{"id":2483729,"date":"2026-07-01T16:45:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T16:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2483729"},"modified":"2026-07-01T16:45:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T16:45:04","slug":"how-elles-lexi-minetree-landed-the-lead-role-in-legally-blonde-prequel-this-is-a-whole-new-world-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/how-elles-lexi-minetree-landed-the-lead-role-in-legally-blonde-prequel-this-is-a-whole-new-world-exclusive\/","title":{"rendered":"How \u201cElle\u201d\u2019s Lexi Minetree Landed the Lead Role in \u201cLegally Blonde\u201d Prequel: \u2018This Is a Whole New World\u2019 (Exclusive)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Elle<\/em> star Lexi Minetree talks about stepping into the iconic shoes of the beloved <em>Legally<\/em> <em>Blonde<\/em> character in this week&#8217;s issue<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Minetree, 25, details her approach for her self-tape, which immediately caught the eye of Reese Witherspoon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Sometimes I wonder if it has fully settled in,\u201d she admits of the dream-come-true role<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A pink sparkly bikini was the first thing <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/lexi-minetree-15-minute-morning-ritual-elle-series-exclusive-12005782\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Lexi Minetree;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Lexi Minetree&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Lexi Minetree<\/a> bought after seeing <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/legally-blonde-reese-witherspoon-casting-call-young-elle-woods-prequel-tv-series-8718218\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:the open casting call;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;the open casting call&quot;}\" class=\"link \">the open casting call<\/a> for the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/legally-blonde-rerelease-in-theaters-for-25th-anniversary-exclusive-11944961\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Legally Blonde;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Legally Blonde&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Legally Blonde<\/em><\/a> prequel series, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/lexi-minetree-reese-witherspoon-legally-blonde-role-first-teaser-elle-prequel-series-11968214\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Elle;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Elle&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Elle<\/em><\/a>, in September 2024. \u201cI just knew in the moment, I have to be so extra. I have to recreate her Harvard admissions video,\u201d says the 25-year-old actress\u2014so she did just that. \u201cI filmed it in my house and edited it together. It took me forever. I remember thinking, \u2018Who knows if casting will ever watch this, but if they do, I think they\u2019ll pause.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It\u2019s safe to say Minetree was right. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/reese-witherspoon\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Reese Witherspoon;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Reese Witherspoon&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Reese Witherspoon<\/a>, who originated the role of beloved sorority girl-turned-powerhouse lawyer, Elle Woods, in the 2001 film and is an executive producer on <em>Elle<\/em>, has said that Minetree\u2019s audition tape \u201ctook my breath away.\u201d She hand-picked the young actress to be the star of the new Prime Video series, which follows the character in high school as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/elle-trailer-legally-blonde-prequel-struggle-high-school-11993780\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:she is uprooted from Bel-Air to start over in Seattle;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;she is uprooted from Bel-Air to start over in Seattle&quot;}\" class=\"link \">she is uprooted from Bel-Air to start over in Seattle<\/a>. Witherspoon even <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/reese-witherspoon-casts-lookalike-lexi-minetree-as-the-new-elle-woods-legally-blonde-series-11679424\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:personally delivered the exciting news to Minetree;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;personally delivered the exciting news to Minetree&quot;}\" class=\"link \">personally delivered the exciting news to Minetree<\/a> after a four-month audition process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI was sweating really bad during the auditions, that\u2019s for sure, but I did absolutely everything that I could to get it,\u201d Minetree says. \u201cI was really proud of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods in &#8216;Elle&#8217;<br \/>Credit: Jessica Brooks\/Prime Video<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A \u201ctotal theater kid\u201d since high school, the Atlanta native says acting began as a hobby. \u201cThen one day, I was like, \u2018Well, I\u2019m good at nothing else, so I think I should just continue doing this,\u2019\u201d she recalls. Majoring in theater at the University of Southern California, Minetree also tacked on a public relations major (as a \u201cbackup\u201d to help her parents sleep at night) and credits a semester abroad in London for being especially inspirational.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Take PEOPLE with you! <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.magazines.com\/people-magazine.html?utm_source=people.com&amp;utm_medium=owned&amp;utm_campaign=editorialarticlemention\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><u>Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine<\/u><\/a> to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more \u2014 right to your mailbox.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cBritish actors take their craft very seriously,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey were like, \u2018If you\u2019re not showing up 30 minutes early to warm up for this class, you\u2019re late.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The actress took that to heart and applied that insight on the set of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/lexi-minetree-reveals-reese-witherspoon-advice-to-play-elle-woods-legally-blonde-prequel-exclusive-11828232\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Elle;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Elle&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Elle<\/em><\/a>. \u201cEvery morning, I would do a 20-minute warmup for my voice and body because I just wanted to show up ready,\u201d she says. \u201cI was always muttering lines from the movie to myself to get into the voice and character. I\u2019m sure some people really thought I was losing my marbles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">With Elle\u2019s distinct traits, not to mention <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/lexi-minetree-teases-elle-woods-wardrobe-legally-blonde-prequel-series-exclusive-11735911\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:her impeccable wardrobe;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;her impeccable wardrobe&quot;}\" class=\"link \">her impeccable wardrobe<\/a>, Minetree was determined to keep her own identity separate from the iconic character. \u201cSomething I did really intentionally was every day\u2014even if I woke up at 4 a.m., or I didn\u2019t have any time to get ready\u2014I wore my own clothes,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI didn\u2019t show up in PJs or sweatpants, because in my head, I was like, \u2018Even if I only get to be Lexi Minetree for 30 minutes of the day, I want to cherish those minutes.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While the actress has been praised for her similarities to Elle, \u201cI wanted to remind myself, I\u2019m not her. It was important to feel like me.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Lexi Minetree and Reese Witherspoon attend as Prime Video celebrates \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Rw1raGc6hxNwsD81TRMGnA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/e46702b5a8f29271557caaf32584fee7\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Lexi Minetree and Reese Witherspoon attend as Prime Video celebrates &#8220;Elle World&#8221; at Hall Des Lumieres on June 20, 2026 in New York City<br \/>Credit: Valerie Terranova\/WireImage<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As season 1 of the show premieres \u2014 with season 2 also already in the can \u2014 Minetree insists she\u2019s continually trying to wrap her head around her new reality. \u201cSometimes I wonder if it has fully settled in,\u201d she says. \u201cI think every day it hits me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Even more so now that she has Witherspoon, 50, in her contacts. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy that I can FaceTime her at any moment. I won\u2019t, but I could,\u201d she says, laughing. Witherspoon, who was often on set, has \u201cbeen amazing through this whole process,\u201d Minetree adds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cShe\u2019s just been really, really wonderful in making sure that I\u2019m doing okay, checking in, making sure that I\u2019m getting enough rest. I feel like she\u2019s going to be someone who\u2019ll be a mentor for me for the rest of my life, and I\u2019m very honored.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Elle<\/em> is now streaming on Prime Video.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/meet-lexi-minetree-elle-woods-legally-blonde-prequel-exclusive-12010138\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:People;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;People&quot;}\" class=\"link \">People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEED TO KNOW Elle star Lexi Minetree talks about stepping into the iconic shoes of the beloved Legally Blonde character in this week&#8217;s issue Minetree, 25, details her approach for her self-tape, which immediately caught the eye of Reese Witherspoon &#8220;Sometimes I wonder if it has fully settled in,\u201d she admits of the dream-come-true role [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2483730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[441121,469967,469970,345544],"class_list":["post-2483729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-elle-woods","tag-lexi-minetree","tag-minetree","tag-reese-witherspoon"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/How-Elles-Lexi-Minetree-Landed-the-Lead-Role-in-Legally.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2483729"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2483731,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483729\/revisions\/2483731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2483730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2483729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2483729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2483729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}