A new chapter in the Legally Blonde world is about to begin, and all eyes are on Lexi Minetree. The young actress is stepping into the shoes of Elle Woods in Elle, an upcoming prequel that explores the early years of the beloved character made famous by Reese Witherspoon.
Set before the events of the hit films, the series follows Elle as a teenager going through high school life, friendships, first heartbreaks and the experiences that help bring her confidence.
Minetree recalls spending time studying Witherspoon’s performance by paying close attention to the way Elle speaks, moves and interacts with others. The actress has also shared details about a special morning routine she used to help herself get into character each day while filming the series.
In a conversation with People, Lexi Minetree explained, “Every morning, I actually had a 15 minute warmup in place, to do not only body but also voice, just so I could get myself there. Because sometimes I sounded rough in the morning.”
Minetree explained that Elle Woods has a very unique way of speaking, like a particular rhythm and style that is easy to recognise. To make sure she captured it correctly, Minetree spent a lot of time practising and staying in character while filming.
She joked that “some background people really thought I was losing my marbles. I sounded like a crazy person because I was always muttering to myself lines from the movie to get into the voice and character.”
Lexi Minetree shared that Reese Witherspoon offered her some simple but meaningful advice after she was chosen to play Elle Woods.
Reese encouraged her to take care of herself, get enough rest, stay hydrated and enjoy every moment because it is a rare and special opportunity.
Minetree also revealed that she was overwhelmed with emotions when she learned she had landed the role, especially because the news came directly from Reese herself and she feels extremely thankful for the opportunity.
Elle is set to premiere on Prime Video on July 1.
