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