Here's Why Professor Stromwell From Legally Blonde Looks So Familiar
Legally Blonde is one of the most iconic movies of all time, and no matter what day of the year it is, it's always the right time to pop the 2001 rom-com into your DVD player, put on your best pink loungewear, and loudly sing along to "Perfect Day" in the opening credits. From the many quotable lines, like "whoever said orange is the new pink is seriously disturbed," to the overall message the movie sends — that women can do and be anything they want to be — Legally Blonde is truly one of the most uplifting, heartwarming, and empowering films of its genre.
And while many A-list celebs like Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Victor Garber, Selma Blair, and Jennifer Coolidge all had starring roles in the film, you may recognize a few other familiar faces, but can't quite place where you've seen them before — like Holland Taylor, the actress who plays Professor Stromwell.
Holland Taylor is a seasoned actress who's been in a plethora of popular films and television shows
If Professor Stromwell looks familiar, it's because actress Holland Taylor has been in showbiz for over five decades! Her first acting credit was on Love Is A Many Splendored Thing in 1967, and after a few roles in TV movies, she got her first recurring role on the television series Beacon Hill in 1975 (via IMDb). Holland also starred in the show Bosom Buddies from 1980-82, and has had recurring roles on The L Word, Me and Mom, Harry, Baby Bob, The Practice, and even played Dean Susan McMann on Saved by the Bell: The College Years.
While Taylor has also appeared in an impressive amount of made-for-TV movies, one of her longest roles was on Two and a Half Men, where she appeared in 101 episodes as Evelyn Harper from 2003-15. Most recently, Holland Taylor appeared in the 2020 TV mini-series, Hollywood, and is working on The Chair, a television series that's currently in pre-production (via Deadline).
In 2020, Taylor opened up about working on Legally Blonde nearly two decades after its premiere, telling Vulture that one of her favorite scenes as an actor was the big classroom scene. "Reese is just remarkable," she added, gushing about her co-star. "She's one of our marvelous actresses who has brought a number of roles that will be indelible culturally, and this is one of them."