Jennifer Coolidge reveals surprising audition mix-up for 'Legally Blonde'

Jennifer Coolidge mistakenly believed she was auditioning for the lead role in Legally Blonde before being cast as the manicurist, Paulette Bonafonte.

The 64-year-old actress shared the story during Prime Video’s Elle World event, which reunited several stars from the hit 2001 comedy ahead of its 25th anniversary celebrations.

Speaking during a panel discussion, Coolidge admitted she originally thought she was trying out for the role of Elle Woods, the character played by Reese Witherspoon.

“I thought this was the funniest thing,” Coolidge admitted. “I was so lucky to get cast in this movie, and it is one of my favourite jobs of all time, but I stupidly thought that when I was auditioning, I thought I was gonna be Elle.”

The actress ultimately landed the role of Paulette, a nail salon worker who becomes one of Elle’s closest friends. 

Released in 2001, Legally Blonde encircles Elle Woods, a fashionable sorority student who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her former boyfriend. 

Coolidge was joined at the reunion event by several former castmates, including Selma Blair, Ali Larter, Victor Garber and Matthew Davis.

Joking about the passage of time since the movie was released, Coolidge quipped, “I forgot that when we first started filming, I was only 17 years old.”

The reunion comes ahead of the launch of the prequel TV series Elle, which follows a younger Elle Woods and premieres on July 1.