Charming Bell

A multifaceted creative talent and businesswoman, Kristen Bell is determined to leave her mark on the world through her talent, infectious happiness and charm

- MEGAN PAULSE

Recently, actors from early noughties teen cult-classic television shows have had the chance to shine. Case in point: Kristen Bell, the star of teen mystery drama series Veronica Mars, which first aired 20 years ago. She's come a long way since playing the high school student who moonlights as a private investigator in her spare time and has proven her chops as a comedic actor in series such as The Good Place and the Bad Moms film franchise. She also lent her voice to Princess Anna in the Disney smash hits Frozen and Frozen II - as the character's speaking and singing voice. 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?' was all Kristen. She not only sang the catchy tune for the film's score but also 'For the First Time in Forever' with Idina Menzel, who voices Princess Elsa in the films, among others. She proved that it did not all come down to post-production magic when she sang these songs live at numerous events, sometimes changing between all three of Anna's voices she used in the film, showcasing her character's growth from a young girl to a woman. Being able to do that comes naturally to the 44-year-old Michigan-born mother of two, but she's had the training to back up her raw talent.

Kristen participated in various music and drama clubs during high school, when she went by her second name, Anne, after telling her mother she did not like her name. Kristen moved to New York to study musical theatre at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She never completed her studies, dropping out to take up a role in the Broadway adaptation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The production's run was short-lived, but that did nothing to dampen her spirit for the entertainment industry. She soon followed that with another Broadway appearance in the revival of The Crucible, starring Liam Neeson. She moved to Los Angeles one year later, hoping to make it big in Tinsel Town - a dream that she worked hard to make a reality.