When Lexi Minetree auditioned for the part of a teenage Elle Woods in a she went for it with the determination and creativity that the character herself used to apply to Harvard Law School in the original film.
Minetree, said 鈥淓lle鈥� executive producer Lauren Neustadter, 鈥渁ctually recreated her own version of the Harvard admission video featured in the 2001 movie that starred Reese Witherspoon, “and she hit it out of the park.鈥�
The preparation to play Elle in the series debuting on Wednesday, didn’t stop there. Minetree says she watched 鈥淟egally Blonde鈥� about 鈥�200 times at this point,鈥� studying Witherspoon’s performance, but steering clear of an outright impression of the Oscar winner.
鈥淩eese brought her essence to the character,鈥� Minetree said. 鈥淎nd that is something that no one could ever replicate. It would be a disservice if I tried to do that, so I tried to bring the parts of myself that I thought were reflected in Elle.”
A fish out of water
In 鈥淟egally Blonde,鈥� we met Elle as a sorority girl who applies to Harvard Law School, gets accepted, and is a star in her class.
鈥淲hen I read the script it reminded me a lot of old Goldie Hawn movies, or 鈥榃orking Girl,鈥� Witherspoon told The AP in 2001. 鈥淵ou think this girl is certainly not very smart because of the way she speaks and the way she looks, and then she just turns the tables on everybody and becomes smarter than everyone, and I just love that.鈥�
Like the film, 鈥淓lle鈥� underscores that people don鈥檛 have to sacrifice their true selves in order to achieve success.
How we meet Minetree’s Elle is at her blowout 16th birthday party, shortly before her parents (played by Tom Everett Scott and June Diane Raphael) break the news that they’re all moving to Seattle.
The students at her new school are less than friendly and shun Elle’s sunny disposition and pink attire. This is Seattle in 1995 and both grunge music and its culture are everything. Even the cheerleaders wear flannel. It takes time for the student’s to warm up to their new classmate, whose ice breaker is 鈥淚 like iced coffee, the month of July and when people dress kind of tennis-y even if they don’t play tennis.鈥�
鈥淪uch an integral part of the 鈥楲egally Blonde’ IP is not judging a book by its cover,” said Chandler Kinney, who plays Kimberly, one of Elle’s schoolmates who is particularly judgy 鈥� at first.
The lasting influence of 鈥楲egally Blonde鈥�
The time seemed right to explore more of Elle’s story when Witherspoon noticed the pressures young women feel to live up to unrealistic standards curated online. Studies have .
Witherspoon 鈥渞eally saw what was happening to young women,” said Neustadter of Witherspoon’s desire to explore the character as a young woman. “She felt like this was the right moment to give Elle to the next generation.鈥�
“Elle reminds us that we should feel good about being ourselves, feel proud of who we are and to be kind and good to others. It feels like a good reminder for this moment in time.鈥�
Telling an origin story of this character just makes sense, Raphael said. We’ve seen prequels about all kinds of male characters 鈥� but 鈥渨e rarely get to do that with the iconic female characters that we love,” she said.
A surprise cast member
鈥� James Van Der Beek
Viewers will recognize a familiar face in the first season of 鈥淓lle.鈥� James Van Der Beek, who after a diagnosis of bowel cancer, plays Dean Wilson, superintendent of Elle’s new school and a mayoral candidate.
Raphael had the most scenes with Van Der Beek and says it was an honor to share scenes with him.
鈥滻t鈥檚 so special to me,” she said. “His work on the show is so lovely, and he is such a lovely person. I鈥檇 never met him before, and I was so excited to work with him. I was really blown away by his charm and his charisma and mainly his ease.”
More 鈥楨lle鈥� is coming
Season 2 of 鈥淓lle鈥� wrapped filming earlier this month, and Minetree is happy viewers won’t have to wait long to see a continuation to the story.
鈥淗onestly, Season 2, it鈥檚 so good,” Minetree said. 鈥淪eason 1 is amazing, but season 2 might be better.鈥�
There are also plans to make starring Witherspoon.
鈥淎bsolutely, we鈥檙e on it,鈥� Neustadter said. “Don鈥檛 you worry. We鈥檙e in the kitchen we鈥檙e cooking something up.鈥�
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
