Reese Witherspoon reveals how Legally Blonde role landed her real life jury part

Reese Witherspoon (Matt Crossick/PA)

Reese Witherspoon has described how her starring role in Legally Blonde landed her the responsibility of foreman when she was summoned for jury duty.

In the 2001 comedy, the Hollywood actress portrayed sorority girl Elle Woods who gains admittance to Harvard Law School in pursuit of a boyfriend who has broken up with her.

While studying there, Woods discovers she is more than just her looks, and proves to have the makings of a highly capable lawyer.

Recalling her jury duty stint on The Graham Norton Show, Witherspoon said: “About seven years after Legally Blonde came out I was called up to do two solid weeks.

“When we went to deliberation and it came to choosing a foreman, the entire jury picked me.

“When I asked them why, they said it was because I went to law school.”

A Legally Blonde prequel TV series, which follows Woods as a 90s’ schoolgirl, is in the works, with Witherspoon as executive producer.

She said last September they were in the process of holding an open casting call for the character of teenage Woods.

Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon (Matt Crossick/PA)

Witherspoon also stars in a new wedding comedy, You’re Cordially Invited, alongside US actor Will Ferrell, in which they try to save two separate weddings after they are accidentally booked at the same location for the same weekend.

Witherspoon said she agreed to the movie and working alongside Elf star Ferrell before she knew the plot, as she “just wanted to do it”.

She joked that they first met on US sketch show Saturday Night Live in 2001, and “22 short years later we came up with an idea”.

Ferrell said he had the “best time” making the film with Witherspoon and it would be a “dream” to work together again.

The actor said he also had a “bizarre” moment in a court during the OJ Simpson trial.

He said: “I was doing improv at the Groundlings Theatre in LA at the same time the OJ Simpson trial was going on.

“The jury was sequestered for a long time and couldn’t (go) anywhere, so someone came up with the idea of performing our sketch show for them in the court to lighten the mood.

“It was just us and the jurors. They seemed mildly entertained, but it was very bizarre.”

The Graham Norton Show is on BBC One on Friday from 10.40pm.