show up – As Lexi Minetree steps into Elle Woods in Amazon Prime’s “Elle,” Reese Witherspoon—now an executive producer—offered advice centered on showing up “a hundred percent,” even when life runs long and energy runs low.
Lexi Minetree is learning what it means to live inside a character’s expectations—and she says Reese Witherspoon helped her do it with something both simple and hard to sustain: show up fully.
Minetree. 25. takes over the role of Elle Woods in the “Legally Blonde” prequel series “Elle. ” streaming now on Prime Video and set to debut July 1 on Amazon Prime. The series traces the self-determined Elle Woods—played by Minetree—before she sets out for Harvard Law School. and Witherspoon returns to the story as an executive producer.
Minetree said Witherspoon has been “very supportive” and offered “little nuggets [of advice]” she’s kept close while navigating a new kind of visibility. “I would say the thing. most recently. that she told me… is wherever you’re at. emotionally. physically. show up a hundred percent. ” Minetree said during an “Elle” event in May.
She elaborated on what that looks like in real life. “If you’re sick or if you’re not feeling your best, if you show up a hundred percent,” Minetree said, “whether that’s 30% – 100% of that 30% – then you know that you did everything you possibly could and you showed up with grace and kindness.”
Those words land differently when you consider what Minetree described about the day-to-day strain: long days and a travel schedule that keeps piling on. “I’m really holding that space for myself to take care of myself and enjoy every single moment,” she said. “’Cause it’s crazy.”
The series itself is built around the same stubborn optimism that first made Elle Woods a pop-culture symbol. “Elle” is an eight-episode show that takes notes from the pink-plastered 2001 feature. adopting Elle’s unrestrained positivity and the belief that everything will work in her favor—until it doesn’t. The story is set in 1995, with Elle living a lavish, Barbie-esque dreamhouse with baby Bruiser Woods by her side.
It quickly turns darker. When Elle’s plastic surgeon father botches a celebrity nose job at his practice, her parents decide to move from Bel-Air to Seattle, interrupting her sunbathing session to tell her they’ll spend the next few years in the “doom-and-gloom” city.
For Witherspoon, the baton passing came with emotion—and a very specific moment of recognition. At a June 20 “Elle World” event in New York City. she said she was excited to pass the “pink torch” to Minetree. The prequel team reviewed 3,000 videos of young women auditioning for Elle, and Minetree’s Harvard admissions video stood out. She filmed the promotional video in her backyard, with help from her mom.
“When I saw Lexi Minetree in her video, it stopped me. It took my breath away,” Witherspoon said during the event. “She understood – I’m gonna cry again – she’s just such an incredible person.”
Witherspoon also added that beyond discipline and talent. she sees Minetree’s character as grounded in something softer: “On top of being this incredibly disciplined. talented young woman. she has such a beautiful heart.” She concluded. “I could not be more proud to pass the baton. or the pink torch. to Lexi Minetree.”.
What makes the role feel heavy for both women is that admiration arrives fast—and keeps coming. Witherspoon said the part carries a “massive responsibility. ” explaining that little girls approach her with admiration and that she’d even have weekly encounters with young fans who watched “Legally Blonde” and later became lawyers.
Minetree, too, has felt the weight of being entrusted with Elle. On the “Today” show in June. she said. “It is important to take care of things like that. and I think she really wanted to make sure that we captured her spirit. ” referring to Witherspoon. She added, “I’m really lucky because she really trusted me with this character.”.
The through-line is striking: Witherspoon’s guidance doesn’t focus on perfect performances—it focuses on how to carry the responsibility of a beloved character without falling apart under the pressure of it. In Minetree’s telling. that approach is already shaping how she shows up. physically and emotionally. for a role that comes with fame. travel. and a world-wide expectation that Elle Woods always lands with confidence—no matter what’s going on underneath.
Reese Witherspoon Lexi Minetree Elle Legally Blonde prequel Elle World event Amazon Prime Prime Video Harvard Law School executive producer Today show