Stepping into the shoes of Elle Woods from ‘Legally Blonde‘ is a huge challenge for any actor, but Lexi Minetree did not have to figure it all out by herself.ย ย
Before the July 1 premiere of Prime Video’sย ‘Elle‘, the actress shared how Reese Witherspoon personally guided her through the role. And one piece of advice, in particular, changed the way Minetree approached the beloved character.
Reese Witherspoon Shared What Truly Defines Elle Woods
As Lexi Minetree prepared to play a younger Elle Woods, she stayed in touch with Reese Witherspoon, whose performance turned the character into a pop culture icon more than 25 years ago. During one of their conversations, Witherspoon pointed Minetree toward a memorable moment from the originalย ‘Legally Blonde‘ย that perfectly captured Elle’s personality.
“We were messaging at one point,” Minetree told E! News ahead of the show’s July 1 debut, “and she sent me the clip from the movie at the end where Warner is saying, ‘I made a mistake, Pooh Bear. I want to be with you.’ And she goes ‘no’ in a very Elle Woodsy way.”
That scene came with an important explanation. “And Reese was saying,” the 25-year-old continued, “that the thing about Elle [is] no matter how unkind someone’s been to her, treated her, she always takes the high road and she’s never a bully. But she always stands up for herself.”
That Lesson Became Lexi Minetree’s Guide Throughout Filming ‘Elle’
Rather than focusing only on Elle’s style or confidence, Minetree said Witherspoon’s words helped her understand the character’s values. She carried that lesson with her while portraying a teenage Elle who has to deal with classmates who judge her and others who are not always kind.
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“I really took that with me when playing this characterย because there are some meanies in the show, or people who misjudge her. But she still shows them kindness, and I think that it’s a testament to her character.“
Minetree also believes the character’s attitude has meaning beyond the series itself. Instead of holding grudges, Elle builds genuine relationships over time. As she noted, “Ultimately she connects with them later, and they end up becoming her friends, which I feel like is a lesson for all of us.”
Understanding Elle’s kindness and confidence gave Minetree a solid starting point. Once she embraced those qualities, she turned her attention to bringing her own energy to the role while respecting the legacy Reese Witherspoon created.
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