Kristen Bell: Snapshot
- Name
- Kristen Bell
- Birth Date
- July 18, 1980
- Birth Place
- Detroit, Mich.
The Detroit native dropped out of New York University's prestigious Tisch School to pursue stage roles with Laura Linney and Liam Neeson on Broadway. She soon moved to L.A. and within weeks landed guest appearances on The Shield and HBO's Deadwood before her star-making turn as the witty and spunky teen detective on Mars. Though the series ended after three seasons, Bell didn't miss a beat: she moved onto NBC's Heroes, narrated Gossip Girl, starred in the hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and landed on PEOPLE's Most Beautiful list.
People Hot List - Which Stars Have the Most Buzz?
- Madonna
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Kristen Bell: Five Fun Facts
- Kristen Bell is often recognized for a small scene during the credits of the cult hit, Pootie Tang. "People recognize me for that more than anything else!" she told Entertainment Weekly in 2004.
- After crying at her first audition for a part in a community theater production of Raggedy Ann and Andy, Kristen Bell was cast "in the complex dual role of the banana in the first act and the tree in the second act," she told New York's Daily News.
- Before heading to NBC's Heroes, Kristen Bell had ties with Hayden Panettiere. She knew the sci-fi cheerleader for nine years because they shared a manager. "Kristen likes to say she practically changed my diapers," Panettiere told the New York Post.
- In 2006, Veronica Mars fans hired a plane to fly between UPN’s old headquarters and the CW’s new ones carrying a banner that read "Renew Veronica Mars! CW 2006!" in an effort to save the low-rated series. Bell called the actions "crazy and really awesome."
- For her first appearance at the Emmy Awards in 2004 (which she said was a hoot "because no one knew who I was"), Kristen Bell borrowed a Nicole Miller gown and Scotch-taped an 11-carat diamond ring to her finger.
Kristen Bell: Biography 
- 1998
A Broadway Bell
Bell moves to New York to attend New York University. While studying musical theater, she appears on Broadway in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Crucible with Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. She also stars in an off-Broadway production of Reefer Madness – a role she reprises for Showtime in 2005 (left). She eventually drops out a few credits shy of earning her degree.
- 2004
Veronica Mars
Bell, 24, headlines the teen detective drama Veronica Mars (pictured with costar Percy Daggs III). "I'm always the girl next door – the nothing ingenue – and it's totally boring to play," she tells the New York Times. "To have someone like Veronica, who's deep and witty and sarcastic, is wonderful." The series ranks 122nd out of 133 in Nielsen ratings, but critics and fans adore Bell's combination of wit, spunk and vulnerability.
- 2006
Bell's Star Pulses
Bell's performance on Mars helps her land roles in Wes Craven's psychological thriller Pulse (left), the campus comedy Fifty Pills, and Fanboys, about a group of Star Wars fans on the road. "I think I'm put into the category of more of a short list, which I'm very happy to be on," she tells Chicago Tribune. "But, yeah, it is what it is. I'm Veronica Mars on Veronica Mars."
Photo Credits
Top Left: Michael Larsen & Tracy Talbert
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): James Dittiger/Showtime; UPN; Kobal Collection/Wireimage
