Photo: Sofía Alvarez
It’s a hot summer afternoon in New York City, and up a manual elevator, past a narrow flight of stairs, and behind a heavy door, Lexi Minetree, Chandler Kinney, and Gabrielle Policano are not making sense to anyone but each other. As they pose in front of a pink backdrop — their fingers intertwined and cheeks pressed together — they’re communicating in assorted accents and inside jokes. Every one, two clicks of the camera, and they’re breaking into giggles.
It’s a sharp contrast to the first scene they appear together in the new series “Elle,” a “Legally Blonde” prequel created by Laura Kittrell and Amazon MGM Studios. Set in 1995, Elle Woods, played by Minetree, has just moved from Bel Air to dreary Seattle to start her junior year of high school. On the first day, zine-making musician Liz, played by Policano, points out where the jocks, the stoners, and the Microsoft rich kids sit during lunch. Kimberly, played by Kinney, heads up the cool senior girls’ table, and immediately makes an enemy of blond, perky Elle.
The Real-Life Clique Behind “Elle”
By Lena Felton
Photography By Sofía Alvarez
Photo: Sofía Alvarez; Lexi wears OORI OTT pink halter top, vintage SS 2004 Valentino mini skirt via Isle of Monday, Maria Tash diamond hoop earring and charm, Sandy Liang necklace and bracelet, AND vintage Dior by John Galliano shoes via Gabriel Held Vintage
Huddling up, they held hands, cooed about each other’s photos, and made sure everyone had eaten something. It was evident that the trio is formidable, the type of best friends who exist in their own little world, a safe place for each one to be wholly themself. A clique you can’t help but cheer on.
“We are annoying with how much we like each other,” Minetree says. “It’s annoying. I love them so much. I don’t know how we got so lucky.”
Photo: Sofía Alvarez; Chandler wears Los Angeles Apparel white shirt, OORI OTT black tank, Coach x Brain Dead slip skirt, Laura Lombardi necklace, Maria Tash silver hoop earring and charms, Jude shoes, and talent’s own rings
The trio’s real-life friendship has no hint of this icy dynamic. They’re in constant contact, made clear by their arrivals on set. They’d all had different call times, and Policano settled into the hair and makeup chair first. But it wasn’t long before Kinney was FaceTiming Policano, asking them to help her to navigate the rickety elevator and steep stairs. As Kinney was trying on outfits, she checked Minetree’s location, making sure she was on her way. And when Minetree finally pushed open the heavy door, the three embraced like it had been months since they’d last seen each other. In reality, they’d been up until 2 a.m. the night before for the New York City premiere of the show.
Photo: Sofía Alvarez; Gabrielle wears Los Angeles Apparel striped shirt, Maria Tash silver diamond hoop earring, triangle diamond stud, star diamond stud, silver spike hoop earrings, Laura Lombardi silver bracelet, AND Mejuri silver bracelet
The first day on the “Elle” set was a little like the first day at a new school, the anticipation keeping everyone up the night before. Minetree, Kinney, and Policano understood the gravity of the opportunity: “Legally Blonde” is still casually quoted in conversations, 25 years later, and Elle Woods is as recognizable a name as Harry Potter.
Minetree wishes she could remember the exact first time she watched the film, but, like so many of us, “it’s kind of one of those movies I’ve just always known.” She adds: “To have anything be universal knowledge like that is crazy . . . it’s a testament to Reese [Witherspoon]’s performance and particularly how many women it impacted and empowered.”
Photo: Sofía Alvarez
The trio’s job was to give some background as to how Witherspoon’s Elle Woods became the fearless, determined, shockingly self-confident woman she is throughout the “Legally Blonde” films. With Witherspoon executive producing, they were stepping into a show that would carry on her legacy, and shape theirs. They also just wanted the other cast members to like them.
“I told all my family and friends, ‘When I get to set, I’m going to be so cool and everyone’s going to think I’m so chill and cool,’” Policano remembers. “And then I got there, and around these girls, you can’t help but be egregiously yourself. After one day, Lexi goes, ‘I think we’re all kind of similar to our characters, we have some semblance of them. Except you, you’re a goofball, aren’t you?’”
Indeed, in real life they all look like they belong at different cafeteria tables: Policano as the class clown, stepping into the studio with a pair of white over-the-ear headphones strung around their neck and a stuffed brown dog flopping out of the top of their backpack; Kinney waltzed in wearing pointy knee-high black boots, a black mini skirt, and a leather jacket, just as a cool kid might; and Minetree pushed open the door in a hot-pink Juicy Couture tracksuit and matching slippers.
Photo: Sofía Alvarez; Chandler wears Tyler McGillivary scoop tee, Los Angeles Apparel red skirt, Maria Tash silver hoop earring and charms, Laura Lombardi necklace, Jude shoes, AND stylist’s own socks; Lexi wears a vintage 2000s pink butterfly set via Isle of Monday, Sandy Liang bracelet, Schutz shoes, AND Maria Tash diamond hoop earring and charm; Gabrielle wears Collina Strada ocean plaid cargo skirt pants, R13 eye roll shirt, Dries Van Noten shoes, Maria Tash silver diamond hoop earring, triangle diamond stud, star diamond stud, silver spike hoop earrings, AND Dinosaur Designs silver rinG
But during their experience filming the show, they started to become more like each other in other ways. They’d play Bananagrams on set and hold jam sessions on the weekends. They’d work 14-hour days, exhausted and delirious, and then tumble into each other’s apartments, staying up for another three hours to chat.
All three actors came to the project from different starting points. Both Minetree and Policano were relatively unknown, and “Elle” was no doubt the type of opportunity that would fast-track their careers. Kinney had landed her own breakout role in “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” in 2022, then competed on “Dancing with the Stars.” That meant, as the nurturing “mom friend,” she could help them navigate it all.
“I’ve had the privilege of being part of awesome projects in my career that have really prepped me for this moment, and some days they feel like they’ve been launched into the deep end,” Kinney says of Minetree and Policano. “I’m always there with some extra floaties.”
Witherspoon herself has also been a huge source of support, especially for Minetree. “She’s always reminding me to take care of myself, like, get enough sleep, drink enough water,” Minetree says. “I remember recently I sent her a voice memo, and I was like, on your hard days, how do you show up, especially as your best? And she goes, ‘I always show up with 100 percent of wherever I’m at. So if I’m at a 30 percent day, I’ll show up with 100 percent of that 30 percent.’”
Besides their uncanny resemblance and similar mannerisms, that “integrity,” as Minetree puts it, is fundamental to them both, and to Elle. And, no doubt, it’s helping Minetree stay above the fray: “You show up with the best version of yourself,” she says, assuredly, “and you treat people the way you want to be treated.”
Photo: Sofía Alvarez; Gabrielle Wears vintage 2000s Versace Jeans Couture pants via Gabriel Held Vintage, AND Dries Van Noten shoes
There are many intentional similarities between “Elle” and “Legally Blonde” — overcoming not fitting in, turning enemies into friends, the character’s enduring charm — but there are also new dynamics on display. Liz and Kimberly have a romantic storyline of their own: we learn that the two had been hooking up at camp, but Liz is out and Kimberly is not.
For Policano, getting to portray Liz, who is confident in her queerness, was cathartic. “Something I wish I could’ve learned from her earlier in life is she was really out and proud and comfortable with who she is at 16, and it was a little more of a journey for me,” they say. “So I hope young people will see that and themselves on screen and, like, press pause and come out to their parents in their living room. That’s my goal.”
Their friendship has also reached new heights, the latest development being that Minetree and Kinney have become bicoastal roommates. “I’m an LA girlie and she’s a New York gal, so whenever we’re in each other’s cities, we stay with each other and we have an open door policy to one another, no questions asked,” Kinney says. “You can stay two days, two weeks, two months. I’ve never had that with someone.”
There haven’t been many snafus, except the one time Minetree spilled coffee on a white couch. But, like any healthy relationship, they talked about it. Now, they have new rules, Kinney says: “She can drink it, but she can’t set it on the armrest.”
Self-confidence is something Kinney and Minetree also wish they had more of when they were in high school. When they talk about their 16-year-old selves, it’s a little unnerving how much they echo each other. Kinney describes her 16-year-old self as “very insecure,” and Minetree says she was “so scared of showing who I was.”
Now in their mid-20s, the process of making the show, surrounded by each other, has allowed them to embrace their true selves. “I remember saying to my mom after the first month of shooting, like, ‘Mom, I think they like me here.’ And she was like, ‘Why are you so surprised?’” Policano says. “I truly have never been around a group of people that I feel I can be so myself with. My inner 16-year-old would be so amazed if she saw me now and how happy I am.”
Photo: Sofía Alvarez
Photo: Sofía Alvarez; Gabrielle wears Luv Lou sunglasses
As if they weren’t already inseparable (they’re constantly texting on their group chat, the Powerpuff Girls; “I’m Bubbles, of course,” Minetree says, while Kinney is Blossom and Policano is Buttercup), the trio has been sharing a lot of new experiences recently. There have been late-night talk show appearances and reunion red carpet moments and brand events. It’s been exhausting, they all admit, but there’s still so much anticipation, they’re running on pure adrenaline. When “Elle” premieres on July 1, this thing they made with their best friends will take on a completely new life.
The group is already nostalgic for this moment. “After Chandler and I filmed the last scene of season two, we got in the car, and she was like, ‘I feel upset, but I don’t know why,’” Policano says. “And after like four minutes, she was like, ‘I’m feeling sad because I miss you already,’ and then we both just started bawling.”
While none of them can be sure how a prequel of such an iconic franchise will be received, the fact that they found each other through the process speaks to the power of the original film and what it represents. “Legally Blonde” was always about finding your people and, in turn, finding yourself. “Elle” has given that to them.
Photo: Sofía Alvarez
By the end of our day on set, the three of them are snapping selfies and hugging, as if they’re heading off to different summer camps, though they’ll see each other again the next day. They’ll be celebrating the release of the show in London together, then they’re all unplugging: Minetree is going on a hiking trip through Europe (“I don’t hike or camp, so it will be interesting how it goes,” she chuckles), and Kinney and Policano are going to stay in London with their co-star, Jacob Moskovitz, for a little vacation.
It’ll be strange, after seeing each other every day, to take a break. But, like the last day of junior year, it’s by no means goodbye. “All three of us, we’ve morphed into one human,” Minetree says. “So where does Gabby start and where does Chandler start and Lexi stops, who knows. These are girls who will be in my life for the rest of my life.”
Photo: Sofía Alvarez
Creative Credits
Photographer: Sofía Alvarez
Videographer: Jun-ting Zhou
Associate Creative Director: Emily Zirimis
Senior Visuals Designer: Summer Bockart
Social Media Design Coordinator: Sara Abdelbarry
Stylist: Ali Claire Marino
Makeup Artist for Lexi: Jennifer Powell
Hairstylist for Lexi: Dom Forletta
Makeup Artist for Chandler: Britty Whitfield
Hairstylist for Chandler: Takisha Sturdivant-Drew
Makeup Artist for Gabby: Isabel Rosado
Hairstylist for Gabby: Karla Serrano
Lighting Tech: Asa Lory
Photo Assistant: Roshan Jacob
Photo retoucher: Alberto Maro
Stylist Assistant: Emma Cabana
Tailor: Hailey Desjardins
Production: Dunwell Production
Executive Producer: Caroline Santee Hughes
Production Coordinator: Lily Rohren
Production Assistant: Ruby Koh
Art Assistant: Bobby Decker
Location: Tribeca Journal Studio
Editorial Credits
Editor-in-Chief: Kelsey Castañon
Writer and Senior Director of Special Projects: Lena Felton
Director of Audience Development: Kaitlin Hatton
Managing Editor: Karen Snyder Duke
Senior Audience Strategist: Charisandra Perez
Associate Social Talent Manager: Mia Marquez
Editorial Operations Coordinator: Caitlin Oates
AdditionaL STYLING CREDITS
PROPS: Green and black Dior by John Galliano shoes via Gabriel Held Vintage, Lanvin pink and white shoe via Gabriel Held Vintage, AND Collina Strada sunglasses
