By Janet Susan R. Nepales
Lexi Minetree has big shoes to fill.
As the new Elle Woods in the new TV series “Elle,” inspired by the popular “Legally Blonde” franchise originally starring Reese Witherspoon, Minetree could really pass as a younger version of Witherspoon.
We recently interviewed Minetree at a global press conference, and we also interviewed her when we visited the set in Vancouver, Canada, last July. Also present during the set visit were castmates June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott, who portray Eva Woods, Elle’s mother, and Wyatt Woods, Elle’s father, respectively.
We had an exclusive interview with Minetree and were able to see both of Elle’s bedrooms—the Bel Air and Seattle bedrooms—as well as the wardrobe and the office, among other things.
Developed by Laura Kittrell, the new Amazon Prime Video comedy series serves as a prequel to the “Legally Blonde” franchise. It takes place six years before the events of the first film and explores Elle Woods’s high school years.
It follows Elle’s teenage years in the 1990s as a high school student in Seattle, long before she became the ambitious Harvard Law School student in the films.
Helmed by showrunner Kittrell and executive-produced by Witherspoon and producer Marc Platt, the show premiered on July 1 and has already been renewed for a second season.
The charming 25-year-old blonde from New Orleans, Louisiana, is known for her impressive stage credits, which include performances in “Noises Off,” “No Exit” and “The Cover of Life.” The latter earned her the Best Actress Award at the Fall One Act Competition in her home state of Georgia.
The University of Southern California graduate, who double-majored in theater and public relations, confessed to us during our exclusive interview on the Vancouver set that she was not expecting to get the part when she sent in her audition tape.
She said, “Honestly, I was not expecting to get the part. I was hopeful, of course, but I am both an optimist and a realist. I bet everyone was trying to book this role. All I could do was do the best I could. I was so proud of my audition and the fact that I’m here, though I am pinching myself every day.”
Born in the same year, 2001, that the “Legally Blonde” film came out, Minetree felt a real connection to the movie.
“I feel very connected to it in that way,” she pointed out. “When I saw it was the same year I was born, it felt serendipitous.”
Asked what she and Witherspoon talked about the first time they met, Minetree disclosed, “She’s just such a great role model. She was so supportive from the very beginning and just reminded me to make sure to take care of myself. It is a lot of work. This role—just because I’m in pretty much every scene—the show is called ‘Elle,’ and it lives up to that. And she’s just been great at really being there for me and making sure that, if I have any questions or whatnot, she’s very easy to reach as well.”
Knowing that she was going to portray an iconic character, how did she play her in a way that made her empathetic and relatable
She replied, “One of the things I recognized right away is how iconic she is and how, no matter what age you are, everyone has at least heard of Elle Woods, if not watched the movie several times, like I have. I really wanted to do her justice. She’s such a beloved character. She is one of the first characters I saw in the media who embraced her femininity while being strong and fearless and standing up for herself. I really wanted to make sure I brought that, as well as infused my own self into the role. She’s in high school, so she’s still learning who she is as a person, as we all are.”
We pointed out that fashion plays a big part in the show.
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “The clothes are phenomenal. We actually have two wonderful stylists for the show, one of them from the original movie itself. People are going to be blown away by how fantastic all the clothes are and the attention to detail. This dress I am wearing right now is actually one of the things I wear, and it’s a true vintage ’90s runway piece. Tyra Banks wore it down the runway, and every piece has that kind of attention to detail. It’s fantastic.”
The first person she called when she found out she had gotten the role was her mom.
“I called my mom, which I feel like half the world got to see. I definitely earned some brownie points as a kid for having called my mom first. So that was nice, but I wasn’t able to tell anyone that I had booked it until they announced it. After it was announced, the floodgates opened. Every second cousin I had ever met in my life was texting and calling me. It was crazy.”
So, is she ready for all the fame and wealth that she may receive with the release of “Elle”?
“You know what? I’m someone who has a hard time picturing the future in that way because I’ve never experienced it. All I know is that, more than ever, I know who I am as a person and what I stand for. I just want to make sure that, whatever happens, I hope the show does well. I just want to stay true to who I am, remain the same and not let any of that stuff go to my head.”
June Diane Raphael, who portrays Eva Woods, Elle’s mother, told us during our interview on the Vancouver set how incredible it was to work with the young, beautiful newcomer Lexi Minetree.
The 46-year-old New Yorker disclosed, “I know you’ve all already heard how incredible Lexi is, but I feel like every day, Tom and I talk about what an unbelievable professional she is. To walk into not only a huge role, but a role that has so much history, is so iconic and carries so many expectations—and to not only meet those expectations but absolutely blow them out of the water—is incredible. She’s incredible, and I love working with her because I’m learning from her.
“One of the beautiful things about the show, too, is that so much of the mother-daughter relationship is about these two women growing together. Sometimes they’re in conflict, and sometimes they’re challenging each other, but I think so many parents are going to resonate with this idea that, as much as you’re teaching your children and modeling something for them, they are also your greatest teachers.”
Tom Everett Scott, who portrays Wyatt Woods, Elle’s father, agreed.
The 55-year-old actor from Massachusetts revealed, “I feel that as well with Lexi and her whole generation. The other actors on the show are brave and talented, too, and they expect more from a professional experience than I knew to expect at their age. And so, it’s very cool to see, and I’ve loved it.”
He added, “The two of them—Minetree and Raphael—they’re both so prepared. It’s almost like they really are related, and the amount of work Lexi put into this before we even started was just mind-blowing. And she’s fun to be around. It’s not like just work, work, work: ‘Don’t talk to me.’ She is more like a prankster. She is like, ‘Let’s have fun on set.’”
