James Van Der Beek Joins the "Elle" Cast: Bringing Legal Charm to "Legally Blonde" Prequel Series

James Van Der Beekis officially going Blonde.

TheDawson's CreekThe star is the most recent actor brought on board to join.ElleAmazon MGM Studios' latestLegally BlondeThe prequel series will feature Van Der Beek in a recurring guest starring role as Dean Wilson, who serves as the present school district superintendent and is also running for mayor in the show’s fictional town.

The casting announcement comes in the wake of Van Der Beek revealing in November that he wasdiagnosed with colorectal cancer. Noting that he had "reason for optimism," Van Der Beek's diagnosis hasn't slowed his pace of work, havingalready appearedthis year onThe Masked Singerand appearing soon on Benito Skinner's new Amazon Prime series,Overcompensating.

Ellewasannounced last MayProduced by the initial film starReese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine company, the prequel series will rewind to the high school days of her character, the fashionable legal eagle Elle. The series' official logline notes that viewers will get to "learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love."

In February, Witherspoon announced that the series haddiscovered its new Elle Woods.The Murdaugh MurdersandLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitactor Lexi Minetree was personally told by Witherspoon that she secured the part.emotional videoshared in February.

Sign up forEntertainment Weekly'sto get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.free daily newsletter

Additional cast members includeJune Diane Raphaelwho will portray Elle's mother, Eva;Tom Everett Scott, who will portray Elle's father, Wyatt; along with Kayla Maisonet (Stuck in the Middle), Lisa Yamada (Little Fires Everywhere),Chandler Kinney(Pretty Little Liars: The Initial Sin), Jacob Moskovitz (Y2KLogan Shroyer (This Is Us).

Witherspoon stated in a press release issued along with the series announcement in February, 'I genuinely can't express enough enthusiasm for this show,'" she remarked. "'Viewers will have the opportunity to discover how Elle Woods managed her life during her teenage years, showcasing her distinctive character and resourcefulness—exactly as we adore from our dear Elle.' ‘Isn’t that just wonderful?’

Although Witherspoon is attached to the series as an executive producer, none of the actors from the original show are scheduled to return in their previous roles. Instead, Minetree will portray a youthful interpretation of the part that garnered Witherspoon a Golden Globe nomination. Similarly, Raphael will take on a younger version of the role initially played by Tana Mclaurin, and Scott will assume the younger counterpart of James Read’s cinematic character.

Ellehas no relation to a third film in the franchise (following the 2003 sequelRed, White & Blonde), which hasbeen in developmentsince 2018, with Mindy Kalingenlisting as a screenwriter in 2020.

Read the initial article onEntertainment Weekly