Actress Reese Witherspoon recalls Gloria Steinem’s influence on ‘Legally Blonde’

Actress Reese Witherspoon paid tribute to feminist icon Gloria Steinem, recalling how her words played a pivotal role in helping her see the character of Elle Woods differently before saying yes to ‘Legally Blonde’.

Reese took to Instagram, where she shared a picture of herself with Steinem, who passed away aged 92, at her home, peacefully surrounded by loved ones. Reese wrote: “Gloria Steinem changed how women saw themselves and what was possible...I was one of them.” The actress recalled how, when she was deciding to do the film “Legally Blonde”, Steinem gave her inspiration to play Elle Woods. “When I was deciding whether to do Legally Blonde, I watched a documentary where Gloria spoke about the importance of seeing an underestimated woman become the hero of her own story.”

“Her words changed how I saw Elle Woods and helped me say yes. Years later, I got to sit beside Gloria at an event, and tell her how much she inspired me. Gloria was a warrior for change. She wanted equality and freedom for ALL women. She dedicated her whole life to advocating for our fundamental rights.”

“Thank you, Gloria, for your courage, your commitment and everything you made possible for all women. What a legacy,” Reese concluded.

Legally Blonde is a 2001 comedy film directed by Robert Luketic and written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith. Based on Amanda Brown’s novel, it also stars Reese, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, and Jennifer Coolidge.

The story follows Elle Woods (Witherspoon), a sorority girl who attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Davis) by getting a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School and, in the process, overcomes stereotypes against blondes and triumphs as a successful lawyer.

Reese began her career as a teenager, making her screen debut in The Man in the Moon (1991). After starring in the 1996 films Freeway and Fear, her breakthrough came in 1999 with a supporting role in Cruel Intentions and the lead role of Tracy Flick in the black comedy Election. She gained wider recognition for playing Elle Woods in the comedy Legally Blonde (2001) and its 2003 sequel, and for starring in the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama (2002). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying June Carter Cash in the musical biopic Walk the Line (2005). She had a downturn in her career and during that era, her sole box-office success was the romantic drama Water for Elephants (2011), She made a comeback, producing and starring as Cheryl Strayed in the drama Wild (2014), which earned her a second Academy Award nomination.

Since then she has primarily worked in television, producing and starring in several female-led literary adaptations under her company Hello Sunshine. They include the HBO drama series Big Little Lies (2017–2019), the Apple TV+ drama series The Morning Show (2019–present), and the Hulu miniseries Little Fires Everywhere (2020).

Agencies