The butterfly effect is the theory that one tiny occurrence could change the course of the entire universe, and it applies to Legally Blonde. What if Christina Applegate had played the role of Elle Woods instead of Reese Witherspoon? This was close to happening, according to Applegate herself, who ultimately decided she didn’t want to play another Kelly Bundy.
“The script came along my way and it was right after I had just finished Married and it was, you know, a blonde who was, in that first script dimwitted, but ends up going to Harvard,” Applegate told Entertainment Tonight. “It was just, I got scared. I got scared of kind of repeating myself.” You can’t blame Applegate for wanting to broaden her horizons.
The 2001 flick made more than $140 million worldwide, reports Us Weekly. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe and is considered to have been a pivotal point in Witherspoon’s career. “What a stupid move that was!” Applegate exclaimed. At least she got to be in The Sweetest Thing, a gem that’s still consistently underrated.
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Image via Married With Children/screencap.