The cast of Elle, the Prime Video prequel to Legally Blonde, paid a heartfelt tribute to their late co-star James Van Der Beek at the series' London premiere on Tuesday. Van Der Beek, who died in February at age 48 after a battle with stage three colorectal cancer, makes his final on-screen appearance in the series as Dean Wilson. He appears in four episodes, and the third instalment is dedicated to his memory.
Cast Remembers Van Der Beek's Warmth and Generosity
Speaking to The Standard on the pink carpet, cast members shared their memories of the actor. Chandler Kinney, who plays Elle's friend Kimberley, said: “James was such a beautiful individual and I am so incredibly grateful to have been able to share space with someone like that. He's so generous with his time and energy, and that's not something that you have to do, especially when you are James Van Der Beek. He's just so incredible. He took time with everyone, he always came in with a smile. We got to hang out with his daughters. We bonded over a time on Dancing with the Stars. He's just a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful human.”
Gabrielle Policano, who plays Liz, added: “He was an incredible man, an incredible person, an incredible actor, and we were lucky to have him there. And you know, he never brought any of the things he was going through into the space… it was a total gift to work with him.” Tom Everett Scott, who stars as Elle's father Wyatt, echoed those sentiments: “I remember what a classy, talented actor he was, and how much he enjoyed being on set and enjoyed acting. He was just lovely to get to know.”
Tributes from Hollywood and Executive Producer Reese Witherspoon
Van Der Beek's death prompted tributes from across Hollywood, including from executive producer Reese Witherspoon, who called him “an extraordinary, talented man who also showed great kindness and grace in every action.”
Set in 1995, Elle follows a teenage Elle Woods years before she arrives at Harvard Law School, charting her high school years, friendships, and first romances. Newcomer Lexi Minetree takes on the role made famous by Witherspoon in the 2001 hit Legally Blonde. Minetree explained how Witherspoon supported her during filming: “One thing that she does is so sweet, is that she’s always checking in on me and making sure I am taking care of myself, because when you’re doing something like this, it’s a juggernaut project. Of the five months filming 15-hour days, I had two days off. And she was like: ‘Are you drinking water, are you sleeping?’ And, of course, I go: ‘No, I’m not, I should do more of that.’ Making sure my body, mind and spirit were all healthy was important, especially playing a character like Elle, who is so lovely, and you need to have that energy there. So, having her there to check in on me and making sure I was doing those things is amazing.”
About the Series and Its Legacy
Elle also stars June Diane Raphael, Jacob Moskovitz, and Zac Looker. Based on Amanda Brown’s novel of the same name, Legally Blonde was released in 2001 and was followed by Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde two years later. The original grossed $142 million (£107 million) worldwide on a budget of $18 million (£13 million) and was nominated for two Golden Globes. Elle is streaming now on Prime Video.
