23/12/2024
While at Stanford, author Amanda Brown wrote letters back home, regarding her inability to fit in with her classmates. Later she made a manuscript, titled "Legally Blonde," based on those letters and sent it to an agent, who was drawn to it because it was the only manuscript submitted written on pink paper - referenced in the 2001 movie version through lead character Elle Woods' scented pink résumés.
To prepare for her role as Elle, Reese Witherspoon spent two weeks studying the behavior of sorority girls, as she did not wish to portray a stereotypical airhead sorority image. She states on the DVD commentary that they were all very kind and polite, and she enjoyed her time with them. She also observed women shopping from the café at Neiman Marcus, and attended law school for a day.
Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alicia Silverstone, Katherine Heigl, Christina Applegate, Milla Jovovich and Jennifer Love Hewitt were all considered for the lead role, but director Robert Luketic said he "knew on page five of the script that [he] wanted Reese to play Elle." "I wanted someone with gravitas and brains," he explained. "There had to be more behind the face, and Reese just fit the bill."
Despite Luketic's enthusiasm for Witherspoon to be cast as the lead, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was not convinced. Witherspoon's performance as Tracy Flick in "Election" (1999) put her at risk of being typecast by the studio heads.[14] "They thought I was a shrew," Witherspoon told The Hollywood Reporter. Witherspoon had been passed over for several other post-Election roles. "My manager finally called and said, 'You've got to go meet with the studio head because he will not approve you. He thinks you really are your character from Election and that you're repellent.' And then I was told to dress s*xy." Witherspoon went through several rounds of auditions for the part, even meeting with executives in character with a Southern California accent. "I remember a room full of men who were asking me questions about being a coed and being in a sorority," Witherspoon recalled. "Even though I had dropped out of college four years earlier and I have never been inside a sorority house."
The producers originally wanted to set this movie at the University of Chicago. School administrators declined, however, because of a scene toward the end of this movie where a professor places his hand on Elle's leg. Filmmakers subsequently decided to have the story take place at Harvard University.
As agreed in her contract, Witherspoon kept all of her costumes after filming. (IMDb/Wikipedia)
Happy Birthday, Reese Witherspoon!
