How Reese Witherspoon's 90s Teenage Years Shaped the 'Elle' Prequel

What's the secret ingredient to making a 'Legally Blonde' prequel feel authentic? According to the showrunners, it was Reese Witherspoon's own high school memories.

Caroline Dries and Laura Kittrell, the co-showrunners of Prime Video's new series 'Elle,' have opened up about Witherspoon's involvement as an executive producer. In an exclusive interview with People, they detailed how the 50-year-old actress, who originated the role of Elle Woods, offered crucial advice and personal anecdotes to ground the 1990s-set story.

"She wasn’t in the weeds with us that much with the story. She read the outline for season 1 and came in and asked questions about it," Caroline Dries told People. "And then she would just throw out these nuggets of gold about her experience, or she’d be like, ‘What about this or this?’ And you’re just like, Yes, please!'"

Dries added that Witherspoon offered perspectives of the "high school experience" in the 1990s "that she wanted to make sure we were hitting." Co-showrunner Laura Kittrell noted that Witherspoon shared "specific ’90s experiences and feelings" that the writers knew had to be included.

While her insights were "cherished," Dries says Witherspoon kept a really respectful distance, and just let the writers do what they wanted to do. This balanced approach allowed the creative team to build out the world of a teenage Elle Woods while ensuring it felt true to the spirit of the character Witherspoon made famous in the film and its sequel.

The series stars 23-year-old Lexi Minetree as the younger Elle. In a separate interview with Radio Times, Minetree revealed that Witherspoon also sent her personal advice about capturing Elle's essence, emphasizing that the character is never the bully and always takes the high road.

'Elle' is now streaming on Prime Video, offering a pink-tinted look at the formative years of one of cinema's most iconic optimists.