothering styles," the busy mom revealed to ET. "You have five different distinct parenting styles on this show, and we're all just trying to be the best parents we possibly can be, so I think it's always that question: Am I doing the right things? Am I exposing them to the right things? Am I disciplining the right way? And in this show kind of really brings up a lot of questions."

In a previous interview with the outlet, she spoke about how being a mum has changed her over the years. "When [you’re a young mother], you’re like, ‘Oh, they’re going to be fine!’ As you get older, it’s ‘Am I taking them to the ballet?'" she noted. "When you get past survival, I think that’s what’s so interesting about the piece and motherhood. It’s about what you think you’re creating for your children, when it’s really just an artifice."

reese witherspoon daughter

Reese and Ava, 17, are pretty much twins

This is the latest in a series of big projects that the Legally Blonde star has taken on. Not only does she have two other films in the works -- Home Again and A Wrinkle in Time -- she's also been busy managing her lifestyle line, Draper James. One of the reasons she says she works so hard is to be a good role model for her kids. "My mom worked, and I think it’s good for kids to see women working and being successful," she told InStyle. "I think it’s going to make them hard workers because they see that I don’t get much sleep."

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