Reese Witherspoon sported 40 different hairstyles in Legally Blonde.
The number refers to the many hair looks created for her character, Elle Woods, throughout the 2001 film. Elle’s appearance is deliberately expressive: glossy blonde waves, ponytails, polished blowouts, elaborate updos, and courtroom-ready styles all help show how she moves between Beverly Hills fashion culture and Harvard law school.
The hair is more than a visual joke. Elle’s carefully maintained style is initially treated by other characters as evidence that she is superficial. As the story progresses, she keeps her distinctive fashion sense while proving that she is intelligent, hardworking, and capable of succeeding in a demanding legal environment.
Some accounts phrase the figure as “more than 40” or “up to 40,” because counting minor variations can differ between sources. The standard behind-the-scenes trivia answer, however, is 40 hairstyles for Witherspoon during the movie.