Mindy Kaling thinks Reese Witherspoon is an "icon"

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."