Reese Witherspoon on How the HBO Project Broke Her Out of Hollywood's 'Smurfette Syndrome' 

Nearly three decades of working in male-dominated Hollywood left

 — HBO’s seven-part dark comedy — came along.

“For 25 years, I’ve been the only woman on set, so I had no other women to talk to,” Witherspoon lamented Saturday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. “They call it ‘Smurfette Syndrome.’ Because she’s got a hundred Smurfs around her and she’s the only girl. And who gave birth to all those Smurfs, anyway? But, honestly, it’s so refreshing to get to spend time with women.”

Witherspoon’s desire to employ women both in front of and behind the camera is what led her to option Liane Moriarty’s best-selling novel (she’s also an exec producer on the HBO miniseries, as is co-star Nicole Kidman). “Things have to change — we have to start seeing women as they really are,” the Oscar winner shared. “We have to see real women’s experience. Whether it involves domestic violence, whether it involves sexual assault, whether it involves motherhood or romance or infidelity or divorce. We need to see these things.

“We learn from art, and what can you do if you never see it reflected?” she continued. “[I’m tired of seeing] women of incredible talent playing wives and girlfriends in thankless parts. I’d just had enough. So it’s a unique privilege to be able to come to other women with a piece of material that I feel deeply proud of.”

cast, which also includes Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz, “the greatest ensemble I’ve ever [worked with].”

debuts Feb. 19 on HBO. Watch the full-length trailer below. 

If you like TVLine, you\'ll LOVE our weekly newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

I’m, someone really needs to school Reese on what being compared to Smurfette really means. Picture a village with 100 horny men and only one female. The words “loose”, “blue balls”, and “gangbang” come to mind…😂

Haha! So true! It’s not about working with a bunch of men, it’s about being the object of affection and physical release for 100 guys.

Also, the male smurfs were delivered by the stork.

She’s fantastic. I love how she’s pushing so hard for women’s stories and using her influence to get them told. I’ll support her all the way.

SNL\'s Trump Shares His \'Golden\' Plan to \'Shower\' Country With Jobs

Felicity Jones Hosts SNL: Watch Video of the Best and Worst Sketches

Game of Thrones: Could Season 8 Consist of More Than 6 Episodes?

NCIS: LA Video: As Mole Hunt Heats Up, [Spoiler] Is Arrested! Is Deeks Next?

2017 Renewal Scorecard: What\'s Coming Back? What\'s Getting Cancelled? What\'s on the Bubble?

1Girl Meets World Boss: \'There Are Talks Underway\' to Continue the…269

2Criminal Minds Boss Opens Up About Writing Thomas Gibson\'s Exit…84

3Chuck Lorre to Julian Assange: Bring Us Trump\'s Tax Returns and…62

4Sleepy Hollow\'s New Witness Revealed: Tom Mison, Clifton Campbell…46

5Is New Girl Readying for Reunion? Was This Is Us \'Do a Don\'t? Time…42

NCIS: LA Video: As Mole Hunt Heats Up, [Spoiler]…

Girl Meets World Series Finale Promo: Mr. Feeny…

Better Call Saul Season 3: Yep, Giancarlo…

Powerless Teaser: Can Batman\'s Cousin Protect Us…

Winter TV Preview: Your Scoop-Filled Guide to 30+…