Kristen Bell
Born 1980 · Age 45
American actress, comedian, singer, screenwriter and producer known for Veronica Mars, Frozen (voice of Anna), The Good Place, and entrepreneurial ventures such as This Bar Saves Lives and Hello Bello.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Huntington Woods, Michigan
Kristen Anne Bell was born in Huntington Woods, a Detroit suburb, to Lorelei (a registered nurse) and Tom Bell (a television news director).
Parents divorced (when she was 6 months old)
Her parents divorced when she was approximately six months old; both later remarried.
Became a vegetarian
At age 11 Bell became a vegetarian, a lifestyle point often referenced later in her public image.
First audition and community-theatre role
Attended her first audition and won a dual role (banana and tree) in a suburban Detroit production of Raggedy Ann and Andy.
Signed with an agent (child actor)
Her mother established her with an agent before she was 13, enabling early commercial and print work.
High-school musical: Fiddler on the Roof
Appeared in Fiddler on the Roof while attending Shrine Catholic High School (early high-school stage credits).
High-school musical: Lady, Be Good
Performed in Lady, Be Good at Shrine Catholic High School, continuing stage training.
Played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (high school)
Won the starring high-school role of Dorothy Gale in Shrine Catholic High School's 1997 production.
Graduated high school and moved to NYC for NYU Tisch
Graduated from Shrine Catholic High School and relocated to Manhattan to enroll at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (musical theatre).
Film debut (uncredited) in Polish Wedding
Had an uncredited role in the film Polish Wedding (1998), one of her earliest film appearances.
First credited film appearance: Pootie Tang (scene cut)
Credited appearance in Pootie Tang (2001) though her single spoken line was ultimately cut; appears in credits.
Left NYU (four credits shy) to make Broadway debut
Left Tisch about six credits shy of graduating to play Becky Thatcher on Broadway in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Broadway debut: Becky Thatcher
Made her credited Broadway stage debut as Becky Thatcher in the musical adaptation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Moved to Los Angeles
Relocated to Los Angeles to pursue television and film work, based in part on creative friendships and opportunities.
Appeared in Broadway revival of The Crucible
Performed in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible alongside Liam Neeson and Laura Linney.
Appeared in Everwood and TV movie The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay
Guest appearances on Everwood and co-starred in the TV film The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay.
TV guest role on The Shield (S2 premiere)
Appeared in season 2, episode 1 of FX's The Shield, marking one of her early TV guest roles in Los Angeles.
Appeared in Spartan (theatrical release)
Acted in David Mamet's action thriller Spartan, marking a prominent early theatrical role.
Starred in Gracie's Choice (Lifetime)
Earned acclaim for her starring role in the Lifetime drama Gracie's Choice, which achieved strong ratings for the network.
Cast as Veronica Mars (series launch)
Won the title role on UPN's Veronica Mars, her breakout television role (series premiered fall 2004).
Appeared in Fifty Pills (Tribeca Film Festival entry)
Starred as Gracie in Fifty Pills, which was presented at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Ranked on Maxim's Hot 100 lists (2005–2007)
Placed #68 in Maxim's 2005 Hot 100, #11 in 2006, and #46 in 2007.
Adopted Sadie (dog) — rescue from Hurricane Katrina
Adopted Sadie (black Labrador Retriever) in 2005, a dog rescued from Hurricane Katrina, and has been active in animal-welfare fundraising since.
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical debuts on Showtime
Reprised her Off-Broadway role in the television musical adaptation which debuted on Showtime.
Won Saturn Award — Best Actress on Television
Received the Saturn Award for her performance in Veronica Mars (Best Actress on Television).
Starred in Pulse (horror film) — theatrical release Aug 11, 2006
Lead role in Pulse (a remake of the Japanese film Kairo); film grossed approximately $27.9 million worldwide.
PETA 'World's Sexiest Vegetarian' (2006 and again 2013)
Selected by PETA as 'World's Sexiest Vegetarian' in 2006 and again in 2013.
Began narrating Gossip Girl (voice role)
Provided the voice of the titular narrator on The CW's teen drama Gossip Girl, narrating every episode 2007–2012.
Joined Heroes as Elle Bishop (first appearance Oct 2007)
Began appearing as Elle Bishop on the ensemble superhero series Heroes (12-episode arc during 2007–2008).
Veronica Mars placed on hiatus / cancellation announced (May 17, 2007)
The CW announced a hiatus and later canceled Veronica Mars; the series finale aired May 22, 2007.
Assassin's Creed (video game) released (consoles Nov 2007)
Lent her voice and likeness to Assassin's Creed (console release Nov 2007; PC April 2008).
Supported Writers Guild strike (picket lines Dec 2007)
Appeared on picket lines in support of the Writers Guild during the 2007 strike.
Campaigned for Barack Obama (2008 election)
Supported and campaigned for Barack Obama in 2008, including visits to college campuses to encourage voter registration.
Fanboys (release)
Fanboys was released after production delays; Bell's part boosted visibility among 'geek' audiences.
Began shooting When in Rome
Started principal photography for Disney's When in Rome (filmed on location in Rome and New York).
Forgetting Sarah Marshall released (breakthrough film role)
Appeared as the title character in the Judd Apatow-produced romantic comedy; greatly increased her profile.
Starred in Couples Retreat and Serious Moonlight (2009)
Appeared in two studio comedies in 2009, including Couples Retreat, expanding her mainstream film résumé.
Assassin's Creed II released (voice reprisal)
Reprised her voice/appearance role in Assassin's Creed II (Nov 2009).
Appeared in When in Rome, Get Him to the Greek cameo, Burlesque (2010)
Multiple film releases in 2010, including a cameo in Get Him to the Greek and a supporting role in Burlesque.
Cameo in Scream 4 (release Apr 15, 2011)
Made a cameo alongside Anna Paquin in the slasher film Scream 4.
Starred in House of Lies (premiered Jan 8, 2012)
Became the female lead (Jeannie van der Hooven) on Showtime's comedy House of Lies (series ran 2012–2016).
Converts to veganism (after Forks Over Knives)
Reportedly became vegan with Dax Shepard after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives (later adjusted diet during pregnancy).
Appeared in Big Miracle and Safety Not Guaranteed
Supported roles in family drama Big Miracle and indie sci-fi comedy Safety Not Guaranteed.
Began filming The Lifeguard
Started work on The Lifeguard (filming began July 2012; released August 2013).
Co-founded This Bar Saves Lives (granola bar company)
Bell and partners founded This Bar Saves Lives to fight malnutrition; the company donates nutrition packets with sales.
Veronica Mars Kickstarter final total raised (~$5.7M)
Crowdfunding campaign ultimately raised approximately $5.7 million to finance the Veronica Mars feature film.
Birth of first daughter, Lincoln Bell Shepard
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard welcomed their first daughter in March 2013.
Launched Veronica Mars Kickstarter campaign (initial goal $2M)
Bell and creator Rob Thomas launched a Kickstarter to fund a Veronica Mars feature film; initial goal set at $2,000,000 and reached in less than ten hours.
Married Dax Shepard
Married longtime partner Dax Shepard at the Beverly Hills County Clerk's Office after being engaged in 2010.
Voiced Princess Anna in Frozen (release Nov 27, 2013)
Provided the voice of Anna in Disney's Frozen; film became a global phenomenon and blockbuster success.
Prizeo charity campaign for Invisible Children
Launched a Prizeo campaign offering fans a chance to win a date with her for donations to Invisible Children, Inc.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S commercials with Dax Shepard
Starred with husband Dax Shepard in a widely viewed Samsung commercial (over 20 million YouTube views) and a follow-up holiday ad.
Adoption/rescue of dog Sadie referenced (2005 adoption)
Notable pet Sadie was adopted in 2005 from Hurricane Katrina rescue; continues to be part of her public animal-welfare profile.
Veronica Mars film released (theatrical and VOD)
The Veronica Mars feature film (funded largely by Kickstarter) was released in theaters and on-demand.
Began starring as Eleanor Shellstrop on The Good Place (series run 2016–2020)
Took the lead role in NBC's The Good Place, a critically praised comedy that ran four seasons.
Starred in The Boss and Bad Moms (2016)
Appeared in two studio comedies in 2016: The Boss and Bad Moms (the latter spawned a 2017 sequel).
Disclosed treatment for depression and anxiety (May 2016)
Publicly shared experiences of therapy and treatment for depression and anxiety to encourage openness about mental health.
Appeared in The Disaster Artist, CHiPs and How to Be a Latin Lover (2017)
Continued prolific film work with roles in multiple 2017 films.
Launched web series Momsplaining; Like Father lead role
Began hosting Momsplaining for Ellentube and had the leading role in Netflix's Like Father.
Directorial debut: The Good Place (season 4, episode 8)
Made her directorial debut directing episode 8 of season 4 of The Good Place.
Co-founded Hello Bello (plant-based baby care) with Dax Shepard
Launched Hello Bello, a plant-based, affordable baby-care brand with husband Dax Shepard.
This Bar Saves Lives donation milestone (>10M packets by Feb 2019)
Company co-founded by Bell had donated more than 10 million nutrition packets to children in need as of February 2019.
Veronica Mars revival season announced for Hulu (premiered July 2019)
Hulu confirmed an eight-episode fourth season of Veronica Mars, which premiered July 2019.
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (neighboring Idina Menzel)
Bell and Idina Menzel received neighboring stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Bell's was 2681st).
Voiced Anna in Frozen II (released Nov 22, 2019)
Reprised Princess Anna in Frozen II; sequel became a global box-office blockbuster (reported >$1.45B worldwide).
Launched 'Happy Dance' vegan CBD line (partnered)
Partnered to start Happy Dance, a line of vegan CBD skincare and wellness products.
Published children's book 'The World Needs More Purple People'
Co-wrote and published a children's book with Benjamin Hart focused on kindness and inclusion.
Received the #SeeHer Award at the 25th Critics' Choice Awards
Honored with the #SeeHer Award recognizing authentic portrayals of women in entertainment.
Webby Special Achievement Award
Won a 2020 Webby Special Achievement Award for online/creative work.
Central Park (Apple TV+) premiered — voiced Molly Tillerman
Voiced the lead character Molly Tillerman in the animated musical-comedy Central Park which premiered May 29, 2020.
Hello Bello estimated annual revenue and employees (2021)
Hello Bello's estimated annual revenue was $26.1 million with 104 employees as of 2021.
Produced and voiced in Amazon series 'Do, Re, & Mi'
Served as producer and voice talent for the animated musical pre-school series Do, Re, & Mi on Amazon Prime Video.
Narrator for HBO Max's Gossip Girl reboot
Returned to narrate the 2021 soft reboot/sequel of Gossip Girl on HBO Max as the titular voice.
Queenpins released on Paramount+
Starred in Queenpins, released to streaming on Paramount+ on September 10, 2021.
Starred in The People We Hate at the Wedding (Amazon Prime)
Headlined the Amazon Prime movie The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022).
Began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (mother-daughter classes)
Revealed she had taken up Brazilian jiu-jitsu, training under Cesalina Gracie alongside her daughter.
Hello Bello filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (company she co-founded)
Hello Bello cited declining sales and financial challenges; the business filed Chapter 11 and was set to be acquired by Hildred Capital Management.
Starred in Nobody Wants This (Netflix) — Golden Globe & Emmy nominations
Played Joanne in Nobody Wants This (2024), earning a Golden Globe nomination and her first Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series; also nominated as executive producer for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Included in Time's 100 Most Influential People (2025)
Named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2025.
Key Achievement Ages
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