Best known as the feisty, young detective-in-training, Veronica Mars, on the critically acclaimed UPN series of the same name (2004- ), actress Kristen Bell was a bona fide triple threat – gifted at comedy, drama, and musical theater. Born Kristen Anne Bell on July 18, 1980 in Detroit, MI, Bell fell in love with performing at a very early age, and went on her first audition at age 11. The tryout (for a local production of “Raggedy Ann and Andy”) was a success, and Bell began pursuing an acting career with a doggedness that belied her age.

At 13, she had already secured an agent, and was appearing in print advertising for Detroit retailers, eventually working her way up to local television commercials as well. Theater continued to be a passion for her. While at Shrine Catholic High School in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, she landed the lead role of Dorothy in a 1997 production of “The Wizard of Oz.” The following year, she made an uncredited appearance in the comedy/drama, “Polish Wedding” (1998), which was filmed in Detroit. After graduation, Bell studied musical theater at New York University’s Tisch School for the Arts, and while still a student, made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in a short-lived musical version of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” in 2001.

She also landed the role of Mary Lane in the off-Broadway comedy, “Reefer Madness: The Musical,” which unfortunately found more success in its Los Angeles incarnation than in New York. Bell also made an appearance that year in the forgettable comedy “Pootie Tang” (2001), but her role was mercifully cut from the theatrical release. The following year, Bell was cast in the revival of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” with Laura Linney and Liam Neeson. After graduating from college, Bell relocated to Los Angeles and almost immediately booked a guest shot on “The Shield” (FX, 2002- ), though the part was far removed from her theater roots – she played the girlfriend of a gang member who is raped and branded by a rival gang lord. Appearances on “American Dreams (NBC, 2002-05) and “Everwood” (WB, 2002- ) soon followed, as did meatier roles in two TV-movies, “The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay” (2003), in which she showed off her singing talent, and “Gracie’s Choice” (2004) where she received top billing as the daughter of a drug addict (Anne Heche) who must raise her siblings. Bell was also cast as the kidnapped daughter of the President in David Mamet’s largely unseen thriller “Spartan” (2004), as well as a conniving grifter who meets an unpleasant end in a pair of “Deadwood” (HBO, 2004-) episodes. But 2004 would be best remembered as Bell’s breakout year – thanks to a quirky family drama (of sorts) called “Veronica Mars.” The title role – the daughter of a former small town sheriff who takes on her own cases – was originally intended for Christina Ricci, but Bell made it her own, thanks to her combination of ebullience, hipness, and charm. Clever writing and direction and a terrific cast helped earn “Veronica” a substantial cult following (though not quite enough to make the show a breakout hit), and Bell herself won numerous nominations for her performance, including a TV Critics Association Award nomination in 2005. In 2005, Bell made appearances in a handful of productions, including an as-yet-unreleased thriller called “Deepwater” and a film version of “Reefer Madness” that aired on Showtime, for which she won a Satellite Award for her return performance as Mary Lane. Bell starred next in two theatrical features, including the comedy “Fifty Pills” and “Pulse,” an American remake of the Asian horror film “Kairo” (2001) – both set for a 2006 release.

Also Credited As: Kristen Anne BellBorn: Kristen Anne Bell on July 18, 1980 in Huntington Woods, MichiganJob Titles: ActorFamily
Father: Tom Bell. Divorced Kristen s mother when she was two
Mother: Lorelei Bell. Divorced Kristen s father when she was two; remarried and had six daughters
Significant Others
Companion: Dax Shepard. Rumored to be dating as of December 2007
Companion: Kevin Mann. Dated for five years from 2002-2007
Education
Shrine Catholic High School, Royal Oak, MI, 1998
New York University, New York, NY, musical theater
Milestones
2001 Cast in the Off-Broadway stage musical Reefer Madness
2001 Debuted on Broadway in the short lived The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, originating the role of Becky Thatcher
2002 Appeared on Broadway as part of the original cast of The Crucible starring Laura Linney and Liam Neeson
2002 Moved to Los Angeles
2003 Television debut in the season premiere of The Shield playing a gang member’s girlfriend
2004 Cast as the title character on UPN’s Veronica Mars
2004 Feature film debut in David Mamet s Spartan
2004 Had a recurring role as a con artist on HBO s Deadwood
2005 Reprised role in the film version of Reefer Madness (Showtime)
2006 Starred in Pulse a remake of cult Japanese helmer Kiyoshi Kurosawa s Kairo
2007 Joined the cast of NBC s hit series, Heroes as Elle, a mysterious woman who has ties to Peter and Claire
2008 Played the title character in the Judd Apatow produced Forgetting Sarah Marshall ; co-starring and scripted by Jason Segel