By Reese Witherspoon, widely recognized for her role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, recently shared a hilarious story about her real-life jury duty during an appearance on “The Graham Norton Show.” The 48-year-old actress recounted how her on-screen legal persona unexpectedly led to a leadership role during a two-week trial in Beverly Hills.
The Wrap discussed her participation in court during an interview on the popular British show.
“Listen, I did not want to do jury duty,” Witherspoon shared. “It was probably like seven years after ‘Legally Blonde.’ I got called for jury duty and it was in Beverly Hills and I thought, surely they’re not going to pick me… they picked me.”
Witherspoon then detailed the long trial, saying she was there for two weeks and that the real surprise of the case came at the end of the case.
“At the very end, they say, ‘OK, well somebody in this group has to be the foreman’ and they all unanimously are like ‘Her.’ And I was like, ‘Why did you pick me?’ And they were like, ‘You went to law school.’”
“I was like, ‘Y’all, this is really upsetting, I definitely did not go to law school. I did not finish college, I played a lawyer in a movie once,’” she said. “But they made me the foreman, and I started realizing people do not know much about the law.”
Witherspoon admitted she was surprised to be selected for jury duty, years after the release of Legally Blonde. Despite initial reservations, she became deeply involved in what she described as a “dog bite case.” When deliberations began, her fellow jurors unanimously chose her to serve as the jury foreman.
Her portrayal of Elle Woods in the 2001 hit film remains iconic. The movie tells the story of a determined, fashion-forward woman who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend but ultimately discovers her potential as a skilled attorney. Witherspoon reprised the role in the 2003 sequel Legally Blonde: Red, White & Blonde and produced the 2009 spin-off Legally Blondes.
Fans of the series are eagerly anticipating the third installment, which Witherspoon has confirmed is in development. While details remain limited, she has expressed her dedication to preserving the essence of Elle Woods. “I feel like these characters are my friends, so I safeguard them,” she shared in a 2022 interview, according to Fox News.
Though Witherspoon’s real-life jury duty didn’t demand Elle Woods’ legal expertise, she did encourage others to do their civic duty if selected for jury duty.
