One of the most striking things about the Legally Blonde prequel TV series Elle, which is available to stream with a Prime Video subscription, is just how much Elle Woods newcomer Lexi Minetree looks like Reese Witherspoon. Don’t take my word for it. Witherspoon herself posted on Instagram to show that comparison pics between the two are pretty spot-on. But the similarities don’t just stop there.
In an interview with Variety, Jason Moore, who directed the first two episodes of Elle, noted that Reese Witherspoon and Lexi Minetree are also the same height. He said:
We’ve all seen the video now of when Lexi learned she got the role. They’ve always been aware of how much they look alike and they’re the same height. I had to text Reese before she came to tell her how high Lexi’s heels were so she would wear the same. But that’s also why Reese didn’t come for a few weeks. We felt it was important for Lexi to feel she had ownership.
To get the nerves of the initial in-person meeting out of the way, Reese Witherspoon attended a table read to break the ice with the cast of the series on the 2026 TV schedule. By the time she got to set for the scene where Elle gets knocked in the face and Miles (Jacob Moskovitz) takes her to the hospital, she was able to just be a part of the day, which included 200 extras.
Reese Witherspoon was also generous with advice that she gave to Lexi Minetree, to always choose kindness and never go low, even when other people do. How very Elle Woods of her.
While the similarities between Lexi Minetree and Reese Witherspoon are easy to see, the 25-year-old who filmed her version of Elle Woods’ Harvard admission essay as her audition was able to make the role her own. You can check out a video of that video essay below:
The best kind of prequel is the one that allows its lead to understand the character and follow their own instincts, never forgetting where they came from, or in this case, where they’re going. Minetree has revealed that she watched Legally Blonde somewhere around 150 times, which shows that she’s quite the overachiever herself. And she had the same dedication when it came to perfecting the voice of Elle Woods. Moore said:
She’s a special actress on her own, but she also really understands the character. I hired one of the best Broadway voice coaches for her. She went to her religiously every week for months. She got every intonation, the little breaths.
A lot of the critics have objections to the Legally Blonde prequel series, which I don’t agree with. Personally, I found Elle delightfully entertaining. As someone who’s spent time in the Seattle music scene, it was full of nostalgia that brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart. And watching Lexi Minetree pay tribute to Reese Witherspoon’s iconic work made me excited to see what she does as the character continues her prequel journey.
Elle’s love triangle, a tribute to The Breakfast Club, Bruiser, and all sorts of silly fun were present when the series hit the streaming schedule. While you’re waiting for Season 2, you have plenty of time to rewatch Elle and Legally Blonde to do your own Lexi Minetree and Reese Witherspoon comparison.