Kristen Bell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kristen Bell
Bell at Paris Fashion Week in 2019
Born	Kristen Anne Bell (1980-07-18) July 18, 1980 (age 44) Huntington Woods, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Dax Shepard ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	2

Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. She started her acting journey in stage plays while studying at New York University. She made her first appearance on Broadway in the musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2001). She also appeared in a Broadway play called The Crucible (2002).

Later, she acted in the action movie Spartan and was praised for her role in the TV movie Gracie's Choice (both 2004). Kristen Bell became very well known for playing the main character in the TV series Veronica Mars (2004–2007). She played this role again in a movie in 2014 and a new season in 2019.

She also played Elle Bishop in the superhero show Heroes (2007–2008). You might also know her voice as the narrator in the teen drama Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and its 2021 follow-up. She starred in the comedy series House of Lies (2012–2016). Kristen Bell was nominated for Golden Globe Awards for her main roles in the comedy shows The Good Place (2016–2020) and Nobody Wants This (2024).

While working on Veronica Mars, Bell also starred in the TV musical movie Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005) and the horror film Pulse (2006). She has been in many comedy movies, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Couples Retreat (2009), You Again (2010), The Boss (2016), Bad Moms (2016), and A Bad Moms Christmas (2017). She is also famous for voicing Princess Anna in the Disney animated movies Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019).

Kristen Bell's Early Life and Family

Kristen Bell was born on July 18, 1980, in Huntington Woods, Michigan. This is a suburb of Detroit, where she grew up. Her mother, Lorelei, was a registered nurse. Her father, Tom Bell, worked as a television news director. Her parents divorced when she was two years old.

Kristen has two stepsisters from her father's second marriage. She also has three stepsisters and a stepbrother from her mother's second marriage. Her mother has Polish family roots, and her father has German, Scottish, and Irish family roots.

When Kristen was four, she didn't like her first name. Her mother convinced her to use her middle name, Anne. She went by "Annie" until high school.

Before high school, Kristen's parents decided she would attend a private school. She went to Shrine Catholic High School in Royal Oak. There, she joined the drama and music club. She had previously attended Burton Elementary School and Norup Middle School.

At Shrine, she played the main role of Dorothy Gale in the school's 1997 play of The Wizard of Oz. She also appeared in other plays like Fiddler on the Roof (1995) and Lady, Be Good (1996). In 1998, the year she graduated, her classmates voted her "Best Looking Girl" in the yearbook.

After high school, Kristen moved to New York City. She attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts to study musical theater. In 2002, during her last year, she left college a few credits short of graduating. This was to take a role in the Broadway musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Kristen Bell's Acting Career

Starting Out: 1992–2003

In 1992, Kristen Bell went to her first audition. She won a dual role as a banana and a tree in a play in Detroit called Raggedy Ann and Andy. Her mother helped her get an agent before Kristen was 13. This allowed her to appear in newspaper ads and TV commercials for stores in Detroit. She also started taking private acting lessons. In 1998, she had a small, uncredited role in the movie Polish Wedding.

In 2001, Bell left New York University to play Becky Thatcher in the Broadway musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This show didn't run for very long. That same year, she made her first credited movie appearance in Pootie Tang. Her only line in the movie was cut, but you can see her in a scene during the credits. She also tried out for the TV series Smallville for the role of Chloe Sullivan, but Allison Mack got the part.

In 2002, she appeared in a Broadway play called The Crucible with famous actors like Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. Bell then moved to Los Angeles in 2002. She appeared as a special guest in a few TV shows but found it hard to get a regular role. She said she tried out for many shows that ended up being successful, but she didn't get the parts. Bell appeared in an episode of FX's "The Shield" on January 7, 2003.

Becoming a Star: Veronica Mars and Other Roles (2004–2006)

In 2004, Kristen Bell earned a lot of praise for her main role in the Lifetime TV movie Gracie's Choice. This movie was very popular and had high ratings. She also made her debut in a movie shown in theaters with David Mamet's action thriller Spartan. She played Laura Newton, the kidnapped daughter of the U.S. president, acting alongside Val Kilmer. Bell also guest-starred on the HBO drama series Deadwood for two episodes.

Bell on the set of Veronica Mars in 2004

At 24, she won the main role in the UPN drama series Veronica Mars, which started in the fall of 2004. In the show, Bell played Veronica Mars, a seventeen-year-old high school student who also worked as a private detective. Bell felt a connection to Veronica's character because Bell's own parents had divorced, and her best friend had also passed away. The series was highly praised by critics. Bell's acting earned her the Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television and a nomination for the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama. Many critics felt her performance was outstanding and deserved even more awards.

Besides working on Veronica Mars, Bell starred in Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical. She played the same role she had in the 2001 musical. This musical made fun of the 1936 movie of the same name. Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical first aired on the Showtime network on April 16, 2005. Also in April, Bell played Gracie in Fifty Pills, a movie shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. She appeared in a short independent film called The Receipt and the horror film Roman. This film was directed by her Crucible co-star Angela Bettis. On August 11, 2006, Pulse was released, starring Bell as the main character, Mattie. This movie was a remake of the Japanese horror film Kairo. It made $27.9 million worldwide but received negative reviews from critics.

Film Success and Gossip Girl (2007–2011)

Veronica Mars continued for a second season on UPN. For its third season, the show moved to the new network, The CW. On January 19, 2007, The CW announced that Veronica Mars would take a break to air a new reality show. On May 17, 2007, the network announced the show was canceled. The final two-hour episode aired on May 22, 2007.

After Veronica Mars was canceled, Bell wanted to appear on Heroes because she was a fan. On July 29, 2007, during a train ride, writers from Heroes told her to call them if she ever wanted to be on the show. Bell said she would "love to". She also had discussions about a role on Lost, but she turned down the part of Charlotte Staples Lewis. Bell played Elle Bishop on Heroes, a "mysterious young lady" with an "awesome power". She didn't have to try out for the role. Elle first appeared in an October 2007 episode, and Bell was in twelve episodes of the series. The creator of Heroes, Tim Kring, said it was "not easy to pull off" casting Bell because of her busy schedule. Bell also lent her voice to the CW series Gossip Girl. She voiced the main character in every episode and appeared in person only once in the final episode, playing herself.

Bell at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

Soon after Veronica Mars was canceled in early 2007, Bell filmed a starring role in the Judd Apatow comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall in Hawaii. She enjoyed the improvisational comedy in the film. The movie, written by and also starring Jason Segel, was released on April 18, 2008. It helped make Bell much more famous. Bell also lent her voice and appearance to the video game Assassin's Creed, released in November 2007. Bell played her role as Lucy again in Assassin's Creed II (2009) and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2010). In 2006, she finished filming the Star Wars-themed comedy Fanboys. The movie's release was delayed until January 14, 2008. Bell also starred in the 2009 comedies Serious Moonlight, with Meg Ryan, and Couples Retreat. In Couples Retreat, she played a wife whose husband was played by Jason Bateman. She also voiced Cora in Astro Boy. On March 31, 2008, Bell began filming the Disney movie When in Rome in Rome and New York. The film was released in 2010. Bell made a small appearance as Sarah Marshall in the movie Get Him to the Greek, which was a spin-off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This movie was released on June 4, 2010.

Bell co-starred with singers Christina Aguilera and Cher in the musical film Burlesque, which came out in November 2010. She also had a small appearance alongside Anna Paquin in the horror film Scream 4, released on April 15, 2011.

Frozen and The Good Place (2012–2019)

In 2012, Bell starred in the family drama film Big Miracle. She also appeared in the music video for "Madder Red" by the band Yeasayer. Bell played Mary Magdalene in The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio New Testament Bible. This was a 22-hour audio version of the New Testament with celebrity voices.

Bell at the premiere of Frozen in 2013 at the El Capitan Theatre

Bell starred as Jeannie van der Hooven, the main female character on the Showtime comedy series House of Lies. The show started on January 8, 2012, and ended on June 12, 2016. Bell had a supporting role in the science-fiction comedy Safety Not Guaranteed (2012). She also starred in the drama film The Lifeguard, which began filming in July 2012 and was released in August 2013. She voiced Anna in Frozen, which was released on November 22, 2013. In 2013, Bell played Ingrid de Forest, an Eagleton City Councilwoman, on several episodes of Parks and Recreation.

On March 13, 2013, it was confirmed that a Veronica Mars movie would finally be made. Bell and the show's creator, Rob Thomas, started a fundraising campaign through Kickstarter. They reached their goal of $2 million in less than ten hours. The main actors from the series all returned for the movie. Filming took place in summer 2013, and the movie was released in theaters and for on-demand viewing on March 14, 2014.

In September 2014, Bell starred with her husband, Dax Shepard, in a commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S. It was so popular that they made another one for the holiday season. In 2016, Bell voiced the sloth Priscilla in the animated comedy film Zootopia. She also starred as Claire in the comedy film The Boss. Bell played Kiki in the 2016 comedy film Bad Moms, a role she played again in the 2017 sequel, A Bad Moms Christmas. In 2016, Bell began starring as Eleanor Shellstrop in the NBC comedy series The Good Place. For her performance, she was nominated for many awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.

Also in 2017, she appeared in the comedy-drama The Disaster Artist, the action comedy CHiPs, and the comedy How to Be a Latin Lover. In November 2017, she played a housewife preparing for a Christmas party in Sia's music video for "Santa's Coming for Us".

In 2018, she started hosting the web series Momsplaining with Kristen Bell. In this series, Bell gives tips about motherhood to new and expecting mothers. The title of the series is a play on the word "mansplaining". Bell later had the main role in the Netflix comedy-drama film Like Father. She also voiced Jade Wilson in the animated comedy film Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. She played Princess Anna again in the animated comedy sequel film Ralph Breaks the Internet.

On September 20, 2018, Hulu confirmed that Bell would return as Veronica Mars for an 8-episode fourth season of the drama series. It premiered in July 2019. In 2019, she voiced Princess Anna again in the video game Kingdom Hearts III and the movie sequel Frozen II, which was released on November 22, 2019. Bell was the host and executive producer for the Disney+ docuseries Encore!, which started in November 2019. She also directed the eighth episode of the fourth season of The Good Place. The series ended after its fourth season in January 2020. At the 25th Critics' Choice Awards, Bell received the #SeeHer Award. This award recognizes women who "push boundaries on changing stereotypes and acknowledge the importance of authentic portrayals of women across the entertainment landscape."

Established Actress: Since 2020

In 2020, Bell published the children's book The World Needs More Purple People, which she wrote with Benjamin Hart. Also in 2020, Bell voiced Molly Tillerman in the Apple TV+ animated musical comedy series Central Park. This show reunited her with Frozen co-star Josh Gad and Bad Moms co-star Kathryn Hahn. Central Park was ordered for two seasons and premiered on May 29, 2020. In June 2020, it was announced that Bell, who is white, would no longer voice the biracial character of Molly. The role would be re-cast with a black or mixed-race actress, and Bell would voice a new character.

In 2021, Bell produced and voiced a main character in the Amazon Prime Video animated musical preschool series Do, Re, & Mi. She returned to narrate as the main character of the HBO Max teen drama series Gossip Girl. This was a new version and sequel to the 2007–2012 series Gossip Girl. Bell starred alongside Kirby Howell-Baptiste as two housewives who created a huge coupon scam in the comedy film Queenpins. The film was released on Paramount+ on September 10, 2021.

Her miniseries The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window was released on Netflix in January 2022. In November 2022, Bell starred in the Amazon Prime movie The People We Hate at the Wedding. Bell appeared in three episodes of The Tiny Chef Show and is also an executive producer for the show.

Kristen Bell's Personal Life

Relationships and Family

Bell and Dax Shepard at the 2012 DoSomething Awards

In 2007, Bell ended a five-year relationship with her former fiancé, Kevin Mann. She later said that dating made her feel nervous. She mentioned she has always been a serial monogamist, meaning she prefers to be in one committed relationship at a time.

In late 2007, Bell started dating actor Dax Shepard. He is also from the Detroit area. They announced their engagement in January 2010. They decided to wait to get married until the state of California passed a law allowing same-sex marriage. They starred together in the 2010 film When in Rome, the 2012 film Hit and Run, and the 2017 film CHiPs. After a part of the Defense of Marriage Act was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on June 26, 2013, Bell asked Shepard to marry her on Twitter, and he said yes. They got married at the Beverly Hills County Clerk's Office on October 16, 2013. They have two daughters, born in March 2013 and December 2014.

Beliefs, Interests, and Charity Work

Bell with the Dancing Merengue Dog at the 2012 Bonnaroo Music Festival

At age 11, Bell became a vegetarian. She told PETA that she always loved animals and found it hard to eat animals she cuddled with, like dogs and cats. She also said she never really liked the taste of meat. By 2012, Bell and Shepard became vegan after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives. However, during her first pregnancy, she started eating dairy products and eggs again.

When she lived in Michigan, Bell helped care for animals from the Michigan Humane Society. Now, she supports the San Diego-based Helen Woodward Animal Center. Bell often goes to events to raise money for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other groups that protect animals. She has had several dogs, including Lola, Shakey, and Sadie. Sadie was 11 years old when Bell rescued her from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Bell has said she is non-religious and identifies as a humanist. She and her husband Dax Shepard are strong supporters of vaccination. She practices Transcendental Meditation, saying it helps her "power down" and "shut off light switches in my brain."

Bell supported the Writers Guild of America during the writers' strike in December 2007. She said the writers were "just looking for some fairness."

Bell and other Veronica Mars cast members, including Ryan Hansen, are involved with the charity Invisible Children, Inc.. This organization aims to raise awareness about the struggles of people in Northern Uganda who are affected by a civil war.

Bell supported and campaigned for Barack Obama during the 2008 United States presidential election. With Rashida Jones, she visited college campuses in Missouri to talk about the candidates and encourage people to register to vote.

In 2013, Kristen Bell, along with actors Ryan Devlin, Todd Grinnell, and Ravi Patel, started a granola bar company called This Bar Saves Lives. The company helps fight malnutrition. For every bar sold, the business donates food aid to children in places like Haiti, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia. As of February 2019, the company had donated over 10 million food packets.

In 2014, Bell launched a Prizeo campaign. Fans could win a date with her by donating to Invisible Children, Inc. In 2018, Bell appeared in a TV advertisement for bone marrow donations, specifically for the Gift of Life Marrow Registry. Her actions led to several matches, which are shown on the Gift of Life website. Bell won a 2020 Webby Special Achievement Award.

Mental Health

In May 2016, Bell shared that she has received treatment 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 an interview in August 2018, Bell talked about why she wears scuba gloves while swimming. She said she doesn't like the feeling of touching things with wrinkled fingers, also known as "prune fingers". The gloves help her swim with her children without this fear.

Entrepreneurship

In 2019, Bell and her husband started the company Hello Bello. This company sells plant-based baby care products that are meant to be good for the environment and affordable. In 2020, she partnered to start Happy Dance, a line of vegan CBD products like eye cream and hand moisturizers. In 2023, Hello Bello filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which means the company sought legal protection from its debts. The company is set to be bought by a private equity firm.

Filmography

Discography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kristen Bell para niños