Reese Witherspoon, 45, has often been open about her children and her experience as a mother. The Legally Blonde actress cares deeply about her family, and is often photographed together with them in public and at glitzy events. The mom-of-three shares daughter Ava, 21, and Deacon, 18, with first husband Ryan Phillippe and son Tennessee with current husband Jim Toth. Starting her family at a young age whilst managing a busy career in the film industry placed enormous pressure on the actress, but she says that she cherishes the experience and time with her kids.

Related: The Details Behind Reese Witherspoon’s Relationship With Josh Lucas

Reese is especially close to her daughter Ava, who bears a strong resemblance to her mom! Here's what Reese has said about their relationship.

6 Reese Witherspoon Says She Loves Being Mistaken For Her Daughter

It's hard to deny that Ava is her mother's daughter. The resemblance is uncanny! When asked in an interview "Do you enjoy the reactions you get from people when they see you two together on social media?", Reese had this to say:

"I love being mistaken for her because it makes me feel so young," Witherspoon said. "I'm so proud of her. She really rolls with it. I'm sure it's not easy looking exactly like your mother."

5 Reese Witherspoon Explains That Ava Can Find The Comparison Difficult, Though

"We talk to Zoë Kravitz a lot," Witherspoon said, when discussing Ava's struggles handling the attention. "Because she and her mother look exactly alike, so whenever Ava is frustrated, I go, 'Call Zoë. Text Zoë. She knows what to talk about.' I mean, that's another mother-daughter combo that's like identical twins."

Related: How A Teenaged Reese Witherspoon Majorly Blew Her ‘Cape Fear’ Audition

4 And Ava Has Said She Appreciates Her Mother's Guidance

When talking about finding her own path in life, Ava explained that she has been lucky to have her parents' support.

'My parents have always encouraged me to choose the path that’s right for me and, you know, guide me along the way to make better choices than I might make,' Ava said. 'I’m so grateful for that. That is such a privilege to have parents that support you in that way and to want you to be who you truly are meant to be. So I think I’m trying to do that,' she added.

3 Ava Phillippe Is Not Sure That She Will Follow Mom Reese Witherspoon's Acting Path, However

'I’m not so sure on where I’m going yet. That’s kind of what I’m trying to figure out in this stage of my life, what’s the right fit for me and what’s going to do the best for others within that context, and what can I be most impactful with,' Phillippe explained.

'I'm exploring, and that's so awesome. I'm so lucky to be able to do that and to find things that work for me. I can't wait to see what's next,' she added.

'We can get wrapped up in our heads that everything is about us in some way or another, in hurtful ways, in helpful ways and everything in between,' she continued.

'But I really think the lesson I'm learning is, let people be who they are and do your best with what you know."

Related: The Real Reason Why Reese Witherspoon “Was Too Scared” To Reprise Her Role On ‘Friends’

2 Being A Young Mother Was A Tough But Rewarding Experience For Reese Witherspoon

"It's so weird," Reese said, when talking about Ava being an adult now. "But she's great, and we did it together. I feel like we grew up together, it's great.

"I mean all of them are a labour of love and effort that you put into them," she said. "So I'm very proud of the fact that I've worked a lot in my life... 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?' When you get past survival, I think that's what's so interesting… about motherhood. It's about what you think you're creating for your children, when it's really just an artifice."

“I did not have a lot of support with my first baby, and I learned really early, like, this is not going to work,” she said. “I was lucky enough to have money saved, and I didn’t have to work,” she said. “But it’s just not a one-person job. I would even say it’s not a two-person job.”

1 Seeing Ava Leave For College Was Difficult For Reese

While chatting on The Ellen Show, Reese discussed the bittersweet feeling she had seeing Ava leave for college:

"It's weird when your children go away to college," the actress told Ellen Degeneres. "It's hard. I might have gone into her empty room, laid down on her bed and cried when she went to college."

"I thought that she'd be gone but she's coming back," Reese said. She added that she "never imagined how it felt" for her mom when she left for college—which then prompted Reese to apologize to her mom because she never actually returned home. "I went to college for one year and then I started making movies and I moved to L.A. and I never came back," Reese told Ellen. "I'm sorry mom! My poor mom."

Next: Fans Think Donald Trump Copied One Of Reese Witherspoon's 'Legally Blonde' Speeches