When Legally Blonde first hit theatres in 2001, Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods became one of pop culture’s most iconic female protagonists, someone who proved that kindness, intelligence and a love for all things pink are not mutually exclusive.
Now, 25 years later, Prime Video is taking fans back to where it all began with Elle, a prequel series that explores Elle Woods’ teenage years in the mid-nineties, before she ever stepped inside the hallowed halls of Harvard Law School.
Ever since the prequel series was announced, most fans have only had one question on their minds — who could possibly fill Reese Witherspoon‘s iconic pink heels? Well, after an extensive casting process, newcomer Lexi Minetree landed the coveted role. But who exactly is she?
From growing up in Georgia to delivering an audition tape that won over Reese Witherspoon, here’s everything you need to know about Lexi Minetree.
Things to know about Lexi Minetree
Who is Lexi Minetree?
Lexi Minetree is an American actress who is playing the young Elle Woods in Prime Video’s Elle, the official prequel to Legally Blonde. The series follows the iconic character during her formative high school years, long before her Harvard Law School days.
Although it’s easy to assume this is Minetree’s first role, she has actually spent years building her résumé through independent films and television appearances.
Her childhood
Minetree grew up in Georgia, where she developed an interest in performing arts from a young age. She has spoken about discovering a love for theatre during her school years. A graduate of the University of Southern California in 2024, she has also trained and improved her craft at the British American Drama Academy in London.
While studying in Los Angeles, Minetree pursued more opportunities in film and television, gradually building her résumé through smaller projects before her breakthrough with Elle. Although she has kept much of her personal life private, she has credited her supportive family for encouraging her ambitions.
How Lexi Minetree became Elle Woods
Landing the role wasn’t a straightforward process for Lexi.
Prime Video launched a US-based casting call to find the next Elle Woods, with Reese Witherspoon closely involved in selecting the actress who would take over one of her most iconic characters. A natural brunette, Minetree dyed her hair blonde and staged a full photoshoot to secure the part.
One of the most memorable moments from the casting process came when Witherspoon personally surprised Minetree with the news that she had been cast. The emotional announcement video quickly went viral, with the actress visibly overwhelmed as she realised she would be playing the iconic character.
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How her audition tape won over Hollywood
One look at Minetree’s audition tape is enough to realise why she got the part. Rather than simply deliver a straightforward audition, she focused on capturing Elle Woods’ optimism, warmth, confidence and unmistakable charm while making the role feel like her own.
As Minetree herself explained: “I have to recreate her Harvard admissions video, where she’s in the hot tub in her pink sequined bikini instead of writing an admissions letter. She’s going above and beyond and doing her version of it.”
Well, needless to say, her audition video impressed the creative team — Witherspoon included.
What did Lexi Minetree appear in before Elle?
Although Elle is her biggest project to date, Minetree already has several acting credits. These include:
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- The Paramedic Who Stalked Me
- The Murdaugh Murders
- All Alone Together
- Crowdsource Murder
While these were either guest roles or smaller productions, they allowed her to explore different genres and gradually establish herself as a versatile young actor.
What’s next for Lexi Minetree?
With Elle premiering on Prime Video, Lexi Minetree has firmly transitioned from being a promising newcomer to headlining one of 2026’s most anticipated shows.
Whether she continues leading the Elle franchise for years to come or branches into films and other major television projects, one thing is certain: stepping into Reese Witherspoon’s famous pink heels has introduced audiences to an actress for whom the sky is the limit now.
According to IMDb, she already has two more projects in the pipeline, including The Young People — a horror film directed by Osgood Perkins that is due for release in late 2026. Its ensemble cast includes Lola Tung, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman and Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany.
Main and featured image credit: leximinetree/Instagram
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
