Can you believe that Legally Blonde [1] came out 17 years ago? 17 years, people! It's kind of crazy to think about the fact it's been nearly two decades since Reese Witherspoon [2]'s Elle Woods uttered the now-iconic phrase, "What, like it's hard?" and graduated Harvard Law top of her class (suck it, Warner). Although the movie hit theatres all the way back in 2001, the legacy of and love for Elle has far from dimmed, so much so that MGM has decided to gift us all with a third instalment in the rom-com franchise [3]. To get you properly excited for the new movie, which is due out in 2020, take a walk down memory lane and find out what the original cast has been up to lately.

Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods

As bubbly LA sorority girl-turned Harvard Law extraordinaire, Elle is the ultimate example of why you should never judge a book by its cover . . . even if the book is pink and scented.

Reese Witherspoon Now

Four years after starring in Legally Blonde, Witherspoon went on to win an Oscar for her role as June Carter in 2005's Walk the Line. She kept up a mix of high-brow dramas (Water For Elephants) and romantic comedies (Sweet Home Alabama and Four Christmases) in the years following, and has since gone on to dominate the TV world as well with HBO's Big Little Lies [4].

Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette

Paulette, Elle's lovable manicurist with a self-confidence problem, remains the sweetest part of Legally Blonde. And who could forget her memorable bend and snap?!

Jennifer Coolidge Now

Coolidge, 56, has continued her reign as a comedy queen, playing a hilariously evil stepmother in 2004's A Cinderella Story and Sophie Kachinsky in 2 Broke Girls from 2012 to 2017. Lately she's been doing a bunch a voice work in movies like The Emoji Movie and The New Adventures of Max.

Luke Wilson as Emmett

Is Emmett kind of schlubby? Maybe a little. Is he still ridiculously endearing as he works on the big case with Elle? YES, duh.

Luke Wilson Now

Wilson reprised his role as Emmett in the sequel, Legally Blonde: Red, White, & Blonde, and popped up in a number of other comedies (Anchorman, The Family Stone, Idiocracy). Since then, the 46-year-old has appeared in shows like Enlightened and Roadies, and has signed on to The Goldfinch adaptation to play Larry.

Holland Taylor as Professor Stromwell

Holland Taylor brought new meaning to the word "fierce" with her performance as the tough-as-nails Professor Stromwell.

Holland Taylor Now

In addition to acting in movies like The Wedding Date and TV shows like Two and a Half Men, Taylor has been lighting up Broadway in Ann and The Front Page.

Ali Larter as Brooke Taylor Windham

The falsely accused Brooke Taylor Windham not only blesses us with a number of bold power suit moments, but also prompts Elle to utter one of the movie's best lines: "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands."

Ali Larter Now

Larter, 42 (is she ageing in reverse, or what?), went on to play Niki Sanders on NBC's Heroes between 2006 and 2010, and was most recently in Fox's baseball drama, Pitch, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

Selma Blair as Vivian Kensington

Wealthy and well-connected Vivian Kensington might start out Legally Blonde as a "frigid b*tch" an enemy for Elle Woods, but our hearts still grow three sizes when we remember how their relationship turns out in the end.

Selma Blair Now

Blair has a brief (but memorable) cameo in 2018's Lost in Space reboot [5], but before that she played Kris Jenner in American Crime Story and Kate Wales in Anger Management. You can catch her next in the upcoming thriller The Great Illusion.

Alanna Ubach as Serena

As one of Elle's ditsy sorority sisters, Serena provides endless lighthearted moments.

Alanna Ubach Now

Since playing Elle's BFF in Legally Blonde, Ubach has appeared in Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce and American Horror Story [6]. Most recently she voiced Mama Imelda in Coco, and is starring as Marlowe in AMC's new satire, Dietland.

Matthew Davis as Warner

Oh, Warner. For someone who got into Harvard Law school, Elle's ex really is an idiot, huh?

Matthew Davis Now

Davis, 40, might play a real jerk in Legally Blonde, but his longtime role as Alaric Saltzman in The Vampire Diaries could not be more opposite. Although The CW's supernatural drama is over, he'll continue to play the character in an upcoming spinoff, Legacies.

Victor Garber as Professor Callahan

At first Professor Callahan seems like he'll be a great mentor for Elle as she navigates law school, but it soon becomes clear that he's a giant creep.

Victor Garber Now

After his role in Legally Blonde, Garber went on to play Jack Bristow in Alias for five seasons. Lately the 69-year-old has been bringing his talents to the small screen in The CW's superhero series, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.

Jessica Cauffiel as Margot

Like Serena, Margot is one of Elle's very, very funny (and very, very scatterbrained) sorority sisters.

Jessica Cauffiel Now

Cauffiel popped up in a few movies after her 2001 role in Legally Blonde, including White Chicks, D.E.B.S., and Guess Who, but stepped away from acting in 2009. However, she served as a writer and producer on the 2016 film Master, about a Kung Fu master who teaches his his young granddaughter the art of his craft.