James Van Der Beek Heads Back To School In “Legally Blonde” Prequel “Elle”

Legally Blonde fans have a new face joining Elle Woods’ pink-tinted world, and it’s none other than James Van Der Beek! On May 15, the beloved Dawson’s Creek alum announced that he’s been cast in Elle, the highly anticipated Legally Blonde prequel series coming to Prime Video. James, 48, will be stepping into the role of Dean Wilson — a school district superintendent who’s also running for mayor. Talk about multitasking!

James broke the news on Instagram by posting screenshots of a Deadline article along with a caption that had fans and his own family buzzing: “So, this is exciting… I’m going back to work for a bit,” he wrote. “Super excited to join this awesome cast in such a fun project. Almost as excited as my wife and girls are that I’m doing this 😍 #LegallyBlonde #Elle.”

His wife Kimberly, mom to their six children, quickly popped into the comments with full mom-energy, writing: “Annabel and I NEEDED this!” Fans were just as hyped. “One of my favorite actors in the prequel to one of my favorite movies?? Yes please!! ❤️,” gushed one. Another fan shouted what many were clearly feeling: “We want much more of the Beek 🙌❤️.”

Some followers also saw James’ return to acting as a positive sign for his health. Late last year, he revealed he’d been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and had been quietly undergoing treatment while focusing on family. In a November 2023 interview, James shared he was optimistic and feeling good, even if he was keeping most updates private.

Now, his involvement in Elle marks both a career comeback and a personal milestone, showing he’s feeling strong enough to dive back into the spotlight. And what a spotlight it is — Elle is shaping up to be a major moment for the Legally Blonde universe.

The new series is produced by Reese Witherspoon’s company, Hello Sunshine. Reese, who famously played Elle Woods in the early 2000s films, is also executive producing. When the series was announced in May 2024, Reese promised that fans would get to see Elle as a teenager “navigating her world with that same bold spirit and clever charm.”

Earlier this year, Reese even shared the emotional moment she told rising actress Lexi Minetree that she had landed the role of young Elle Woods. Lexi, dressed in signature pink, broke into tears and asked if she could hug Reese after the surprise reveal. “We just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to audition anymore because you got the part,” Reese told her.