Kristen Bell
Interview By: Michael Dance
MichaelDance@TheCinemaSource.com
It's easy to say that celebrities have it all, but in the case of Kristen Bell, it really seems like she does. She's intelligent, beautiful, and talented. She's empowering to girls, beloved by fanboys, and can even sing and dance on Broadway.
Not surprisingly, the versatility has suddenly made Bell, 27, very busy. She arrived on the scene with the teen detective drama Veronica Mars in 2004, a low-rated show that still managed to last three full seasons thanks to a rabid fan base and plenty of critics' support. The industry took notice, and when it was finally canceled last year, Bell found herself with plenty of offers. Not used to being suddenly in-demand, she said yes to pretty much everything, which is why you can now see her in Heroes, hear her as the narrator of Gossip Girl, and catch her in theaters in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in theaters now.
"I have, absolutely, after every job, 'never going to work again' syndrome," Bell explained to us at a recent Sarah Marshall press junket. "That's sort of how Gossip Girl came to fruition. A week and a half after [CW President] Dawn Ostroff unfortunately had to make the decision to cancel Veronica Mars, I was just about to leave for Hawaii to film Sarah Marshall, and I had heard about Gossip Girl. I probably couldn't play sixteen anymore, but I had heard there was a narrator, so I called her up and I said, 'Remember last week when you canceled Veronica Mars? I happen to be out of work this fall, so, can I have that narrating job?'" Bell laughs at the memory. "I mean, I'm not an idiot, I've got a mortgage to pay."
The movie at hand stars Bell as a vain TV actress who dumps her longtime boyfriend (Jason Segel) in favor of a British rock star (Russell Brand). To get over the breakup, Segel's character takes a vacation in Hawaii...only to find Bell with her new boyfriend at the same resort. Segel also co-wrote the film, which is produced by Judd Apatow of Knocked Up and Superbad.
"I think the one thing, other than making a really good comedy, this Judd Apatow brand of comedies has done is, they show a lot more reality and accuracy in relationships," bell says. "The Leslie Mann/Paul Rudd relationship in Knocked Up was one of the best I've seen. Because they are happy, and they are miserable. And you can never really side with her, and you can never really side with him, because they're both right. And they're both wrong. It's like that Dave Mamet play Oleanna. No matter who you believe, you're wrong. And no matter who you believe, you're right. I think that that is one of the reasons I loved Jason's script so much, is that it didn't demonize Sarah even though she
