Lexi Minetree: Pink, little 'Elle' is fish out of water in grunge Seattle

NEW YORK, June 30 (UPI) -- Lexi Minetree says that the title character she plays in the Legally Blonde prequel, Elle, suffers from culture shock when she moves from California to Washington state for her junior year of high school.

Set in the 1990s, the show premieres Wednesday on Prime Video and follows the smart, effervescent and kind-hearted teen as she figures out a new social structure after her father switches jobs.

"Pink little Elle Woods is a fish out of water in grunge Seattle and I think it's really fun to see someone who is so out of their element," Minetree told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.

"What's cool about the prequel is that you get to see how she becomes the confident woman that we see in the movie," the actress explained.

"She's, obviously, coming from Bel-Air, in a bubble, as a very specific world and, when she moves here, she meets people who are very different than anyone she's ever experienced and, because it's the 1990s, we don't have the access to the Internet as much or phones or social media to inform us of these cultural changes and, so, I think it's really cool to see someone learn, in real time, this whole new world."

Gabrielle Policano plays Liz, one of Elle's new classmates.

"Liz is so cool. She's kind of a loner. She is not a huge talker or social being, mostly because she doesn't feel super the need to be," Policano said.

"She's very content with her Walk-man and a book. She's very grounded and very true to who she is and that's something that her and Elle sort of bond over -- being very unabashed by yourself," she added.

"They form this kind of beautiful relationship where I think they teach each other a lot and I think they learn from each other. It's my hope and dream that in Legally Blonde 7, we see them as old ladies together in a rocking chair."

Chandler Kinney plays Kimberly, the queen bee at Elle's new school, who isn't interested in making any new friends.

"If Elle Woods is a Gemini vegetarian, then Kimberly is a Scorpio carnivore," Kinney quipped.

"She is a sharp girlie. She has a lot on her mind and she has a lot to say and, because it's the 1990s, she says it right to Elle's face, bullying her directly in the hallway for everyone to see," Kinney added. "She's kind of top of the food chain and I think she's worked really hard to hold that position."

Kimberly feels socially threatened by Elle's arrival at the school, the actress acknowledged.

"She's very guarded," Kinney said. "She's got a lot to protect, but I think Elle Woods is very persistent in kind of breaking down her walls -- and as she does so successfully -- you get to see more of her vulnerability unfold as the season goes on."

The trio of actresses said they are excited by the idea that mothers who grew up loving Legally Blonde might have Elle watch parties with their teen daughters.

"That makes me so happy," Kinney said.

"That sounds so cute!" Minetree chimed in.

"The fact that they can watch this show together is so special to us," Kinney continued.

"When I first signed onto the show, that was one of the first things that I heard from our show-runners," she added. "They can all wear pink or plaid and just have a cute little watch party. That's what we want."

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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 8:12 PM.