October 22, 2018 | Stephanie Kelsey

31 Little-Known Facts About Kristen Bell


“Laughing is so good for you. It legitimately burns calories... and just makes you happier.” – Kristen Bell

“Whether or not you think you're God's gift to acting or not, it does depend largely on the audience and what they want to see you do.” – Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell is one of those actresses who everyone seems to have nothing but good words to say about. She’s the down-to-earth, girl-next-door type–who wouldn’t want to be friends with her? She’s played some pretty awesome characters, including teen sleuth Veronica Mars, and she was the voice behind one of TV’s biggest mysteries. She lives a pretty cool life, and doesn’t seem to take anything too seriously. She’s also made quite the name for herself, but knows how to stay out of the limelight. Keep reading to find out more about Bell’s awesome life.

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images


31. Gotta Start Somewhere

Bell wasn’t quite a teenager yet when she went to her first audition for a role in Raggedy Ann and Andy. Of course, she got the part. Soon after, her mom set her up with an agent and she got some work doing newspaper ads and TV commercials. Once she got to high school, she signed up for the drama and music clubs, even earning the starring role of Dorothy in the school’s rendition of The Wizard of Oz.

Kristen Bell factsWikimedia Commons, Otterbein University Theatre & Dance

30. She’s Just Like Us

Bell had a total fangirl moment when she met actor Ted Danson, who previously played a character named Arthur Frobisher in the TV show Damages. Bell met Danson in a hotel lobby, where she happened to be checked in under the alias Holly Frobisher – the character’s wife. “I think he was flattered, he might have been freaked out. He's just like the coolest dude there is. I just love him.” Bell also completely freaked out when she met Peter Dinklage on a red carpet one time. So much so that she had no idea what to say to the Game of Thrones actor.

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

29. Let’s Go Red Wings!

Bell grew up in Michigan, where the Detroit Red Wings reign supreme in the hockey world. Even now, you’ll still catch her at a game with husband Dax Shepard every now and then. She said the players of the Red Wings were like gods to her when she was growing up.

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

28. Lots of Love for a Lazy Creature

She has some pretty interesting thoughts on a couple of interesting creatures: sloths and koalas. She’s notorious for her love of sloths, with her favorite fact about them being that “they only poop once a week.” And of koalas? She’s pretty blunt. “Koalas get high off eucalyptus and most of them have chlamydia. These are facts.” So, is that a yay or nay, Kristen?

Kristen Bell facts

27. Is That a Lazy Eye or Is She Just Winking at Me?

Bell has a self-proclaimed “wonky” right eye. Why? Well, she has something called strabismus, which she actually got from her mom. If she doesn’t get enough sleep, her eye really takes the brunt of it. Her mom actually had hers corrected when she was a kid, but no word on the younger Bell fixing hers. Strabismus is more common than you think, and is caused by weakness in the eye muscles.

Kristen Bell factsunsplash

26. Fountain of Youth

Bell looks young for her age. In fact, she's 38. It’s not always easy getting by when you look young though, as she’s described. “I'm carded for R-rated movies. And I get talked down to a lot. When I try to go rent a car or buy an airplane ticket or other stuff adults do, I get 'Okaaaaaay, honey.' I remember when I was 18, getting crayons in a restaurant.” Getting crayons at 18? Yeah, that’s pretty rough.

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

25. The Goldilocks Effect

Someone needs to set Bell straight here. She’s been quoted as saying the reason behind her tomboy-ish roles is because she was “not homely enough to play the nerdy girl and not nearly pretty enough to play the pretty girl.” She’s also said that because of playing younger characters and not quite looking her age, she doesn’t feel womanly enough. Oh stop, Kristen! You’re beautiful and we all know it!

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

24. She’s Sexy and She Knows It

She does seem proud of her body though, considering she’s posed nude in Jane magazine and walks around naked in her home. “I rarely wear clothes when I’m home by myself. I love making breakfast naked. But you’ve got to make sure the gardener’s not coming that day.” You go girl!

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

23. Veronica Mars, at Your Service

When Bell was cast in the lead role in 2004’s Veronica Mars, she was already 24 years old, playing a 17-year-old. That didn’t seem to bother her, as she just loved the idea of Veronica Mars. “I loved Veronica right off the bat,” Bell recalled after reading the script for the pilot. “She was so strong and I think it is so important because there are so few shows that portray women, especially young women, as being strong and being able to stand up for themselves.”

Kristen Bell factsVeronica Mars

22. The Wedding Singer

I think we were all a little surprised to discover Bell had an amazing singing voice when she performed in Frozen. But that wasn’t the first time she’s dabbled in singing. When she was younger, she and a friend sang at weddings and funerals, with “Amazing Grace” and Harry Connick Jr. tunes being on the top of the list.

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

21. Let It Go, Let It Go!

Bell was the voice behind Anna in the animated film Frozen. Yeah, you thought you recognized that voice, didn’t you? She’s said that she relates to her character in “every single way. I helped shape who she was. Leading with her heart always, goofy and clumsy but unafraid to take a challenge.”

Kristen Bell factsFrozen

20. The Face Behind the Voices

Frozen isn’t the only voice acting Bell has done. In the Assassin’s Creed video games, she voices the character of Lucy Stillman, and she's also the voice behind Gossip Girl. You know you love her! XOXO.

Kristen Bell factspixabay

19. Gamer Girl

She likely completely nerded out when she got the chance to do voicework for Assassin’s Creed. When she was in college, Bell was totally into the video game world. She loved anything N64, with Mario Kart 64 and GoldenEye being her favorites.

Kristen Bell factspxhere

18. A Family All Her Own

On October 17, 2013, Bell married long-time boyfriend and fellow actor Dax Shepard. The pair have two daughters together: Lincoln and Delta. Bell was pregnant with Lincoln while filming a season of House of Lies, which resulted in the show pulling in a body double when they had to do stomach shots. Oh, and don’t even think about trying to find photos of their daughters–you won’t find any. The couple wants to ensure their privacy and doesn’t post anything about them.

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

17. Bringing Life Into the World

In addition to having two daughters of her own, Bell helped two other babies come into this world. She was doing some volunteer work in Brazil and assisted in the births. Now that’s kinda cool. And maybe a little messy.

Kristen Bell factsunsplash

16. Proud Pet Parent

She’s also a dog mommy. She has three dogs: a Welsh corgi-chow chow mix named Lola, a Welsh corgi-Chihuahua mix whose name is Shakey, and Sadie, a black Labrador retriever who Bell actually rescued after Hurricane Katrina hit. Sadie got a pretty awesome new lease on life!

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

15. Parenthood: Not for the Faint of Heart

Bell is pretty straight up when it comes to just about anything. That includes parenthood. “Every day when you're raising kids, you feel like you could cry or crack up and just scream ‘This is ridiculous!’ because there's so much nonsense, whether it's what they're saying to you or the fact that there's avocado or poop on every surface.” She’s also said that she needs to have some time for herself every day, otherwise she goes a little nuts.

Kristen Bell factsKids Environment

14. So Many Tattoos, So Little Truth

There was once a crazy rumor going around that Bell’s body was home to over 200 tattoos. As interesting as this could have been, it simply isn’t true. She didn’t let the false story bother her, though. She went on Funny or Die and did a sketch about how she has to cover all of the tattoos during her morning routine. And if you think about it, that would take hours!

Kristen Bell factspixabay

13. Animals Are to Be Loved, Not Eaten

Bell is known for being a vegetarian, even winning PETA’s award for World’s Sexiest Vegetarian twice, in 2006 and in 2013. “I have always been an animal lover,” she’s said. “I had a hard time disassociating the animals I cuddled with—dogs and cats, for example—from the animals on my plate, and I never really cared for the taste of meat.” When she was in high school, she was actually vegan, but her love for cheese was her downfall. And really, who can blame her for that?

Kristen Bell factsunsplash

12. Extreme Couponing

Bell loves using coupons when she shops. Who doesn’t? You get that little rush watching your bill go down at the register. Her favorite place to go? Bed, Bath & Beyond. I don’t blame her for that one either—there are too many fun things in that store.

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

11. In Case of Emergency

You know that rice trick for when you drop your phone in water? Bell knows it well. So well, in fact, that she has a bag of rice in her desk drawer that’s actually labeled as “cellphone rice.”

Kristen Bell factspixabay

10. Here a Rug, There a Rug, Everywhere a Rug!

She admits that she loves rugs. Like, a lot. “I have a clinical addiction to textiles. Both the inside and outside of my house are covered in rugs.” I suppose there are worse things she could be addicted to.

Kristen Bell factspixabay

9. Tall? Grande? Vente? Trenta?

If you spot her in line at your local Starbucks, maybe pick up the tab on her go-to drink: unsweetened green tea that has a dash of lemonade in it. I think she just likes drinks in general, though. “I always have a few beverages in hand. Everyone is worried about the zombie apocalypse; I’m worried about dehydration.”

Kristen Bell factspixabay

8. Life’s Short, Eat Dessert (First)

Alright, well maybe she doesn’t eat dessert first, but Bell says she does eat dessert after every meal. And yes, that does include breakfast.

Kristen Bell facts

7. It’s All About the Balance

So if she loves her dessert (and who doesn’t?) then she probably balances it out, right? She’s a big fan of jogging and yoga–and is known to strike a yoga pose randomly around her house. She also tries to stay away from alcohol by engaging in the community. Husband Dax Shepard isn’t quiet about his past struggles with alcoholism, but we’re happy to report that he’s been sober for more than a decade now.

Kristen Bell factspexels

6. Just a Little Nap Between Parents

Bell admitted that her daughters have walked in on her and Shepard in, uh, the heat of the moment. While promoting Bad Moms Christmas, she appeared on The Talk and confessed to the ladies about how it happened. “Well, we didn’t, like, continue…we sort of just went like, ‘Hey, what’s up? What do you need? What do you need?’… And then we just said, ‘Mommy and daddy are just going to take a nap for a couple of minutes.'” Don’t worry, Kristen. We’re sure they won’t remember that as they get older. Well, maybe.

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

5. Smurfette

She had a bit of a dilemma when she young, in that she didn’t want to be called Kristen, and her family wasn’t going along with the names she was picking. As she said, “When I was about four I decided I really wanted to be called ‘Smurfette.’” She loved the Smurfs and would only answer to Smurfette, yet her parents refused to call her that. So, she moved on to "Matthew." She had a cousin with the name, and even named all of her dolls using boy names—but still, her parents wouldn’t call her Matthew. Then came "Annie." She said, “The movie was popular, and it was a fun nickname. And I was called Annie until I was sixteen.” And yes—that one includes her parents! She ended up changing schools when she was 16 and was called Kristen again, since she didn’t mention that Annie was her nickname. “Half my friends and family call me Annie, and half call me Kristen. You guys can still call me Smurfette if you want to," she quipped.

Kristen Bell factspxhere

4. 140 Characters or Less

Oddly enough, Bell proposed to Shepard in an unorthodox way: over Twitter. She asked, he accepted. They wound up marrying at the Beverley Hills County Clerk’s Office for a whopping $142 altogether. This also all only happened once same-sex marriage was legalized. They refused to get married until marriage equality was implemented.

Kristen Bell factspixabay

3. Kristen to the Rescue!

The actress was filming Like Father in Florida when Hurricane Irma came bearing down on the state. Josh Gad, who co-stars with Bell in Frozen and who happens to be one of her good friends, has family who lives in Miami. Because of all the evacuations, they had nowhere to go. That’s when Bell stepped in. She was staying at a Disney resort and told Gad’s family that they could stay with her! Naturally, she posted a photo with everyone together on social media, to which Gad responded on Instagram with, “So @kristenanniebell literally saved my parents and my entire family tonight from #hurricaneirma… They don't make them like this girl. Thank you Kristin [sic]. You are truly an angel sent from above.”

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

2. Must Have Been a Wicked Slapshot

When she was only 12 years old, Bell managed to break both of her wrists while playing hockey. Ouch!  So maybe she’s a little clumsy, which there’s nothing wrong with, by the way. During the filming of When in Rome,  she also managed to burn her leg on a moped.

Kristen Bell factsWhen in Rome

1. You're Not Alone

Bell confessed in 2016 to having struggled with mental health throughout much of her life. She said that she’s been taking medication for ADHD since she was a kid, and suffers from anxiety and depression. She sends a lot of gratitude to her mom for telling her that if she ever felt like there was something wrong that it was okay to go for help. When Bell was in college, it happened. “I didn’t speak publicly about my struggles with mental health for the first 15 years of my career,” she said in an interview with Time. “But now I’m at a point where I don’t believe anything should be taboo.” She wants everyone to know that “there’s nothing weak about struggling with mental illness. You’re just having a harder time living in your brain than other people. And I don’t want you to feel alone.”

Kristen Bell factsGetty Images

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

 


More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.