James Van Der Beek Joins Cast of ‘Legally Blonde’ Prequel

James Van Der Beek is back in action, joining one of the most anticipated upcoming projects we can’t wait to watch! “The Dawson’s Creek” star announced he will appear in the cast of the upcoming “Legally Blonde” prequel series, “Elle.”

While an official filming date has yet to be announced, we do know that Van Der Beek will appear as a recurring guest role. The actor took to Instagram to share the news, posting several screenshots from “Deadline.” The news outlet confirmed he’ll play Dean Wilson, the city’s new mayoral candidate and school district superintendent.

James Van Der Beek Joins ‘Legally Blonde!’

Sharing his excitement, the 48-year-old wrote, “So, this is exciting… I’m going back to work for a bit. 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”

According to Deadline, the series “follows Elle Woods in high school as viewers learn about the life experiences that shaped her.” The show is set years before the events of the original “Legally Blonde” film, which famously began with Elle Woods heading to Harvard Law School.

The casting news comes a few months after Van Der Beek revealed he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and was undergoing treatment. At the time, he shared that he would be taking a small step back from acting to focus on his health and his family.

Now, Van Der Beek joins a cast that also includes Tom Everett Scott, June Diane Raphael, Zac Looker, Gabrielle Policano, and more.

Last May, Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s media company, revealed that Prime Video was officially moving forward with the prequel. Witherspoon, who played Woods in the original films, is also set to executive produce the series.

Meet Lexi, AKA Elle Woods

Excited about the news, Witherspoon shared, “Fans will get to know how Elle Woods navigated her world as a teenager with her distinct personality and ingenuity — in ways that only our beloved Elle could.”

Earlier this year, Hello Sunshine also announced they had found their young Woods. They revealed young actress Lexi Minetree as the rising star set to portray the iconic character. Witherspoon made the announcement via Instagram, saying, “Allow me to introduce you to the new Elle Woods! After watching so many incredible auditions for the new Elle prequel series on @PrimeVideo, we finally found our Elle. And today, I got to break the news myself! Meet @leximinetree 💕🌟💅🏼”