Jennifer Coolidge Reveals Surprising 'Legally Blonde' Audition Mix-Up

Jennifer Coolidge‘s portrayal of the beloved Paulette Bonafonté is arguably one of the actress’ most iconic roles. However, the star has revealed that she faced a hilarious mix-up at her Legally Blondeaudition.

The Golden Globe-winning actress thought she was auditioning for the lead role of Elle Woods.

“Well, you know, I forgot that when we first started filming, I was only 17 years old,” she joked during Prime Video’s Elle World, which took place on June 20. “No, I was, and so I just can’t believe it. All this time has gone by.”

She continued, “No, but I do wanna say this, because I thought this was the funniest thing. I was so lucky to get cast in this movie, and it is one of my favorite jobs of all time, but I stupidly thought that when I was auditioning, I thought I was gonna be Elle.”

The lead role ultimately went to toReese Witherspoon, who was also present at the panel. Hosted at Hall des Lumières in New York City, the panel was just one part of an immersive fan experience that celebrated the fan-favorite 2001 movie’s 25th anniversary along with the forthcoming Prime Video prequel series, Elle.

Also in attendance were Coolidge and Witherspoon’s co-stars Ali Larter, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, and Victor Garber.

Elle will premiere on July 1 and stars Lexi Minetree as a younger version of Witherspoon’s character. The much-anticipated series was first announced on May 14, 2024 and in Feb. 2025, Witherspoon passed the Elle Woods torch to Minetree.

“And thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to @reesewitherspoon for handing me down Elle Woods,” the 25-year-old wrote in an Instagram post announcing her role. “I already love her so so much, I promise she’s in good hands. P.S. thank you for showing me how amazing I am going to look in the future, soooo looking forward to that.”

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