Twenty-five years after the iconic romcom Legally Blonde first introduced audiences to the relentlessly optimistic Elle Woods, Prime Video is turning back the clock to explore the making of one of pop culture's most beloved screen heroines.
Elle, an eight-episode prequel series that premiered globally on July 1, takes viewers back to 1995 -- six years before Elle famously heads to Harvard Law School -- to uncover the experiences that shaped her unwavering confidence, compassion and determination.
Set during Elle's high school years, the series follows the 16-year-old as her seemingly perfect life is upended when her family relocates from affluent Southern California to Seattle.
Forced to leave behind everything familiar, Elle must navigate a new school, unfamiliar friendships, first love, teenage insecurities and a campus mystery, all while discovering the strength and resilience that would later define the iconic character.
Stepping into such an instantly recognisable role is newcomer Lexi Minetree, whose journey to becoming the young Elle Woods almost sounds like something straight out of a Hollywood movie.
"I found out about the open call because when it was announced, five of my friends immediately texted me," Minetree recalled. "My whole life, people have always said, 'Oh my God, you look just like Reese Witherspoon', which is obviously the biggest compliment ever."
Already a longtime admirer of the original film, Minetree says she always found inspiration in Elle's unwavering self-confidence.
"Growing up, I really admired her confidence," she said. "Especially as a young woman, it's so hard to take up space and not let society's expectations get to you -- how you should look or how you should act.
"Watching someone be so sure of themselves no matter what anyone said was incredibly empowering. I'm so honoured I get to play someone like that now. I feel like I learn from Elle every day."
That admiration helped fuel an audition process unlike any she had experienced before.
Competing against what she heard were more than 5,000 hopefuls, Minetree decided she needed to do something unforgettable.
She recreated Elle Woods' famous Harvard admissions video for her audition slate, hoping it would stand out among thousands of submissions.
"It was such a long shot that they would even see it," she said. "But I wanted to make sure that if they did, they would pause."
The casting process stretched over eight months before culminating in a surprise meeting with Reese Witherspoon herself. Believing she was simply attending another round of auditions with the production team, Minetree instead found herself performing opposite the actress who originally made the character famous.
"When I got there, Jason Moore told me Reese was there and wanted to do a scene with me," she said. "That was honestly the scariest thing you could hear with zero prep."
After the scene, Witherspoon sat her down and revealed that she had landed the role -- a life-changing moment Minetree had to keep secret for an entire day.
"I laughed, I cried, I screamed," she said. "It was one of the best days of my life." Becoming Elle Woods, however, required much more than resembling Witherspoon. Minetree immersed herself completely in the character, watching Legally Blonde well over 150 times throughout the audition process and continuing to study the film after she was cast.
"I didn't just want to get her attitude and resilience and charm," she explained. "I really wanted to nail her voice, mannerisms and movement. She's very specific. There's a melodic quality to her voice and a really perky physicality."
Her preparation became a daily routine. Every morning before filming, Minetree worked through voice and physical warm-ups with vocal coach Kate Wilson to recreate Elle's distinctive energy.
"It's all connected," she said. "The attitude, the energy and the voice all work in tandem."
Throughout the production, Witherspoon remained a supportive mentor. Among the many conversations they shared, one piece of advice stayed with Minetree more than anything else.
"Elle never goes low," she said, recalling Witherspoon's interpretation of the character. "She's never a bully, even to people who are unkind to her. Reese reminded me that's the core of who Elle is and I tried to hold onto that in every scene."
The prequel also introduces audiences to a younger Woods family, with June Diane Raphael portraying Elle's mother Eva and Tom Everett Scott as her father Wyatt. For Minetree, working opposite Raphael became one of the highlights of the production.
"June is my favourite person to walk this planet," she said with a laugh. "She's hilarious. Sometimes we'll just let the camera roll and she'll do six, seven, eight different versions of a joke. It's honestly like watching a masterclass in comedy."
Off camera, Minetree says Raphael became an equally important influence.
"She's taught me so much about confidence and owning a room," she said. "I hope mums and daughters get to watch this show and feel that same bond with each other."
Beyond the family relationships, Elle also embraces the mid-1990s setting with plenty of nostalgic touches. From stacks of CDs featuring Sheryl Crow, Madonna and Alanis Morissette to lovingly recreated Blockbuster stores, the series celebrates an era before smartphones and social media.
"For me, the music of the 90s was everything," she said. "When I first walked into Elle's room and saw all those CDs, I immediately wanted them."
She was equally thrilled by the show's elaborate costume design, which pays tribute to the fashion of the original film while allowing the younger Elle to develop her own identity.
"My favourite look has to be the Vivienne Westwood dress I wear at the end of the season," she said. "I felt like a pretty little princess."
Just as memorable, she added, was a custom-made Sweet 16 dress complete with an unexpected practical feature.
"It has pockets," she laughed. "Why can fashion not be functional too?"
The camaraderie among the young ensemble also helped shape the series. Spending up to 15 hours together on set each day, the cast quickly formed close friendships, even creating a play-reading club between shoots.
"They're the coolest people on the planet," Minetree said. "We're all theatre kids at heart, and it makes me so happy."
Ultimately, Minetree believes the enduring appeal of Elle Woods lies not in her wardrobe or bubbly personality, but in her refusal to let other people's opinions define who she is.
"I think there's a little bit of Elle in all of us," she pointed out. "She makes mistakes, she flops on her face, but she gets right back up and keeps going. It's not about failure -- it's about not letting it define what you do next."
For today's younger audiences, she hopes the series offers the same encouragement that the original film gave her growing up.
"The world loves to tell young women who to be, how to act, what to like," she said. "Elle owns her style, her personality and her interests, and at the end of the day, she knows who she is.
"I hope people watch and go, 'Wait, who am I? What do I stand for?', and feel confident owning that, even when people have opinions."
