‘Legally Blonde’ at 20: The cast and crew break down why Elle Woods remains one of the best protagonists of all time

It's been two decades and Elle Woods' "What, like it's hard?" can still be heard any time someone gets into law school.

"Legally Blonde," directed by Robert Luketic, followed LA sorority girl Elle (Reese Witherspoon) as she enrolled in Harvard Law School in an effort to win back her snobby ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis). Along the way, she won her first case through her wits and knowledge of perms.

"It felt like it was wildly under the radar," screenwriter Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith told Insider of the 2001 film.

"There wasn't a ton of hoopla around it by any means," she said of penning the script with longtime writing partner Karen McCullah. "The studio input was really pretty minimal and supportive and it felt like we were being trusted to do what we wanted for the most part."

In honor of the film's 20th anniversary, screenwriters Smith and McCullah along with star Ali Larter (who plays Brooke Windham) looked back at the movie that inspired generations of women to unapologetically pursue law and wear head-to-toe pink without judgment.

On paper, a wealthy homecoming queen who describes herself and her chihuahua, Bruiser, as "Gemini vegetarians" might not be an obviously likable protagonist.

"The pretty, wealthy, popular girl is not usually the underdog," McCullah said. "We flipped it and the humanity of the character because she was so kind to everyone and so optimistic and unfazed."

But beyond her financial status and privileged life, Smith saw Elle as a "big, bold character who was so full of joy and positivity and bubbliness in such a conservative, uptight environment."

Elle's unflinching optimism in a cynical world was woven throughout the narrative. She drew the judgment of her classmates when she pulled up at Harvard's campus in a black Porche with a "22BLONDE" license plate and a shotgun-riding, pink-sweater-wearing Bruiser.

In another scene, she arrived at a party wearing a skimpy bunny costume after being tricked by Warner's fiancée, Vivian Kensington (Selma Blair). Despite the prank and obvious humiliation, she brushed it off and masterfully confronted Vivian for being a "frigid b----."

"She's such a confident girl that we thought it would be funny if she just immediately went over and said something to Vivian about the part she played and then just play it off and stay in her costume the whole time and not worry about it," McCullah said.

"Elle Woods let everything roll off her shoulders when people would insult her," said Larter.

"She didn't let it knock her down or swipe her feet out from under her. She always just kept trekking forward," the actress continued. "That is definitely one of the keys to what makes that character so special and makes people continue to watch the movie over and over again."

McCullah and Smith didn't have any specific actors in mind for the role of Elle when writing and revising the screenplay, based on Amanda Brown's 2001 book of the same name.

But they were thrilled when Witherspoon signed on after the script was complete since they were big fans of the actress' prior projects.

At the time, the actress had starred in movies like "Election" and "Cruel Intentions." A few years after "Legally Blonde," Witherspoon would earn her first Oscar for her performance in "Walk the Line."

"We loved her in 'Freeway.' She had so much moxie in that," Smith said. "She had the perfect balance of comedic ability, the intellectual vibes, and the real dramatic chops, too. She's the entire package."

The duo also wrote the character of Emmett, an associate at Professor Callahan's (Victor Garber) law firm, with Luke Wilson in mind.

"We spent a lot of time faxing the casting director, like 'Luke Wilson, Luke Wilson!' And then finally after the table read where a different actor played Emmett, we were like 'Luke Wilson, Luke Wilson!' And he was like, 'That's a really good idea.' We were like, 'We've been telling you!'" Smith explained, adding that Wilson was offered the role outright without auditioning.

However, the casting director wasn't as certain about Larter's role, as he believed she was too young to play Brooke, the actress recalled. But Larter was determined to play Brooke, a Delta Nu graduate who built a fortune through "Brooke's Butt-Buster Workout" and was accused of murdering her 60-year-old husband.

Brooke's high-profile trial was at the center of the movie and it was revealed that she wasn't responsible for her husband's death because she was getting liposuction - an alibi that would destroy her reputation if people learned that her body was unattainable.

During her audition, Larter recalled "reaching my arm around and really grabbing a hold of my butt to really sell this idea that she would not have this if it wasn't for liposuction."

"I just thought that was funny and I love a bit of physical comedy," she added. "I've only gotten to do it a few times in my career, but when I do those moments, they just make me laugh."

Larter said that "Legally Blonde" was appealing to her because it was simultaneously grounded while also featuring weighted moments, like the scene where Brooke finally told Elle her alibi from a prison phone booth.

"I loved that she was willing to do whatever she had to do to protect her secrets and how heightened that became," Larter said. "It was a really fun character and I loved that she was a Queen Bee, but also a total soul sister. She saw her best friends as her family and would do anything to protect them and have their back too."

Working with Witherspoon was another highlight for Larter, who described the "Big Little Lies" star as "extraordinarily talented" and a big team player off-camera. Larter recalled Witherspoon showing up to set "fully prepared," making it a point to learn the names of the crew members and asking them about their weekends.

Larter added that she appreciated being able to "have a great time" with Witherspoon "and not have this undercurrent of competitiveness that sometimes people think there is" between actresses.

"She's just a really incredible human being," Larter added.

We were trying to come up with a B-plot that happened in the nail salon and we were working in weird directions. Like, maybe it gets robbed. Karen McCullah

"Legally Blonde" was McCullah and Smith's third team-up together, after writing for a 1998 TV show called "Getting Personal" and penning the script for the beloved 90s movie "10 Things I Hate About You."

Although there wasn't too much room for improvisation in the script, the screenwriters still recalled the stars adding small touches to their characters.

During rehearsals, Jason Christopher came up with the line "You b----!" which his character shouts before stomping out of the courtroom in response to his boyfriend Enrique (Greg Serano) denying their relationship in his testimony.

McCullah and Smith said that Alanna Ubach, who played Elle's friend Serena, came up with the idea for her character to be fluent in Vietnamese and speak it at the nail salon.

And the famous bend-and-snap move was invented at a Beverly Hills hotel bar.

"There really should be a placard there, honestly," Smith joked.

"We were in between meetings and working on the scripts," McCullah recalled. "And we were trying to come up with a B-plot that happened in the nail salon and we were working in weird directions. Like, maybe it gets robbed, all sorts of crazy stuff."

They then realized they were overthinking it and could add a simple storyline where Elle tries to help manicurist Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge) get her crush's attention by teaching her a move (one that Witherspoon still gets asked to do).

"Kirsten jumped off her barstool and was like, 'Like this?' And then she did that move," McCullah said, revealing that Smith named it the bend and snap on the spot.

"It just cracks us up that that's become such a lasting thing that people remember. It's literally the silliest thing in the movie," McCullah added.

The cast and crew had no idea that "Legally Blonde" would be a box-office hit, much less a pop-culture staple.

"It was predicted to open at $12 million, then it opened at $20 million," McCullah recalled. "It definitely defied expectations."

Two years later, a sequel was released following Witherspoon's character to DC to fight for animal rights. A musical adaption hit Broadway in spring 2007 and Witherspoon went on to produce a spin-off movie called "Legally Blondes."

Even now, its legacy lives on.

In October 2020, a majority of the cast hopped on Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic to reminisce about the movie and raise money for World Central Kitchen. And when the film was added to Netflix back in April, it quickly jumped to No. 1 on the streamer's list of the 10 most-watched movies at the time.

Celebrities have also shown their appreciation for the flick over the years: Ariana Grande recruited Coolidge to perform a new version of the bend and snap in her "Legally Blonde"-inspired "Thank U, Next" music video while aspiring lawyer Kim Kardashian dressed as Elle for Halloween in 2019, sharing her own take on the famous Harvard admissions-essay video.

But 20 years after the first film was released, we still haven't seen the last of the pink-clad lawyer. A third "Legally Blonde" movie is currently in the works, penned by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor ("Brooklyn Nine​-Nine," ("Parks and Recreation").

However, McCullah and Smith said that it's unclear if they'll be involved in the project - especially after Amazon acquired MGM, the studio that released "Legally Blonde."

"We don't really know what's happening with 'LB 3' at the moment," McCullah said of the film, expected to be released in May 2022. "Hopefully, it will come out. The world needs more Elle Woods."

Until then, the screenwriters hope that fans watching the film nowadays can take a page out of Elle's book as they navigate the world.

Watching people gravitate toward the character's "blithe spirit" and "undaunted" demeanor has "really been meaningful to us," Smith said. "We're happy to be your nostalgia queens."

"It's how we should all exist in life, honestly," McCullah added. "Just be completely oblivious to anyone throwing shade at you."