Before Elle Woods conquered Harvard Law School, she was a teenager attempting to find her place in a new high school. Prime Video will tell that story beginning July 1, with Atlanta native Lexi Minetree stepping into one of Hollywood’s most recognizable pink wardrobes.

Minetree leads “Elle,” a prequel series exploring the high school years of the character Reese Witherspoon introduced in the 2001 film “Legally Blonde.” Witherspoon serves as an executive producer through Hello Sunshine and was personally involved in selecting the young actress who would inherit the role.

For Atlanta viewers, the series arrives with a genuine hometown connection. Minetree grew up in the Atlanta area, where she describes herself as having been a theater kid, an enthusiastic reader and, less predictably for the future Elle Woods, a devoted Pokémon fan.

Acting became a way to enter the stories she loved and make use of the emotions she felt strongly as a child, Minetree told Cosmopolitan. Her early training included work at Creative Studios of Atlanta, whose students have also included Georgia performers Storm Reid, Madison Thompson and Kyla Drew.

From Georgia Theater to a Major Streaming Role

Minetree later attended the University of Southern California, earning a degree from its School of Dramatic Arts in 2024 while also studying public relations. She trained at the British American Drama Academy and built a stage résumé that included productions of “Noises Off,” “No Exit” and “The Cover of Life.” One of those performances earned her a best-actress award in a Georgia high school theater competition.

After graduating, she moved to New York and landed a guest appearance on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Her character’s story ended with a declaration that she planned to return to school and become a lawyer, an accidental preview of the role that would soon transform Minetree’s career.

The search for the new Elle Woods began with an open casting call. Minetree created an audition inspired by Elle’s famously elaborate Harvard application video, filming her version in a backyard. The tape caught Witherspoon’s attention, leading to a personal video call and eventually the news that Minetree had won the role.

The actress approached the assignment with considerable preparation. She has said she watched the original “Legally Blonde” roughly 150 times, studying the rhythm, movement and optimism of Witherspoon’s performance without attempting to produce a simple imitation. Witherspoon encouraged her to preserve the character’s familiar spirit while creating her own version of teenage Elle.

Elle Woods Meets 1990s Seattle

“Elle” begins in 1995, when the future attorney moves from Bel-Air to Seattle and enters a school culture far removed from her polished Southern California world. The series places Elle’s bright clothes and relentless confidence against the darker fashion and grunge music associated with the Pacific Northwest during the decade.

The story follows friendships, romance, family relationships and the questionable fashion decisions that helped form the woman audiences would later meet at Harvard. June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott play Elle’s parents, while the cast also includes Chandler Kinney, Jessica Belkin and James Van Der Beek.

Although the first season has not yet reached viewers, Prime Video has already ordered a second. The early renewal places Minetree at the center of what could become a long-running extension of a movie franchise that has remained prominent for 25 years.

Witherspoon has publicly described the handoff as passing the “pink torch.” During recent promotional appearances, Minetree has even worn clothing from Witherspoon’s original “Legally Blonde” era, including the pink Marc Jacobs dress the actress wore to the movie’s 2001 premiere.

For North Atlanta families accustomed to seeing Georgia serve as a filming location, Minetree’s rise offers another side of the state’s entertainment story. This time, the local connection is not a recognizable street or suburban building appearing in the background. It is an Atlanta performer carrying an established Hollywood character into a new generation.

“Elle” premieres July 1 on Prime Video.