Actress Reese Witherspoon has paid tribute to her Tracy's hapless teacher Jim McAllister, who encourages popular jock Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) to run against her. At the same time, Paul's sister, Tammy, played by Campbell, enters as a spoiler candidate, intending to prove how stupid the entire process is by pledging to do nothing as student body president.
The movie was a box office bomb, partly thanks to its misleading marketing campaign, which made it look like an American Pie-style teen sex comedy. It was hailed by critics for its sharp satire, though, and the script was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. It also cleaned up at the Independent Spirit Awards, winning Best Feature, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay. Witherspoon and Campbell were also nominated for Best Female Lead and Best Debut Performance, respectively. However, Campbell's acting career was short-lived as she retired from the profession following her role in 2002's Junk. Her death on December 29 last year was announced on Wednesday.
Witherspoon shared the sad news of Campbell's ing via Twitter on Wednesday and used the opportunity to pay tribute to the former actress. Saying she was "heartbroken," Witherspoon says it was a pleasure to work with Campbell on Election. She added that she was sending her love to the late former actress' family and loved ones. You can see her tribute below:
In addition to Election, Campbell was more recognizable for appearing in two episodes of the short-lived cult series Freaks and Geeks, which launched the careers of Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, James Franco, and How I Met Your Mother star, Jason Segel. Following her retirement, Campbell reportedly went into natural healing, becoming a naturopathic healer. She leaves behind a husband and young son. Her family reported her death, who listed no cause but said it was sudden and unexpected.
The sad news shocked Witherspoon, and fans on Twitter also expressed their grief, proving that Campbell's pivotal role in Election left a mark on the industry. Her early retirement from acting may have meant she couldn't star in many parts, but she was undoubtedly talented, and her role in Election was almost pitch-perfect. She will be greatly missed by audiences and those how knew her.
Source: Reese Witherspoon/Twitter
