Reese Witherspoon has ''learned to say sorry''.

The 'Hot Pursuit' star - who has children Ava, 15, and Deacon, 11, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe and two-year-old Tennessee with spouse Jim Toth - has confessed she used to struggle to own up to her mistakes in her younger years, but has finally learned to accept it when she is in the wrong.

She said: ''I was always pretty outspoken, actually, but now I've learned to say sorry when I make mistakes too.''

However, the blonde beauty, 39, insists she doesn't let the fear of being proved wrong stop her from expressing her opinion and has also learnt to stand up for herself.

She said: ''It's pretty great right now. I've finally got to an age where I'm not afraid to have an opinion. I feel that my perspective matters. It took me a while to figure that out, but I'm there now.''

Reese - who both stars in and produces her own movies - added she is keen to create ''incredibly strong'' female characters so her daughter has positive role models to look up to.

She told InStyle magazine: I grew up seeing incredibly strong women like Holly Hunter, Sigourney Weaver and Debra Winger. I want to ensure that my 15-year-old daughter, Ava, grows up seeing those types of strong women playing complicated parts.''