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.

The following year, Bell was cast in the revival of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” with Laura Linneyand 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.

Bell lent her voice and likeness to the video game Assassin's Creed which was released on November 13, 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and 8 April 2008 for the PC. In the spring of 2006, she finished filming the Star Wars-themed comedy Fanboys, which recently had its release date pushed to January 14, 2008. This was due to additional funding given to director Kyle Newman to shoot new scenes, however, the busy schedules of the actors only allowed for filming in September 2007, thus moving the release date to accommodate that. Bell will voice the character of Marybelle in the animated feature Sheepish, which also has a 2008 release date. She will also star in the comedy Serious Moonlight, alongside Meg Ryan about a high-powered attorney who duct-tapes her adulterous husband to the toilet just as the house is invaded by burglars. Serious Moonlight is in post-production and has an estimated 2009 release date. On March 31, 2008 Bell will begin shooting for the Mark Steven Johnson written Disney film When in Rome in locations in Rome and New York. She will star as a successful real estate agent who can not find a lasting relationship until her younger sister impulsively marries in Rome. After picking up coins from a reputed "fountain of love," Bell's character finds an overabundance of suitors waiting for her back home.