Elle Woods once said, “Being a blonde is actually a pretty powerful thing,” but as it turns out, the actress who made the “Legally Blonde” character famous does not share her natural hair color.
On Thursday, Reese Witherspoon shared a throwback photo of herself sporting a much darker ’do, writing jokingly on Instagram, “Wait... is this my real hair color?!?”
Plenty of her famous friends responded to the post, including “Superstore” star America Ferrera, who wrote, “Cutie patootie!!!!!” and “Grey’s Anatomy” alum Jessica Capshaw, who added, “Beauty.” Author Cheryl Strayed — whom Witherspoon played in the 2014 on-screen adaptation of her memoir, “Wild” — also commented, “Cutie!!”
This isn’t the first time Witherspoon, 43, has shown off her original hair color. Back in August, she shared a throwback back-to-school photo as a brunette, with a huge smile and candy as jewelry.
She joked in the caption, “Mom tip: Send your kid to school with a candy necklace so she can share it with all her new friends!”
Witherspoon made headlines last November when she was spotted as a brunette on the set of “The Morning Show,” which premiered earlier this month. She similarly opted for a darker look for her role as June Carter Cash back in 2005’s “Walk The Line,” which earned her an Oscar for best actress.
Despite her brunette roots, Witherspoon has made blond hair her signature style, evident in her roles in various movies and shows, including “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Big Little Lies.”
After “Cruel Intentions” came out in 1999, Witherspoon cemented her spot in Hollywood playing Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde” in 2001 and its 2003 sequel. Her reign as Woods isn’t over yet either — a “Legally Blonde 3” may be in the works, according to the star herself.
She teased the project on Instagram in June 2018, but told Entertainment Tonight this past October, “It's just a development project right now, so we'll see.”
Still, if Elle Woods taught fans anything, it’s to never underestimate a woman based on her hair color — and Witherspoon has proven she can do it all, whether she’s staying true to her brunette roots or living a “pretty powerful” life as a blonde.