Gossip Girl Wiki
Gossip Girl Wiki
(ss)
Tag: Visual edit
No edit summary
(13 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown)
Line 14: Line 14:
 
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
 
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
 
|'''Role on ''Gossip Girl'''''
 
|'''Role on ''Gossip Girl'''''
| style="padding-right: 1em;" | [[Gossip Girl (character)]] (voice) & Herself
+
| style="padding-right: 1em;" | [[Gossip Girl (character)|Gossip Girl (character voice)]] & 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.
'''Kristen Anne Bell''' (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. IN some parallel universes,Kristen Bell murders homosexuals and lesbians because of their sexual orientation. Kristen Bell is a lifelong meat eater in some parallel universes.Kristen Bell owns 10 black slaves for her entire life in some parallel universes.Anything that could ever happen happens in some parallel universe. In our present universe,Kristen Bell hates gays and lesbians deep down inside,she only pretends to support them to make friends in high places in hollyweird.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.
 
   
  +
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.
 
   
  +
== Background ==
==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".
+
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 stepsisters from her father's second marriage. She also has two half-sisters and two half-brothers from her mother's second marriage. Her mother is of Polish descent and her father has German, Scottish and Irish ancestry.
   
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.
+
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.
 
   
  +
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.
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"''.
 
   
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==
+
== 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''.
===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''.
 
   
  +
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.
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 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").
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''.
 
   
  +
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.
Bell appeared on the show ''Punk'd''.
 
   
  +
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.'"
===Breakout (2004–06)===
 
Bell on the set of ''Veronica Mars''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").
 
   
  +
''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.
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.
 
   
  +
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 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".
 
   
  +
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.
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."'
 
   
  +
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.
===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.
 
   
  +
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.
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''.
 
   
  +
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''.
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.
 
   
  +
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 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.
 
   
  +
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''.
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''.
 
   
  +
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.
She has also appeared in the music video for "Madder Red" by Brooklyn experimental rock band Yeasayer.
 
   
  +
== Personal Life ==
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.
 
  +
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).
Bell also voiced Anna in the Disney animated film Frozen.
 
   
  +
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."
==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 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.
 
   
  +
==Filmography==
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".
 
   
  +
=== Movies ===
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.
 
  +
{| class="article-table"
 
  +
!Movie
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.
 
  +
!Role
 
  +
!Year
In January 2011 it was announced that Kristen would be the new face of Neutrogena.
 
  +
!Notes
 
==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==
 
;Film and television
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Year
 
! Title
 
! Role
 
! class="unsortable" | Notes
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Polish Wedding
  +
|Teenage girl
 
|1998
 
|1998
  +
|Uncredited
|''Polish Wedding''
 
|Teenage Girl (uncredited)
 
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Pootie Tang
  +
|Record excutive's daughter
 
|2001
 
|2001
|''Pootie Tang''
 
|Record Executive's Daughter
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|People Are Dead
  +
|Angela's friend #1
 
|2002
 
|2002
|''The Cat Returns''
 
|Hiromi (voice)
 
|English version
 
|-
 
|2002
 
|''People Are Dead''
 
|Angela's Friend #1
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|The Cat Returns
  +
|Hirmoni
 
|2003
 
|2003
  +
|Voice; English dub
|''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"<br />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
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Spartan
  +
|Laura Newton
 
|2004
 
|2004
|''Spartan''
 
|Laura Newton
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Reefer Madness
|2004
 
  +
|Mary Lane
|''Deadwood''
 
|Flora Anderson
 
|Episode: "Bullock Returns to the Camp"<br />Episode: "Suffer the Little Children"
 
|-
 
|2004 to 2007
 
|''Veronica Mars''
 
|Veronica Mars
 
|64 episodes
 
|-
 
 
|2005
 
|2005
  +
|
|''Last Days of America''
 
|Friend in New York #1
 
|Video
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Deepwater
  +
|Nurse Laurie
 
|2005
 
|2005
|''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical''
 
|Mary Lane
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Last Days of America
  +
|Friend in New York #1
 
|2005
 
|2005
|''Deepwater''
 
|Nurse Laurie
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|The Receipt
|2005
 
|''The Receipt''
 
 
|Pretty Girl
 
|Pretty Girl
  +
|2005
 
|Short film
 
|Short film
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Fifty Pills
  +
|Gracie
 
|2006
 
|2006
|''Fifty Pills''
 
|Gracie
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Pulse
  +
|Mattie
 
|2006
 
|2006
|''Pulse''
 
|Mattie
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Roman
  +
|The Girl / Isis
 
|2006
 
|2006
|''Roman''
 
|The Girl / Isis
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Flatland: The Movie
  +
|Hex
 
|2007
 
|2007
  +
|Voice; Short film
|''Flatland: The Movie''
 
|Hex (voice)
 
|Short film
 
|-
 
|2007 to 2008
 
|''Heroes''
 
|Elle Bishop
 
|12 episodes
 
|-
 
|2007 to 2012
 
|''Gossip Girl''
 
|
 
Gossip Girl (voice)<br />Herself
 
|121 episodes<br />[[New York, I Love You XOXO|1 episode]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Fanboys
  +
|Zoe
 
|2008
 
|2008
|''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''
 
|Sarah Marshall
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Forgetting Sarah Marshall
  +
|Sarah Marshall
 
|2008
 
|2008
|''Fanboys''
 
|Zoe
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Serious Moonlight
  +
|Sara
 
|2009
 
|2009
|''Serious Moonlight''
 
|Sara
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Astro Boy
  +
|Cora
 
|2009
 
|2009
  +
|Voice
|''The Cleveland Show''
 
|Mandy (voice)
 
|Episode: "Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance"
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Couples Retreat
  +
|Cynthia
 
|2009
 
|2009
|''Astro Boy''
 
|Cora (voice)
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates
|2009
 
  +
|Cora
|''Couples Retreat''
 
  +
|2010
|Cynthia
 
  +
|Voice; Short film
|
 
|-
 
|2009 to 2010
 
|''Party Down''
 
|Uda Bengt
 
|Episode: "Stennheiser-Pong Wedding Reception"
 
Episode: "Party Down Company Picnic"
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Lost Masterpiece of Pornography
  +
|June Crenshaw
 
|2010
 
|2010
  +
|Short film
|''When in Rome''
 
  +
|-
  +
|When in Rome
 
|Beth
 
|Beth
  +
|2010
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Get Him to the Greek
  +
|Sarah Marshall
 
|2010
 
|2010
  +
|
|''Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates''
 
|Cora (voice)
 
|Video short
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|You Again
  +
|Marni Olsen
 
|2010
 
|2010
  +
|
|''Get Him to the Greek''
 
|Sarah Marshall
 
|Cameo
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Burlesque
  +
|Nikki
 
|2010
 
|2010
  +
|
|''Lost Masterpieces of Pornography''
 
|June Crenshaw
 
|Video short
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Scream 4
|2010
 
  +
|Chloe
|''You Again''
 
  +
|2011
|Marni Olivia Olsen
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Safety Not Guaranteed
|2010
 
  +
|Belinda St. Sing
|''Burlesque''
 
  +
|2012
|Nikki
 
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Big Miracle
|2010
 
  +
|Jill Jerard
|''Movie 43''
 
  +
|2012
  +
|
  +
|-
  +
|Flatland 2: Sphereland
  +
|Hex
  +
|2012
  +
|Voice
  +
|-
  +
|Hit and Run
  +
|Annie
  +
|2012
  +
|Also co-producer
  +
|-
  +
|Stuck in Love
  +
|Tricia
  +
|2012
  +
|
  +
|-
  +
|Movie 43
 
|Supergirl
 
|Supergirl
  +
|2013
|Post-production
 
  +
|Segment: "Super Hero Speed Dating"
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Some Girl(s)
|2011
 
  +
|Bobbi
|''Scream 4''
 
  +
|2013
|Chloe Garrett
 
  +
|
  +
|-
  +
|The Lifeguard
  +
|Leigh
  +
|2013
  +
|
  +
|-
  +
|Frozen
  +
|Anna
  +
|2013
  +
|Voice
  +
|-
  +
|Veronica Mars
  +
|Veronica Mars
  +
|2014
  +
|Also producer
  +
|-
  +
|Unity
  +
|Nararrator
  +
|2014
  +
|Documentary
  +
|-
  +
|Frozen Fever
  +
|Anna
  +
|2015
  +
|Voice; Short film
  +
|-
  +
|Zootopia
  +
|Priscilla
  +
|2016
  +
|Voice
  +
|-
  +
|The Boss
  +
|Claire Rawlings
  +
|2016
  +
|
  +
|-
  +
|Bad Moms
  +
|Kiki
  +
|2016
  +
|
  +
|-
  +
|The Disaster Artist
  +
|Herself
  +
|2017
 
|Cameo
 
|Cameo
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|CHiPs
  +
|Karen Baker
  +
|2017
  +
|
  +
|-
  +
|How to Be a Latin Lover
  +
|Cindy
  +
|2017
  +
|
  +
|-
  +
|A Bad Moms Christmas
  +
|Kiki
  +
|2017
  +
|In post-production
  +
|-
  +
|Olaf's Frozen Adventure
  +
|Anna
  +
|2017
  +
|Voice; Short film
  +
|-
  +
|Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it-Ralph 2
  +
|Anna
  +
|2018
  +
|Voice; in production
  +
|-
  +
|Frozen 2
  +
|Anna
  +
|2019
  +
|Voice; in production
  +
|}
  +
  +
=== Television ===
  +
{| class="article-table"
  +
!Show
  +
!Role
  +
!Year(s)
  +
!Notes
  +
|-
  +
|The Shield
  +
|Jessica Hintel
  +
|2003
  +
|Episode: "The Quick Fix"
  +
|-
  +
|American Dreams
  +
|Amy Fielding
  +
|2003
  +
|Episode: "Act of Contrition"
  +
|-
  +
|The O'Keefes
  +
|Virginia's Owner
  +
|2003
  +
|2 episodes
  +
|-
  +
|The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay
  +
|Alison Dodge
  +
|2003
  +
|Television movie
  +
|-
  +
|Everwood
  +
|Stacey Wilson
  +
|2003
  +
|Episode: "Extra Ordinary"
  +
|-
  +
|Gracie's Choice
  +
|Gracie Thompson
  +
|2004
  +
|Television movie
  +
|-
  +
|Deadwood
  +
|Flora Anderson
  +
|2004
  +
|2 episodes
  +
|-
  +
|Veronica Mars
  +
|Veronica Mars
  +
|2004-07
  +
|Lead role; 64 episodes
  +
|-
  +
|Heroes
  +
|Elle Bishop
  +
|2007-08
  +
|Main cast (Season 2)
  +
Recurring (Season 3); 12 episodes
  +
|-
  +
|Gossip Girl
  +
|Gossip Girl / Herself
  +
|2007-2012
  +
|Voice narrarator; 120 episodes
  +
|-
  +
|The Cleveland Show
  +
|Mandy
  +
|2009
  +
|Voice; Episode: "Da Daggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance"
  +
|-
  +
|Party Down
  +
|Uda Bengt
  +
|2009-2010
  +
|2 episodes
  +
|-
  +
|Glenn Martin; DDS
  +
|Hayley
 
|2011
 
|2011
  +
|Voice; Episode: "Videogame Wizard"
|''Dance of the Mirlitons''
 
  +
|-
|Corinne
 
  +
|Robot Chicken
|Post-production
 
  +
|Hermione Granger / Sara Lee
  +
|2011
  +
|Voice; Episode: "Some Like It Hitman"
  +
|-
  +
|House of Lies
  +
|Jeannie van der Hooven
  +
|2012-2016
  +
|Lead role; 58 episodes
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Unsupervised
  +
|Megan
 
|2012
 
|2012
  +
|Voice; 13 episodes
|''Everybody Loves Whales''
 
|TBA
+
|-
  +
|Lovin' Lakin
|Filming
 
  +
|Herself
  +
|2012
  +
|Episode: "Lakin Runs Into Kristen Bell"
  +
|-
  +
|Parks and Recreation
  +
|Ingrid de Forest
  +
|2013-14
  +
|3 episodes
  +
|-
  +
|Hollywood Game Night
  +
|Herself
  +
|2013
  +
|Episode: "The One with the Friends"
  +
|-
  +
|Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular
  +
|Herself
  +
|2013
  +
|Television special
  +
|-
  +
|30th Independent Spirit Awards
  +
|Host / Herself
  +
|2015
  +
|Television special
  +
|-
  +
|Repeat After Me
  +
|Herself
  +
|2015
  +
|Episode 1.2
  +
|-
  +
|The Simpsons
  +
|Harper Jambrowski
  +
|2015
  +
|Voice; Episode: "Friend with Benefit"
  +
|-
  +
|Liv and Maddie
  +
|Herself
  +
|2015
  +
|Episode: "Ask Her More-a-Rooney"
  +
|-
  +
|It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown
  +
|Host / Herself
  +
|2015
  +
|Television special
  +
|-
  +
|iZombie
  +
|Herself
  +
|2016
  +
|Voice; Episode: "Fifty Shades of Grey Matter"
  +
|-
  +
|The Good Place
  +
|Eleanor Shellstrop
  +
|2016-present
  +
|Lead role
  +
|-
  +
|LEGO Frozen Northern Lights
  +
|Anna
  +
|2016
  +
|Voice; Television special
  +
|-
  +
|Jimmy Kimmel Live!
  +
|Guest Host / Herself
  +
|2017
  +
|May 4, 2017; standing in for Jimmy Kimmel on paternity leave
 
|}
 
|}
   
  +
=== Stage ===
;Theatre
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
+
{| class="article-table"
  +
!Production
! Year
 
  +
!Role
! Title
 
  +
!Year(s)
! Role
 
! class="unsortable" | Notes
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
|2001
 
|''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''
 
 
|Becky Thatcher
 
|Becky Thatcher
  +
|2001
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Reefer Madness
|2002
 
  +
|Mary Lane
|''The Crucible''
 
  +
|2001
  +
|-
  +
|The Crucible
 
|Susanna Walcott
 
|Susanna Walcott
  +
|2002
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|Sneaux
  +
|Sneaux Devareaux
 
|2003
 
|2003
|''Sneaux''
 
|
 
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|A Little Night Music
  +
|Fredrika Armfeld
 
|2004
 
|2004
  +
|-
|''A Little Night Music''
 
  +
|Hair
|
 
  +
|Sheila
|
 
  +
|2014
 
|}
 
|}
   
;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]]
 
[[Category:Females]]
 
[[Category:Females]]
[[Category:article stubs]]
 
 
[[Category:Season 1]]
 
[[Category:Season 1]]
 
[[Category:Season 2]]
 
[[Category:Season 2]]

Revision as of 03:56, 10 July 2018

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 voice) & 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.

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 stepsisters from her father's second marriage. She also has two half-sisters and two half-brothers 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

Movies

Movie Role Year Notes
Polish Wedding Teenage girl 1998 Uncredited
Pootie Tang Record excutive's daughter 2001
People Are Dead Angela's friend #1 2002
The Cat Returns Hirmoni 2003 Voice; English dub
Spartan Laura Newton 2004
Reefer Madness Mary Lane 2005
Deepwater Nurse Laurie 2005
Last Days of America Friend in New York #1 2005
The Receipt Pretty Girl 2005 Short film
Fifty Pills Gracie 2006
Pulse Mattie 2006
Roman The Girl / Isis 2006
Flatland: The Movie Hex 2007 Voice; Short film
Fanboys Zoe 2008
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Sarah Marshall 2008
Serious Moonlight Sara 2009
Astro Boy Cora 2009 Voice
Couples Retreat Cynthia 2009
Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates Cora 2010 Voice; Short film
Lost Masterpiece of Pornography June Crenshaw 2010 Short film
When in Rome Beth 2010
Get Him to the Greek Sarah Marshall 2010
You Again Marni Olsen 2010
Burlesque Nikki 2010
Scream 4 Chloe 2011
Safety Not Guaranteed Belinda St. Sing 2012
Big Miracle Jill Jerard 2012
Flatland 2: Sphereland Hex 2012 Voice
Hit and Run Annie 2012 Also co-producer
Stuck in Love Tricia 2012
Movie 43 Supergirl 2013 Segment: "Super Hero Speed Dating"
Some Girl(s) Bobbi 2013
The Lifeguard Leigh 2013
Frozen Anna 2013 Voice
Veronica Mars Veronica Mars 2014 Also producer
Unity Nararrator 2014 Documentary
Frozen Fever Anna 2015 Voice; Short film
Zootopia Priscilla 2016 Voice
The Boss Claire Rawlings 2016
Bad Moms Kiki 2016
The Disaster Artist Herself 2017 Cameo
CHiPs Karen Baker 2017
How to Be a Latin Lover Cindy 2017
A Bad Moms Christmas Kiki 2017 In post-production
Olaf's Frozen Adventure Anna 2017 Voice; Short film
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it-Ralph 2 Anna 2018 Voice; in production
Frozen 2 Anna 2019 Voice; in production

Television

Show Role Year(s) Notes
The Shield Jessica Hintel 2003 Episode: "The Quick Fix"
American Dreams Amy Fielding 2003 Episode: "Act of Contrition"
The O'Keefes Virginia's Owner 2003 2 episodes
The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay Alison Dodge 2003 Television movie
Everwood Stacey Wilson 2003 Episode: "Extra Ordinary"
Gracie's Choice Gracie Thompson 2004 Television movie
Deadwood Flora Anderson 2004 2 episodes
Veronica Mars Veronica Mars 2004-07 Lead role; 64 episodes
Heroes Elle Bishop 2007-08 Main cast (Season 2)

Recurring (Season 3); 12 episodes

Gossip Girl Gossip Girl / Herself 2007-2012 Voice narrarator; 120 episodes
The Cleveland Show Mandy 2009 Voice; Episode: "Da Daggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance"
Party Down Uda Bengt 2009-2010 2 episodes
Glenn Martin; DDS Hayley 2011 Voice; Episode: "Videogame Wizard"
Robot Chicken Hermione Granger / Sara Lee 2011 Voice; Episode: "Some Like It Hitman"
House of Lies Jeannie van der Hooven 2012-2016 Lead role; 58 episodes
Unsupervised Megan 2012 Voice; 13 episodes
Lovin' Lakin Herself 2012 Episode: "Lakin Runs Into Kristen Bell"
Parks and Recreation Ingrid de Forest 2013-14 3 episodes
Hollywood Game Night Herself 2013 Episode: "The One with the Friends"
Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular Herself 2013 Television special
30th Independent Spirit Awards Host / Herself 2015 Television special
Repeat After Me Herself 2015 Episode 1.2
The Simpsons Harper Jambrowski 2015 Voice; Episode: "Friend with Benefit"
Liv and Maddie Herself 2015 Episode: "Ask Her More-a-Rooney"
It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown Host / Herself 2015 Television special
iZombie Herself 2016 Voice; Episode: "Fifty Shades of Grey Matter"
The Good Place Eleanor Shellstrop 2016-present Lead role
LEGO Frozen Northern Lights Anna 2016 Voice; Television special
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Guest Host / Herself 2017 May 4, 2017; standing in for Jimmy Kimmel on paternity leave

Stage

Production Role Year(s)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Becky Thatcher 2001
Reefer Madness Mary Lane 2001
The Crucible Susanna Walcott 2002
Sneaux Sneaux Devareaux 2003
A Little Night Music Fredrika Armfeld 2004
Hair Sheila 2014

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