Reese Witherspoon thinks actors who refuse to play gay roles need to ''lighten up''.

The 39-year-old actress can currently be seen in 'Hot Pursuit', in which she shares a kiss with Sofia Vergara, insists it is the job of actors to ''transform'' and be ''malleable'' and become many different characters.

Reese said: ''I think gay people are able to play straight roles; straight people are able to play gay roles. The whole point of being an actor is to transform. If people don't understand that we need to be malleable in our sexuality, then I think they need to lighten up.''

The 'Legally Blonde' star has also confessed how ''excited'' she is about this summer, and called it ''the summer for women's films''.

Speaking to PrideSource, Reese said: ''Anything where two women are relating to each other - and we're the leads of the movie, and it's directed by a woman - it's kind of a new thing. So, (Sofia and I) are excited. But it's actually a really exciting summer for women's films with 'Pitch Perfect 2', directed by a woman (Elizabeth Banks), and 'Spy' with Melissa McCarthy, and 'Trainwreck' with Amy Schumer.

''Last summer was not good for women's films. I mean, I kept going, ''What am I gonna see this summer?'' And there weren't any good movies last summer for women. I think this is the summer for women.''