Laura Bell Bundy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laura Bell Bundy
Bell Bundy at 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in April 2010
Born	Laura Ashley Bell Bundy (1981-04-10) April 10, 1981 (age 44) Euclid, Ohio, U.S.
Other names	LBB Laura Bell Laura Bundy
Education	New York University
Occupation	Actress country singer dancer songwriter
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Thom Hinkle ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	1

Laura Ashley Bell Bundy (born April 10, 1981) is an American actress and singer. She started her career as a child. Her mother helped her enter beauty pageants where Laura would sing. When her singing talent was noticed, her mother took her to New York City. There, Laura became a successful child actress and model, joining the Ford Modeling Agency in 1986. At just nine years old, she got a main role in the play Ruthless! in 1991.

Laura is best known for her original roles on Broadway. She played Amber Von Tussle in the musical Hairspray and Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. For her role as Elle Woods, she was nominated for a Tony Award, which is a very important award for theatre. In 2010, she signed with Mercury Records Nashville and released country songs like "Giddy On Up". Laura also helped start Womxn of Tomorrow, a group that supports women's rights. In 2023, she returned to Broadway in the play The Cottage.

Early Life and First Steps

Laura Bell Bundy was born in Euclid, Ohio. She grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. Her parents divorced when she was 16. Laura took dance lessons from a young age. When she was nine, she performed in the famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. She graduated from Lexington Catholic High School. Laura found out she had celiac disease when she was about 18. In 1995, at age 14, she appeared in the movie Jumanji. She played a younger version of the character Sarah Whittle.

Amazing Career Highlights

Starring on Broadway

Laura Bell Bundy first played Tina Denmark in Ruthless! The Musical in 1992. This was an Off-Broadway show. She was nominated for awards for this role. In 2002, at 21, she made her Broadway debut in Hairspray. She created the role of Amber Von Tussle, a somewhat spoiled character. Laura also worked as a backup for Glinda in the musical Wicked. She later starred as Sherrie Christian in the musical Rock of Ages in Los Angeles.

From 2007 to 2008, Laura starred on Broadway as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical. Elle is a sorority girl who goes to Harvard to become a lawyer. For this role, Laura received her first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. She also went on a U.S. national tour of Legally Blonde for a short time in 2009.

Acting in Movies and TV Shows

Laura Bell Bundy has appeared in several movies. These include The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), Life with Mikey (1993), and Jumanji (1995). In 1999, she joined the TV show Guiding Light as Marah Lewis until 2001. She also appeared in the 2006 movie Dreamgirls.

Laura was a judge at the Miss America 2009 pageant. She had a recurring role as Becky on the TV show How I Met Your Mother. Becky was a very energetic and sometimes annoying co-anchor. Laura played this role again in the spinoff show, How I Met Your Father. From 2012 to 2015, she played Shelby on The CW's Hart of Dixie. Shelby was a new person in town and a love interest for George Tucker. In 2013, she starred as Dr. Jordan Denby on the TV show Anger Management. She even played Jordan's twin sister, Jessie, on the show. In 2022, she starred as Rachel Raskin in The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, a live-action show.

Singing Country Music

Bell Bundy at Birdland in July 2007

Laura Bell Bundy released her first country music album, Longing For a Place Already Gone, in 2007. After leaving Legally Blonde: The Musical in 2008, she moved to Nashville. She worked on her second album, Achin' and Shakin', which came out in 2010. This album did very well, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Her songs "Giddy On Up" and "Rebound" were even featured in the video game series Rock Band. In 2013, she signed with Big Machine Records and released the song "Two Step" with Colt Ford. Her third album, Another Piece of Me, was released in 2015.

Directing and Creating Content

In 2017, Laura Bell Bundy co-directed a production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. She also directed a concert called Double Standards. In 2018, she wrote and directed music videos for a Barefoot Wine campaign. She has also directed many comedy sketches and music videos. Her most famous web series are Cooter County and Skits-O-Frenic.

Helping Others with Podcasts

In 2020, Laura and music producer Shea Carter started a podcast called Women of Tomorrow. This podcast talks about important issues related to women's rights. Her fourth album, also called Women of Tomorrow, was released in 2021. This album was very popular and has been streamed over a million times. Laura has been a guest on many other podcasts to talk about her own podcast and album.

Personal Life and Activism

In December 2015, Laura announced her engagement to Thom Hinkle, an executive at TBS. They got married on June 3, 2017. In February 2019, she announced she was expecting her first child. Their son was born in May 2019. Laura Bell Bundy is an activist who cares deeply about women's rights and equality. She founded the Double Standards Organization and Womxn of Tomorrow to support these causes.

Music She Made

Albums and Songs

Singles

Other Music Projects

• Hairspray - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2003)
• Dreamgirls - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2006)
• Legally Blonde - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2008)
• Pure Country: Pure Heart - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017)
• Featured on Guiding Light - "I Believe in the Mystery", 2002
• Featured on NEO: New, Emerging, Outstanding - "Any Day", duet with Kerry Butler, 2005
• Featured on New York Cares About Local Music - "Goodbye Yesterday", duet with Amber Rhodes, 2006
• Featured on In the Spirit: A Celebration of the Holidays - "Baby, It's Cold Outside", with John Driskell Hopkins & Atlanta Pops Orchestra, 2015
• Featured on Saloons on Neptune - "Take a Shot", duet with Cowboy Troy, 2015

Music Videos

Movies and TV Shows She's Been In

Film Roles

TV Show Appearances

Her Theatre Performances

Stage Plays and Musicals

Demo Readings

• Blood Drive
• But I'm a Cheerleader
• Hairspray

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Laura Bell Bundy para niños