Biography

Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress and singer. Her work includes both film and television, and her accolades include two Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for three Golden Globe Awards. In 2025, Time included her in their selection of the 100 most influential people in the world. Bell began her acting career starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She made her Broadway stage debut as Becky Thatcher in the comedy musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2001). She appeared in a Broadway revival of The Crucible (2002). She then appeared in the action film Spartan (2004). She received praise for her performance in the television drama film Gracie's Choice (2004). Bell had her breakout performance as the title character in the television series Veronica Mars (2004–2007), a role she reprised in the 2014 spin-off film and the 2019 revival. She also starred as Elle Bishop in the superhero drama series Heroes(2007–2008), voiced the titular narrator in the teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and its 2021 standalone sequel, and starred in the Showtime comedy series House of Lies (2012–2016). She received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her leading roles in the NBC comedy series The Good Place (2016–2020) and the Netflix romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This (2024); the latter also earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series. During her time on Veronica Mars, Bell starred in the television musical film Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005) and the horror film Pulse (2006). She has since appeared in several comedy films, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Couples Retreat (2009), When in Rome (2010), You Again (2010), Burlesque (2010), Safety Not Guaranteed (2012), Stuck in Love (2012), The Lifeguard (2013), The Boss (2016), Bad Moms (2016), A Bad Moms Christmas (2017), How to Be a Latin Lover (2017), CHiPs (2017), Like Father (2018), Queenpins (2021), The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022), and Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023). She received further recognition for voicing Princess Anna in the Disney animated films Frozen (2013) and Frozen 2 (2019). She is also the voice of Amy Rose in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (2027).