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|'''Role on ''Gossip Girl'''''
 
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'''Kristen Anne Bell''' (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. She began her acting career starring in stage productions and attended the Tisch School of Arts in New York. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' and starred in the Broadway revival of ''The Crucible'' the following year. In 2004, she had a supporting role in the film ''Spartan'' and received praise for her first leading performance in ''Gracie's Choice''.
   
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Bell gained critical acclaim for her first major role as the title character in the teen noir drama television series ''Veronica Mars'' (2004–07). For her performance she was awarded a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television. She reprised the eponymous role in the 2014 film continuation of the series. During her time on ''Veronica Mars'', Bell appeared as Mary Lane in the film ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'' (2005), a reprise of the role she had played in the New York musical upon which the film was based. In 2007, Bell joined the cast of the sci-fi series ''Heroes'', playing the character Elle Bishop.
'''Kristen Anne Bell''' (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearence in ''Polish Wedding'', Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in ''The Adventures of Tom Swayer. ''After moving to Los Angeles, Bell landed various television guest appearences and small film parts before appearing in a lead role in the David Mamet film ''Spartan. ''She gained fame and critical prase as the titol role on the critically acclaimed television series ''Veronica Mars'' from September 2004 to May 2007, a role wich many critics and viewers felt should have granted her an Emmy Award nomination.
 
   
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In 2008, she had her breakout film role as the title character in ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''. She has since appeared in a number of comedy films, such as ''Couples Retreat'' (2009), ''When in Rome'' (2010), ''You Again'' (2010), ''The Boss''(2016), ''Bad Moms'' (2016) and ''A Bad Moms Christmas'' (2017). Bell garnered further recognition for voicing Princess Anna in the Disney film ''Frozen'' (2013), the short films ''Frozen Fever'' (2015) and ''Olaf's Frozen Adventure'' (2017), and the upcoming ''Frozen 2'' (2019). From 2012 to 2016, she starred as Jeannie van der Hooven, the female lead on the Showtime series ''House of Lies''. Since 2016, she has starred in the main role of Eleanor Shellstrop on the NBCcomedy series ''The Good Place''.
During her time on ''Veronica Mars'', Bell appeard as Mary Lane in the film'' Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'', a reprise of the role she had played in the New York theatrical production of the musical on wich the film was based. She also portrayed the lead role in ''Pulse'', a remake of a J-Horror film. In 2007, she joined the cast of ''Heroes'' playing the character of Elle Bishop, and ''Gossip Girl'' as the off-screen titural narrator. In 2008 she played the title character in the comedy movie ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall. ''She has since reappeared in a number of comedy films, such as ''Fanboys'','' Couples Retreat'', and ''When in Rome.'' Bell was also the voice of Cora in ''Astro Boy'' and is the voice and face of Lucy Stillman in the ''Assassin's Creed'' video game series. Bell has recieved a Satellite Award and Saturn Award, and has been nominated several times for Television Critics Association Awards and Teen Choice Awards.
 
   
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Bell has been married to actor Dax Shepard since 2013, with whom she has two daughters.
==Early life and family==
 
Bell was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. She is the daughter of Tom Bell, the television news director for WHOAI-TV in San Antonio, and Lorelei "Lori" Bell, a registered nurse. Bell is of Polish and Irish descent. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and she has two half sisters, Sara and Jody, from her fathers second marriege.She has four step-siblings from her mother's second marriage to John Raymond Avedian, Laura, John, Matt Avedian, and Megan. Bell has strabismus, which affects her right eye. She inherited it from her mother, who had it corrected as a child. Bell claims that if she does not get enough sleep, it aggravates the ailment. She calls her right eye "Wonky".
 
   
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== Background ==
At the age of four, Bell claimed she did not like her first name. Her mother convinced Bell to go by her middle name of Anne instead; she used the name Annie until high school. She attended Burton Elementary school in Huntington Woods.
 
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Kristen Anne Bell was born on July 18, 1980, and was raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Her mother, Lorelei (née Frygier), is a registered nurse, and her father, Tom Bell, works as the television news director for CBS Television in Sacramento. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and she has two half-sisters from her father's second marriage. She also has two stepsisters and two stepbrothers from her mother's second marriage. Her mother is of Polish descent and her father has German, Scottish and Irish ancestry.
   
 
Bell stated that she did not like her first name at the age of four. Bell's mother convinced her to go by her middle name of Anne instead; she used the name Annie until high school.
Just before her freshman year of high school, Bell's parents decided to pull her from the public school system. She then attended Shrine Catholic High School in nearby Royal Oak, where she took part in the drama and music club. During her time at the school, she won the starring role in the school's 1997 production of ''The Wizard of Oz'' as Dorothy Gale and also appeared in productions of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (1995), ''Lady Be Good'' (1996), and ''Li'l Abner'' (1998). In 1998, the year she graduated, Bell was named the yearbook's "Best Looking Girl" by senior class vote.
 
   
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Bell once broke both her wrists at the same time playing street hockey with friends.
When Bell was 17, her best friend, whom she met at age 11 during a Detroit community theater production, was killed in an automobile accident. Bell said that it was ''"both the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. [...] Once you learn not to take people for granted, you live a lot happier life"''.
 
   
 
Just before her freshman year of high school, Bell's parents decided to pull her from the public school system. She then attended Shrine Catholic High School in nearby Royal Oak, where she took part in the drama and music club. During her time at the school, she won the starring role in the school's 1997 production of ''The Wizard of Oz'', as Dorothy Gale and also appeared in productions of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (1995), ''Lady Be Good'' (1996), and ''Li'l Abner'' (1998). In 1998, the year she graduated, Bell was named the yearbook's "Best Looking Girl" by senior class vote.
Shortly after her high school graduation, Bell moved to New York City to attend the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. In majoring in musical theater in 2001, during her senior year at New York University, Bell left a few credits shy of graduating to take a role in the Broadway musical version of '' The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''.
 
   
 
Shortly after her high school graduation, Bell moved to New York City to attend [[New York University]]'s Tisch School of the Arts, majoring in musical theater. In 2001, during her senior year, Bell left a few credits shy of graduating to take a role in the Broadway musical version of ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''.
==Career==
 
===Early work (1992–2003)===
 
In 1992, Bell went to her first audition and won a dual role as a banana and a tre in a suburban Detroit theater's production of ''Raggedy Ann and Andy''. Her mother had established her with an agent before Bell was 13, which allowed her to appear in newspaper advertisements for several Detroit retailers and television commercials. She also began private acting lessons. In 1998, she appeared with an uncredited role in the locally filmed movie ''Polish Wedding''.
 
   
 
== Career ==
Kristen Bell also portrays Sally Wister in The History Channel’s Choosing Sides: Young Voices on the Revolution currently showing at Independence Hall visitors center in Philadelphia.
 
 
In 1992, Bell went to her first audition and won a dual role as a banana and a tree in a suburban Detroit theater's production of ''Raggedy Ann and Andy''. Her mother had established her with an agent before Bell was 13, which allowed her to appear in newspaper advertisements for several Detroit retailers and television commercials. She also began private acting lessons. In 1998, she appeared with an uncredited role in the locally filmed movie ''Polish Wedding''.
   
In 2001, Bell left New York University to take a key role as Becky Thatcher in the short-lived Broadway musical of ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''. That same year she made her credited film debut in ''Pootie Tang.'' Her one line in the film was cut and her appearance exists only as a scene shown during the credit sequence. Additionally, she auditioned for the television series ''Smallville'' for the role of Chloe Sullivan, a part eventually won by Allison Mack. In 2002, she appeared in the Broadway revival of ''The Crucible'' with Liam Neeson, Angela Bettis and Laura Linney. Bell then moved to Los Angeles, California in 2002 because of her friendship with writers Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, and appeared in a handful of television shows as a special guest, finding trouble gaining a recurring role in a television series. Bell had "tested like eight times and booked nothing and every show [she] tested for got picked up," including auditions for ''Skin'' and a Norm Macdonald series. In 2003, she landed a role in the Hallmark Channel movie ''The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay''.
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In 2001, Bell left New York University to play a role as Becky Thatcher in the short-lived Broadway musical of ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''. That same year, she made her credited film debut in ''Pootie Tang''. Her one line in the film was cut and her appearance exists only as a scene shown during the credit sequence. Additionally, she auditioned for the television series ''Smallville'' for the role of Chloe Sullivan, which was eventually won by Allison Mack. In 2002, she appeared in the Broadway revival of ''The Crucible'' with Liam Neeson, Angela Bettis and Laura Linney. Bell then moved to Los Angeles, California in 2002 because of her friendship with writers Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, and appeared in a handful of television shows as a special guest, finding trouble gaining a recurring role in a television series. Bell had "tested like eight times and booked nothing and every show [she] tested for got picked up," including auditions for ''Skin'' and a Norm Macdonald series.
   
 
In 2004, Bell appeared in the Lifetime television film ''Gracie's Choice'', which received one of the network's highest ratings. She made her debut in a theatrically released film, with David Mamet's ''Spartan'', as Laura Newton, the kidnapped daughter of the U.S. President, acting alongside Val Kilmer. Bell also guest-starred on the HBO drama ''Deadwood'' in a two-episode story arc ("Bullock Returns to the Camp" and "Suffer the Little Children").
Bell appeared on the show ''Punk'd''.
 
   
 
At 24, she won the role of the title character in UPN's drama ''Veronica Mars'', which was launched in the fall of 2004. Created by Rob Thomas, the series starred Bell as the seventeen-year-old anti-establishment high school student/detective. Bell drew on the parallels between the character of Veronica and her own life, since Bell's parents had divorced and her best friend had also died. The series earned acclaim from television critics, as did Bell's performance. Some critics asserted that her performance was overlooked, and deserved consideration for an Emmy Award.
===Breakout (2004–06)===
 
In 2004, Bell appeared in the Lifetime television movie ''Gracie's Choice'', which received one of the network's highest ratings. She made her debut in a theatrically released film, with David Mamet's ''Spartan'', as Laura Newton, the kidnapped daughter of the U.S. President, acting alongside Val Kilmer. Bell also guest-starred on the HBO's drama ''Deadwood'' in a two-episode story arc ("Bullock Returns to the Camp" and "Suffer the Little Children").
 
   
 
Aside from working on ''Veronica Mars'', Bell starred in ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'', reprising the role she played in the short-lived 2001 off-broadway musical. The musical was a spoof of the 1936 exploitation film of the same name. ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'' debuted on the Showtime network on April 16, 2005. Also in April, Bell starred as Gracie in ''Fifty Pills'', an entry for the Tribeca Film Festival. She appeared in a short independent film called ''The Receipt'' and the horror film ''Roman'', which was directed by her ''The Crucible'' co-star Angela Bettis. Released on August 11, 2006, ''Pulse''starred Bell as the lead Mattie. A remake of the Japanese horror film ''Kairo'', the film grossed US$27.9 million worldwide,; however it garnered negative response from critics. Frank Scheck of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' commented, "despite the starring presence of Kristen Bell, [the] young actress has far less interesting material to work with here than she does as [the character] `Veronica Mars.'"
At 24 she won the role of the title character in UPN's drama ''Veronica Mars'', which was launched in the fall of 2004. Created by Rob Thomas, the series starred Bell as the seventeen year old detective Veronica, which put her alongside actors Enrico Colantoni who played her father, Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs III and Ryan Hansen. Bell noted the parallels between the character of Veronica and her own life Bell's parents had divorced and her best friend had also died, like that of Veronica. The series earned positive reviews from television critics, as did Bell's performance. Some critics felt that she was overlooked, however, and deserved an Emmy Award nomination.
 
   
 
''Veronica Mars'' continued on UPN for a second season; for the third season, the show was renewed and appeared on the newly created The CW. On January 19, 2007, CW Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff announced that while she was pleased with the gradual improvement of ''Veronica Mars's'' ratings, the series would be put on hiatus after February sweeps to air a new reality series, ''Pussycat Dolls Present''. On May 17, 2007 Ostroff announced the cancellation of the series. A two-hour series finale aired in the United States on May 22, 2007, and on June 11, 2007 Thomas officially announced in an email to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello that ''Veronica Mars'' had been canceled by the CW. A ''Veronica Mars'' feature film and comic book series continuation had been discussed,  and for a short time there was talk of another collaboration between Bell and creator Thomas that would be unrelated to the ''Veronica Mars'' series.
In 2005, Bell starred in ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'', reprising the role she played in the short-lived 2001 off-broadway musical. The musical was a spoof of the 1936 exploitation film of the same name. ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'' debuted on the Showtime network on April 16, 2005. On September 18, 2005, Bell performed the theme song from ''Fame'' on the "Emmy Idol" portion of the ''57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards]''. She and the cast of ''Veronica Mars'' were nominated for two Teen Choice Awards in 2005: "Choice Breakout Actress" and "Choice Breakout TV Show". She mentioned on the show how she shit herself at her wedding, #embaressing
 
   
 
Following the cancellation of ''Veronica Mars'', Bell voiced interest in appearing on ''Heroes'' because she was a fan. On July 29, 2007, during a train ride back to Los Angeles from the San Diego Comic-Con with ''Heroes'' actors Zachary Quinto and Masi Oka, and writers from the series, the writers had mentioned that if she "ever want[ed] to come on ''Heroes'', give us [writers] a call," to which Bell said she would "love to." Meanwhile, there were discussions about a role on ''Lost'', but Bell turned down the role of Charlotte Staples Lewis. Bell portrayed Elle Bishop on ''Heroes'', a "mysterious young lady" with an "awesome power". She did not have to audition for the role of Elle, who made her first appearance in an October 2007 episode, and appeared in at least thirteen episodes during the run of the series. The casting of Bell, ''Heroes'' creator Tim Kring explained, "was not easy to pull off", but because of the large ensemble cast of the series and multiple story arcs, "we found a way to jump into a small window in [Bell's] schedule." Bell lent her voice to the CW series ''[[Gossip Girl]]'': she voiced the title character in every episode of the series, appearing in person only for a surprise cameo in the [[New York, I Love You XOXO|final episode]], portraying herself.
In 2006, Bell won the Saturn Award for "Best Actress on Television" for her acting on ''Veronica Mars'', while the series was nominated for "Best Network Television Show". Aside from working on ''Veronica Mars'', in April, Bell starred as Gracie in ''Fifty Pills'', an entry for the Tribeca Film Festival. She appeared in a short independent film called ''The Receipt'' and the horror film ''Roman'', which was directed by her ''The Crucible'' co-star Angela Bettis. Released on August 11, 2006, ''Pulse'' starred Bell as the lead Mattie. A remake of the Japanese horror film ''Kairo'', the film grossed US$27.9 million worldwide, however it garnered negative response from critics. Frank Scheck of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' commented, "despite the starring presence of Kristen Bell, [the] young actress has far less interesting material to work with here than she does as [the character] "Veronica Mars."'
 
   
 
Shortly after the cancellation of ''Veronica Mars'' in early 2007, Bell filmed on location in Hawaii for a starring role as the title character in the Judd Apatow comedy ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''. She regarded the improvisational comedy in the film as "a lovely experience". The film, written by and also starring Jason Segel, was released theatrically on April 18, 2008, and is considered to be Bell's star-making role. Bell lent her voice and likeness to the video game ''Assassin's Creed'', which was released on November 13, 2007, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and April 8, 2008 for the PC. Bell reprised her role of Lucy in ''Assassin's Creed II''released on November 17, 2009, and again in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', released on November 16, 2010. In the spring of 2006, she finished filming the ''Star Wars''-themed comedy ''Fanboys'', which had its release date pushed to January 14, 2008. This was due to additional funding given to director Kyle Newman to shoot new scenes, however, the busy schedules of the actors only allowed for filming in September 2007, thus moving the release date to accommodate that. Bell also starred in the 2009 comedies ''Serious Moonlight'', alongside Meg Ryan, and ''Couples Retreat'', which chronicles four couples who partake in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort. Jason Bateman played her husband. She also provided the voice for Cora in ''Astro Boy''. On March 31, 2008, Bell began shooting the Mark Steven Johnson-written Disney film ''When in Rome'' in locations in Rome and New York; the film was released in 2010. Bell reprised her role as Sarah Marshall for a cameo appearance in the film ''Get Him to the Greek'', a spin-off sequel from ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', released June 4, 2010.
===Recent and future roles (2007–present)===
 
''Veronica Mars'' continued on UPN until the third season, in which the show was renewed and returned on the newly created The CW. On January 19, 2007 CW Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff announced that, while she was pleased with the gradual improvement of ''Veronica Mars's'' ratings, the series would be put on hiatus after February sweeps to air a new reality series, ''Pussycat Dolls Present''. On May 17, 2007 Ostroff announced the cancellation of the series. The two-hour series finale aired in the United States on May 22, 2007, and on June 11, 2007 Thomas officially announced in an email to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello that ''Veronica Mars'' had been canceled by the CW. A ''Veronica Mars'' feature film and comic book series continuation had been discussed, and for a short time there was talk of another collaboration between Bell and creator Thomas that would be unrelated to the ''Veronica Mars'' series.
 
   
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She co-starred with singers Christina Aguilera and Cher in the musical film ''Burlesque'', which was released on Thanksgiving in 2010. Bell had a cameo in the slasher horror film ''Scream 4'', which was released on April 15, 2011.
Following the cancellation of ''Veronica Mars'', Bell had voiced interest in appearing on ''Heroes'' because she was a fan previous to being cast. On July 29, 2007, during a train ride back to Los Angeles from the San Diego Comic-Con with ''Heroes'' actors Zachary Quinto and Masi Oka, and writers from the series, the writers had mentioned that if she "ever want[ed] to come on ''Heroes'', give us [writers] a call," to which Bell said she would "love to. She was also spoken to about a role on ''Lost'', but turned down the role to portray Charlotte Staples Lewis. Announced in August 2007, Bell was to portray Elle Bishop, a "mysterious young lady" with an "awesome power". She did not have to audition for the role of Elle, who made her first appearance in an October 2007 episode, and will appear in at least thirteen episodes during the run of the series. The casting of Bell, as ''Heroes'' creator Tim Kring explains, "was not easy to pull off", but because of the large ensemble cast of the series and multiple story arcs, "we found a way to jump into a small window in [Bell’s] schedule." Concurrently with filming on ''Heroes'', she narrates as title character in the CW series ''Gossip Girl''.
 
   
 
In 2012, Bell starred in the family drama film ''Big Miracle''. She has also appeared in the music video for "Madder Red" by Brooklyn experimental rock band Yeasayer. Bell portrayed Mary Magdalene in ''The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio New Testament Bible'', a 22-hour, celebrity-voiced, dramatized audio adaptation of the New Testament that uses the RSV-CE translation.
Shortly after the cancellation of ''Veronica Mars'' in early 2007, Bell filmed on location in Hawaii for her starring role as the title character in the Judd Apatow comedy ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''. She noted that the improvisational comedy in the film was "a lovely experience". The film, written by and also starring Jason Segel, was released theatrically on April 18, 2008. Bell lent her voice and likeness to the video game ''Assassin's Creed'' which was released on November 13, 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and April 8, 2008 for the PC. Bell reprises her role of Lucy in ''Assassin's Creed II'' released on November 17, 2009, and again in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', released on 16 November 2010. In the spring of 2006, she finished filming the ''Star Wars''-themed comedy ''Fanboys'', which had its release date pushed to January 14, 2008. This was due to additional funding given to director Kyle Newman to shoot new scenes, however, the busy schedules of the actors only allowed for filming in September 2007, thus moving the release date to accommodate that. Bell will voice the character of Marybelle in the animated feature ''Sheepish'', which also has a 2008 release date. She also starred in the 2009 comedies ''Serious Moonlight'', alongside Meg Ryan, and ''Couples Retreat'', which chronicled four couples who partake in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort. Jason Bateman played her husband. On March 31, 2008, Bell began shooting for the Mark Steven Johnson-written Disney film ''When in Rome'' in locations in Rome and New York; the film was released in 2010. Bell reprised her role as Sarah Marshall for a cameo appearance in the film ''Get Him to the Greek'', a spin-off sequel from ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', released June 4, 2010.
 
   
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Bell stars as Jeannie van der Hooven, the female lead on the Showtime series ''House of Lies'', which premiered on January 8, 2012. The series ended on June 12, 2016. Bell appeared in a supporting role in the science-fiction comedy ''Safety Not Guaranteed ''(2012). She starred in the drama film ''The Lifeguard'', written and directed by Liz W. Garcia, which began filming in July 2012, and was released in August 2013. She also voiced Anna in ''Frozen'', which was released on November 22, 2013. In 2013, for multiple episodes, Bell played Ingrid de Forest, an Eagleton City Councilwoman, on ''Parks and Recreation''.
Bell has also said that when she is free from film and television roles, she would like to perform on stage again. She co-starred with singers Christina Aguilera and Cher in the movie-musical ''Burlesque'' which was released on Thanksgiving in 2010.
 
   
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On March 13, 2013, it was confirmed that a ''Veronica Mars'' film would finally be coming to fruition. Bell and series creator Rob Thomas, launched a fundraising campaign to produce the film through Kickstarter and attained the $2 million goal in less than ten hours. The main cast members of the series all reprised their roles in the feature film. Production of the film took place during summer 2013, and it was released theatrically and on video-on-demand on March 14, 2014.
Bell had a cameo in ''Scream 4'', which was released on April 15, 2011. She is also attached to the films ''Everybody Loves Whales'' and ''Dance of the Mirlitons''.
 
   
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In September 2014, Bell starred with her husband, Dax Shephard, in a commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S. It was so popular (with over 20 million YouTube views) that they did another for the holiday season. The ad agency McKinney was behind both. In 2016, Bell voiced the sloth Priscilla in the animated comedy film ''Zootopia'', and starred as Claire in the comedy film ''The Boss''. Bell starred as Kiki in the 2016 comedy film ''Bad Moms'', a role which she reprised in the 2017 sequel ''A Bad Moms Christmas''. In late 2016, Bell began starring as Eleanor Shellstrop, in the NBC comedy series ''The Good Place''.
She has also appeared in the music video for "Madder Red" by Brooklyn experimental rock band Yeasayer.
 
   
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In 2017, she also appeared in the biographical comedy-drama ''The Disaster Artist'', the action comedy ''CHiPs'' and the comedy ''How to Be a Latin Lover''. In March 2017, Bell starred in an episode of the Houzz series ''My Houzz'', in which she surprised her sister with a major basement renovation.
Bell portrays the role of "Mary Magdalene" in "The Truth & Life Dramatized audio New Testament Bible," a 22-hour, celebrity-voiced, fully-dramatized audio New Testament which uses the RSV-CE translation.
 
   
 
== Personal Life ==
Bell also voiced Anna in the Disney animated film Frozen.
 
 
In 2007, Bell ended a five-year relationship with former fiancé Kevin Mann. She later told ''Complex'' magazine that dating "makes me want to vomit. And not out of grossness—OK, a little bit out of grossness, but just nerves... I've always been a serial monogamist."
   
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Bell began dating actor Dax Shepard, also a native of Detroit's northern suburbs, in late 2007. The couple announced their engagement in January 2010. They decided to delay marriage until the state of California passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. They co-starred in the 2010 film ''When In Rome'', the 2012 film ''Hit and Run'', and the 2017 film ''CHiPs''. After section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act fell on June 26, 2013, Bell asked Shepard to marry her through Twitter, which he accepted. They were married at the Beverly Hills County Clerk's Office on October 17, 2013. They have two daughters: Lincoln Bell Shepard (born March 28, 2013) and Delta Bell Shepard (born December 19, 2014).
==In the media==
 
In 2005, Bell was named by ''Jane'' magazine as "one of the 11 people you'd most like to see naked", and in 2006, Bell was selected "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" on PETA's yearly poll. She was placed #68 on ''Maxim''s 2005 "Hot 100" list #11 in ''Maxim''s 2006 "Hot 100" list, and #46 in ''Maxim''s 2007 "Hot 100" list in which she was stated to have "single-handedly saved the CW from becoming the worst shitty network ever." In 2006, ''Maxim'' also placed Bell at the top of the "Fall TV's Criminally Sexy Investigators" List. In 2008, she was featured at #59 on ''<nowiki>Ask Men'</nowiki>''s Top 99 Women of 2008 List. Reflecting on her admitted popularity with "geeks", Bell was voted the fourth sexiest woman on TV by the staff at ''Wizard'' magazine.
 
   
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In May 2016, Bell revealed that she has struggled with and received help for depression and anxiety. She said, "It’s important for me to be candid about this so people in a similar situation can realize that they are not worthless and that they do have something to offer."
She stated to have never thought of herself as womanly because she "always play[ed roles] and look[ed] and act[ed] 10 years younger than [she is]", however as she explains, "Something magical happened when I turned 25 — I looked in the mirror and was like, You might not get carded for an R-rated movie anymore. Like I didn’t have a little stick figure anymore." Bell has said that many of the characters she has played are tomboys because she was "not homely enough to play the [nery girl and not nearly pretty enough to play the pretty girl".
 
 
Bell has been associated with the idea that "nerdy is the new cool", and she explains, "what was previously perceived as nerdy is now viewed as original. What I like about nerdiness, geekiness, is it doesn’t really matter what you’re into — it just means you’re not a follower." She has also said, "I love nerds. Comic-Con junkies are the tastemakers of tomorrow. Isn't that funny? The tables have turned." Vanessa Juarez of ''Entertainment Weekly'' commented that Bell's role on ''Veronica Mars'', ''Heroes'' and as a ''Star Wars'' fanatic in ''Fanboys'' has "solidif[ied] her placement at the center of the geek universe", while Rodney Rothman stated, "I guess she's cornered the market on losers." Bell's work is often compared to Sarah Michelle Gellar's portrayal of the titular character on the cult television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Frank Scheck of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' stated that Bell was "arguably the television successor [to Gellar's portrayal of Buffy] when it comes to fighting bad guys." Bell is sometimes confused with Lauren Conrad from the show ''The Hills''. "Yeah, sometimes fans yell, 'Hey, Lauren' to me, but usually from a distance," said Kristen.
 
 
Despite "new celebrity" status, Bell claims that she is not concerned because "no one ever recognizes [her] anyway". As Bell explains, "I hang out with Hayden quite a bit — they never take pictures of me. I just step to the side, and I push myself in front of her when she wants to get out of it, or put her in the car." Bell is a recurring guest on ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', appearing in interviews as well as sketches. On the Late Late Show, she is shown to have garnered a humorous hostility towards Craig's robot skeleton sidekick Geoff Peterson, claiming that she had wanted to be Craig's sidekick on his show and taking it upon herself to cut Geoff down every chance she gets.
 
 
In January 2011 it was announced that Kristen would be the new face of Neutrogena.
 
 
==Personal life==
 
At age 11, Bell became a vegetarian. In an interview with PETA, Bell stated, "I have always been an animal lover. I had a hard time disassociating the animals I cuddled with — dogs and cats, for example — from the animals on my plate, and I never really cared for the taste of meat. I always loved my Brussels sprouts!" During her time in Michigan, Bell fostered animals from Michigan Humane Society and she now supports the San Diego-based Helen Woodward Animal Center. Bell often attends fund raisers for the ASPCA and other non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting animals. She owns a Welsh Corgi-Chow Chow mix named Lola, a Welsh Corgi-Chihuahua mix named Shakey, and a black Labrador Retriever named Sadie, who was 11 years old when she was rescued from Hurricane Katrina and adopted by Bell in 2005.
 
 
She and many of those who worked on ''Veronica Mars'', including personal friend Ryan Hansen, are involved with the charity organization Invisible Children Inc. The goal of the organization is to create awareness regarding the plight of Northern Ugandans who are caught in the midst of a civil war between the government and Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army.
 
 
Bell supported and campaigned for Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election. Along with Rashida Jones, she visited college campuses in Missouri to discuss the candidates and encourage voter registration. Bell has shown her support for the Writers Guild of America in the writer's strike, appearing in the picket lines in December 2007 stating, "the writers are just looking for some fairness."
 
 
In 2007, Bell ended a five-year relationship with former fiancé Kevin Mann, and went on to date actor Dax Shepard. As of January 2010, she is engaged to Shepard. She told ''Complex'' magazine that dating "makes me want to vomit. And not out of grossness — OK, a little bit out of grossness, but just nerves." Bell explains, "I’ve always been a serial monogamist."
 
 
As she is a Detroit native, she is also an avid fan of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team.
 
   
 
==Filmography==
 
==Filmography==
 
;Film and television
 
;Film and television
 
{|
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
 
! Year
 
! Year
 
! Title
 
! Title
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|}
 
|}
   
  +
=== Stage ===
;Theatre
 
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Year
 
! Year
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|}
 
|}
   
;Video games
+
=== Video Games ===
  +
{|
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Year
 
 
! Title
 
! Title
 
! Role
 
! Role
 
!Year
! class="unsortable" | Notes
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Assassin's Creed
|2007
 
|''Assassin's Creed''
 
 
|Lucy Stillman
 
|Lucy Stillman
 
|2007
|Voice & likeness
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Assassin's Creed II
|2009
 
|''Assassin's Creed II''
 
 
|Lucy Stillman
 
|Lucy Stillman
|Voice & likeness
 
|-
 
 
|2009
 
|2009
 
|-
|''Astro Boy: The Video Game''
+
|Astro Boy: The Video Game
 
|Cora
 
|Cora
 
|2009
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
|2010
 
|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''
 
 
|Lucy Stillman
 
|Lucy Stillman
 
|2010
|Voice & likeness
 
  +
|-
  +
|Disney Infinity
  +
|Anna
  +
|2013
  +
|-
  +
|Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes
  +
|Anna
  +
|2014
  +
|-
  +
|Disney Infinity 3.0
  +
|Anna
  +
|2015
  +
|}
  +
  +
=== Web Series ===
  +
{| class="article-table"
  +
!Title
  +
!Role
  +
!Year(s)
  +
!Notes
  +
|-
  +
|Burning Love
  +
|Mandy
  +
|2012
  +
|4 episodes
  +
|-
  +
|Play It Again, Dick
  +
|Herself
  +
|2014
  +
|Based on Veronica Mars characters
 
|}
 
|}
 
[[Category:Actors]]
 
[[Category:Actors]]

Revision as of 03:53, 4 September 2017

Kristen bell
Kristen Bell
Name Kristen Anne Bell
Birthplace Huntington Woods, Michigan
Date of Birth July 18, 1980
Role on Gossip Girl Gossip Girl (character) & Herself

Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. She began her acting career starring in stage productions and attended the Tisch School of Arts in New York. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and starred in the Broadway revival of The Crucible the following year. In 2004, she had a supporting role in the film Spartan and received praise for her first leading performance in Gracie's Choice.

Bell gained critical acclaim for her first major role as the title character in the teen noir drama television series Veronica Mars (2004–07). For her performance she was awarded a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television. She reprised the eponymous role in the 2014 film continuation of the series. During her time on Veronica Mars, Bell appeared as Mary Lane in the film Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005), a reprise of the role she had played in the New York musical upon which the film was based. In 2007, Bell joined the cast of the sci-fi series Heroes, playing the character Elle Bishop.

In 2008, she had her breakout film role as the title character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She has since appeared in a number of comedy films, such as Couples Retreat (2009), When in Rome (2010), You Again (2010), The Boss(2016), Bad Moms (2016) and A Bad Moms Christmas (2017). Bell garnered further recognition for voicing Princess Anna in the Disney film Frozen (2013), the short films Frozen Fever (2015) and Olaf's Frozen Adventure (2017), and the upcoming Frozen 2 (2019). From 2012 to 2016, she starred as Jeannie van der Hooven, the female lead on the Showtime series House of Lies. Since 2016, she has starred in the main role of Eleanor Shellstrop on the NBCcomedy series The Good Place.

Bell has been married to actor Dax Shepard since 2013, with whom she has two daughters.

Background

Kristen Anne Bell was born on July 18, 1980, and was raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Her mother, Lorelei (née Frygier), is a registered nurse, and her father, Tom Bell, works as the television news director for CBS Television in Sacramento. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and she has two half-sisters from her father's second marriage. She also has two stepsisters and two stepbrothers from her mother's second marriage. Her mother is of Polish descent and her father has German, Scottish and Irish ancestry.

Bell stated that she did not like her first name at the age of four. Bell's mother convinced her to go by her middle name of Anne instead; she used the name Annie until high school.

Bell once broke both her wrists at the same time playing street hockey with friends.

Just before her freshman year of high school, Bell's parents decided to pull her from the public school system. She then attended Shrine Catholic High School in nearby Royal Oak, where she took part in the drama and music club. During her time at the school, she won the starring role in the school's 1997 production of The Wizard of Oz, as Dorothy Gale and also appeared in productions of Fiddler on the Roof (1995), Lady Be Good (1996), and Li'l Abner (1998). In 1998, the year she graduated, Bell was named the yearbook's "Best Looking Girl" by senior class vote.

Shortly after her high school graduation, Bell moved to New York City to attend New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, majoring in musical theater. In 2001, during her senior year, Bell left a few credits shy of graduating to take a role in the Broadway musical version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Career

In 1992, Bell went to her first audition and won a dual role as a banana and a tree in a suburban Detroit theater's production of Raggedy Ann and Andy. Her mother had established her with an agent before Bell was 13, which allowed her to appear in newspaper advertisements for several Detroit retailers and television commercials. She also began private acting lessons. In 1998, she appeared with an uncredited role in the locally filmed movie Polish Wedding.

In 2001, Bell left New York University to play a role as Becky Thatcher in the short-lived Broadway musical of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. That same year, she made her credited film debut in Pootie Tang. Her one line in the film was cut and her appearance exists only as a scene shown during the credit sequence. Additionally, she auditioned for the television series Smallville for the role of Chloe Sullivan, which was eventually won by Allison Mack. In 2002, she appeared in the Broadway revival of The Crucible with Liam Neeson, Angela Bettis and Laura Linney. Bell then moved to Los Angeles, California in 2002 because of her friendship with writers Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, and appeared in a handful of television shows as a special guest, finding trouble gaining a recurring role in a television series. Bell had "tested like eight times and booked nothing and every show [she] tested for got picked up," including auditions for Skin and a Norm Macdonald series.

In 2004, Bell appeared in the Lifetime television film Gracie's Choice, which received one of the network's highest ratings. She made her debut in a theatrically released film, with David Mamet's Spartan, as Laura Newton, the kidnapped daughter of the U.S. President, acting alongside Val Kilmer. Bell also guest-starred on the HBO drama Deadwood in a two-episode story arc ("Bullock Returns to the Camp" and "Suffer the Little Children").

At 24, she won the role of the title character in UPN's drama Veronica Mars, which was launched in the fall of 2004. Created by Rob Thomas, the series starred Bell as the seventeen-year-old anti-establishment high school student/detective. Bell drew on the parallels between the character of Veronica and her own life, since Bell's parents had divorced and her best friend had also died. The series earned acclaim from television critics, as did Bell's performance. Some critics asserted that her performance was overlooked, and deserved consideration for an Emmy Award.

Aside from working on Veronica Mars, Bell starred in Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, reprising the role she played in the short-lived 2001 off-broadway musical. The musical was a spoof of the 1936 exploitation film of the same name. Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical debuted on the Showtime network on April 16, 2005. Also in April, Bell starred as Gracie in Fifty Pills, an entry for the Tribeca Film Festival. She appeared in a short independent film called The Receipt and the horror film Roman, which was directed by her The Crucible co-star Angela Bettis. Released on August 11, 2006, Pulsestarred Bell as the lead Mattie. A remake of the Japanese horror film Kairo, the film grossed US$27.9 million worldwide,; however it garnered negative response from critics. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter commented, "despite the starring presence of Kristen Bell, [the] young actress has far less interesting material to work with here than she does as [the character] `Veronica Mars.'"

Veronica Mars continued on UPN for a second season; for the third season, the show was renewed and appeared on the newly created The CW. On January 19, 2007, CW Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff announced that while she was pleased with the gradual improvement of Veronica Mars's ratings, the series would be put on hiatus after February sweeps to air a new reality series, Pussycat Dolls Present. On May 17, 2007 Ostroff announced the cancellation of the series. A two-hour series finale aired in the United States on May 22, 2007, and on June 11, 2007 Thomas officially announced in an email to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello that Veronica Mars had been canceled by the CW. A Veronica Mars feature film and comic book series continuation had been discussed,  and for a short time there was talk of another collaboration between Bell and creator Thomas that would be unrelated to the Veronica Mars series.

Following the cancellation of Veronica Mars, Bell voiced interest in appearing on Heroes because she was a fan. On July 29, 2007, during a train ride back to Los Angeles from the San Diego Comic-Con with Heroes actors Zachary Quinto and Masi Oka, and writers from the series, the writers had mentioned that if she "ever want[ed] to come on Heroes, give us [writers] a call," to which Bell said she would "love to." Meanwhile, there were discussions about a role on Lost, but Bell turned down the role of Charlotte Staples Lewis. Bell portrayed Elle Bishop on Heroes, a "mysterious young lady" with an "awesome power". She did not have to audition for the role of Elle, who made her first appearance in an October 2007 episode, and appeared in at least thirteen episodes during the run of the series. The casting of Bell, Heroes creator Tim Kring explained, "was not easy to pull off", but because of the large ensemble cast of the series and multiple story arcs, "we found a way to jump into a small window in [Bell's] schedule." Bell lent her voice to the CW series Gossip Girl: she voiced the title character in every episode of the series, appearing in person only for a surprise cameo in the final episode, portraying herself.

Shortly after the cancellation of Veronica Mars in early 2007, Bell filmed on location in Hawaii for a starring role as the title character in the Judd Apatow comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She regarded the improvisational comedy in the film as "a lovely experience". The film, written by and also starring Jason Segel, was released theatrically on April 18, 2008, and is considered to be Bell's star-making role. Bell lent her voice and likeness to the video game Assassin's Creed, which was released on November 13, 2007, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and April 8, 2008 for the PC. Bell reprised her role of Lucy in Assassin's Creed IIreleased on November 17, 2009, and again in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, released on November 16, 2010. In the spring of 2006, she finished filming the Star Wars-themed comedy Fanboys, which had its release date pushed to January 14, 2008. This was due to additional funding given to director Kyle Newman to shoot new scenes, however, the busy schedules of the actors only allowed for filming in September 2007, thus moving the release date to accommodate that. Bell also starred in the 2009 comedies Serious Moonlight, alongside Meg Ryan, and Couples Retreat, which chronicles four couples who partake in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort. Jason Bateman played her husband. She also provided the voice for Cora in Astro Boy. On March 31, 2008, Bell began shooting the Mark Steven Johnson-written Disney film When in Rome in locations in Rome and New York; the film was released in 2010. Bell reprised her role as Sarah Marshall for a cameo appearance in the film Get Him to the Greek, a spin-off sequel from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, released June 4, 2010.

She co-starred with singers Christina Aguilera and Cher in the musical film Burlesque, which was released on Thanksgiving in 2010. Bell had a cameo in the slasher horror film Scream 4, which was released on April 15, 2011.

In 2012, Bell starred in the family drama film Big Miracle. She has also appeared in the music video for "Madder Red" by Brooklyn experimental rock band Yeasayer. Bell portrayed Mary Magdalene in The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio New Testament Bible, a 22-hour, celebrity-voiced, dramatized audio adaptation of the New Testament that uses the RSV-CE translation.

Bell stars as Jeannie van der Hooven, the female lead on the Showtime series House of Lies, which premiered on January 8, 2012. The series ended on June 12, 2016. Bell appeared in a supporting role in the science-fiction comedy Safety Not Guaranteed (2012). She starred in the drama film The Lifeguard, written and directed by Liz W. Garcia, which began filming in July 2012, and was released in August 2013. She also voiced Anna in Frozen, which was released on November 22, 2013. In 2013, for multiple episodes, Bell played Ingrid de Forest, an Eagleton City Councilwoman, on Parks and Recreation.

On March 13, 2013, it was confirmed that a Veronica Mars film would finally be coming to fruition. Bell and series creator Rob Thomas, launched a fundraising campaign to produce the film through Kickstarter and attained the $2 million goal in less than ten hours. The main cast members of the series all reprised their roles in the feature film. Production of the film took place during summer 2013, and it was released theatrically and on video-on-demand on March 14, 2014.

In September 2014, Bell starred with her husband, Dax Shephard, in a commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S. It was so popular (with over 20 million YouTube views) that they did another for the holiday season. The ad agency McKinney was behind both. In 2016, Bell voiced the sloth Priscilla in the animated comedy film Zootopia, and starred as Claire in the comedy film The Boss. Bell starred as Kiki in the 2016 comedy film Bad Moms, a role which she reprised in the 2017 sequel A Bad Moms Christmas. In late 2016, Bell began starring as Eleanor Shellstrop, in the NBC comedy series The Good Place.

In 2017, she also appeared in the biographical comedy-drama The Disaster Artist, the action comedy CHiPs and the comedy How to Be a Latin Lover. In March 2017, Bell starred in an episode of the Houzz series My Houzz, in which she surprised her sister with a major basement renovation.

Personal Life

In 2007, Bell ended a five-year relationship with former fiancé Kevin Mann. She later told Complex magazine that dating "makes me want to vomit. And not out of grossness—OK, a little bit out of grossness, but just nerves... I've always been a serial monogamist."

Bell began dating actor Dax Shepard, also a native of Detroit's northern suburbs, in late 2007. The couple announced their engagement in January 2010. They decided to delay marriage until the state of California passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. They co-starred in the 2010 film When In Rome, the 2012 film Hit and Run, and the 2017 film CHiPs. After section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act fell on June 26, 2013, Bell asked Shepard to marry her through Twitter, which he accepted. They were married at the Beverly Hills County Clerk's Office on October 17, 2013. They have two daughters: Lincoln Bell Shepard (born March 28, 2013) and Delta Bell Shepard (born December 19, 2014).

In May 2016, Bell revealed that she has struggled with and received help for depression and anxiety. She said, "It’s important for me to be candid about this so people in a similar situation can realize that they are not worthless and that they do have something to offer."

Filmography

Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
1998 Polish Wedding Teenage Girl (uncredited)
2001 Pootie Tang Record Executive's Daughter
2002 The Cat Returns Hiromi (voice) English version
2002 People Are Dead Angela's Friend #1
2003 The Shield Jessica Hintel Episode: "The Quick Fix"
2003 American Dreams Amy Fielding Episode: "Act of Contrition"
2003 The O'Keefes Virginia's Owner Episode: "Substitute Teacher"
Episode: "Jobs"
2003 The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay Alison Dodge TV movie
2003 Everwood Stacey Wilson Episode: "Extra Ordinary"
2004 Gracie's Choice Gracie Thompson TV movie
2004 Spartan Laura Newton
2004 Deadwood Flora Anderson Episode: "Bullock Returns to the Camp"
Episode: "Suffer the Little Children"
2004 to 2007 Veronica Mars Veronica Mars 64 episodes
2005 Last Days of America Friend in New York #1 Video
2005 Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical Mary Lane
2005 Deepwater Nurse Laurie
2005 The Receipt Pretty Girl Short film
2006 Fifty Pills Gracie
2006 Pulse Mattie
2006 Roman The Girl / Isis
2007 Flatland: The Movie Hex (voice) Short film
2007 to 2008 Heroes Elle Bishop 12 episodes
2007 to 2012 Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl (voice)
Herself

121 episodes
1 episode
2008 Forgetting Sarah Marshall Sarah Marshall
2008 Fanboys Zoe
2009 Serious Moonlight Sara
2009 The Cleveland Show Mandy (voice) Episode: "Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance"
2009 Astro Boy Cora (voice)
2009 Couples Retreat Cynthia
2009 to 2010 Party Down Uda Bengt Episode: "Stennheiser-Pong Wedding Reception"

Episode: "Party Down Company Picnic"

2010 When in Rome Beth
2010 Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates Cora (voice) Video short
2010 Get Him to the Greek Sarah Marshall Cameo
2010 Lost Masterpieces of Pornography June Crenshaw Video short
2010 You Again Marni Olivia Olsen
2010 Burlesque Nikki
2010 Movie 43 Supergirl Post-production
2011 Scream 4 Chloe Garrett Cameo
2011 Dance of the Mirlitons Corinne Post-production
2012 Everybody Loves Whales TBA Filming

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2001 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Becky Thatcher
2002 The Crucible Susanna Walcott
2003 Sneaux
2004 A Little Night Music

Video Games

Title Role Year
Assassin's Creed Lucy Stillman 2007
Assassin's Creed II Lucy Stillman 2009
Astro Boy: The Video Game Cora 2009
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Lucy Stillman 2010
Disney Infinity Anna 2013
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes Anna 2014
Disney Infinity 3.0 Anna 2015

Web Series

Title Role Year(s) Notes
Burning Love Mandy 2012 4 episodes
Play It Again, Dick Herself 2014 Based on Veronica Mars characters