Building a snowman had never been a winter tradition with such emotional weight before it was the titular focus of a song in Frozen. The song in question was question is sang by Princess Anna, voiced by Kristen Bell, but if her role in the massively popular Disney animated film is all you know her from, you have much, much more to learn.
The Michigan-born daughter of a nurse and a television news director has been involved in show business since her teens, made her feature film debut in Chris Rock’s Pootie Tang, and, soon after, landed her breakout role as the title character Veronica Mars, which was brought back for a fourth season on Hulu in 2019. The short-lived, but much loved, high school detective series’ 2007 cancellation led to Kristen Bell’s casting as the voice of Gossip Girl, which she is also returning to for the shows’ upcoming HBO Max revival.
Of course, all of that is just the tip of the iceberg for the Frozen star. The following eight facts are things you may not have realized about Kristen Bell.
Kristen Bell’s Street Hockey 'Career' Was Cut Short By Injury
While she may not play the sister from Frozen with wintry powers, Kristen Bell has always been one with a warm feeling for ice, particularly on the hockey rink as a lifelong fan of the sport. In fact, the self-proclaimed tomboy once tried to emulate her heroes, the Detroit Red Wings, in her teens by playing street hockey with her friends. That turned out out to be a "shortly-lived career," as she told Rich Eisen, when one game resulted in her breaking both of her wrists, putting her in dual casts for the remainder of the school year.
Kristen Bell Used To Eat Dessert After Each Meal
In addition to ice, one could most likely add ice cream to a list of Kristen Bell's favorite things, or at least "before [she] turned 35." Tim Kash, host of The IMDb Show, asked The Good Place star to clarify a bit of trivia on her IMDb page claiming that she follows every meal with a dessert, even after breakfast, which she was able to confirm before explaining that her indulgences had an expiration date as she would eventually realize she has an allergy to sugar.
While Volunteering In Brazil, Kristen Bell Helped Deliver Two Newborn Babies
In a 2012 interview with the Dispatch-Argus newspaper, Kristen Bell reveals her daredevil side, recounting her times skydiving or swimming with sharks, but the most unique of her adventures has to be delivering two infants in Brazil. The actress witnessed "life take its first breath" on a trip with her nurse mother, Lorelei, to volunteer at a clinic in the South American nation, where she assisted with the delivery of two different newborns.
Kristen Bell’s Veronica Mars Was Originally A Male YA Novel Character
At 24, Kristen Bell broke out as Veronica Mars, hero of the teen crime series of the same name, and received much praise for her performance as a strong, young, female lead (of which there were very little in 2004). However, that was almost not the case as creator Rob Thomas had originally conceived the character as a male teenager for a then untitled young adult mystery novel before the plot evolved into what is now a modern TV fan favorite with a feature-length spin-off and several tie-in books by Thomas himself.
It Took Time For Kristen Bell’s Daughters To Become Frozen Fans
While it sounds like every child's dream come true to have a Disney princess as their mother, Kristen Bell's childre with husband Dax Shepard, named Lincoln and Delta, apparently, "could [not] care less," at least upon their initial viewing. During a conversation with host Jimmy Kimmel on his late night talk show, the actress described her daughters', then 3 and 1, frightened reactions to watching Frozen the first time. As Bell Shared with Today, her kids would eventually let it go and she now uses her character, Anna, and on-screen sister, Elsa, as models for proper behavior when disciplining them.
Kristen Bell Checked Into A Hotel Using A Ted Danson Character’s Last Name
Before co-starring on The Good Place, Kristen Bell first met Ted Danson on the set of the 2012 family drama Big Miracle and made sure that her introduction to the former Cheers star was a memorable one. In a dual interview of the stars of the NBC afterlife comedy with The Wrap, the actress recalled how she told Danson that she and Dax Shepard checked into a hotel under the aliases "Arthur and Holly Frobisher," a reference to Danson's character and on-screen wife from the FX drama Damages. While it did not make the best first impression, Danson and Bell would eventually become great friends after becoming regular co-stars.
Kristen Bell Rescued Her Frozen Co-Star’s Parents From A Hurricane
Ted Danson is not the only person whose professional relationship with Kristen Bell has evolved into friendship. Take, for example, Josh Gad (the voice of talking snowman Olaf in Frozen), whose parents and other relatives were trapped in the eye of Florida's Hurricane Irma in 2017, but survived with the help of Princess Anna herself, who brought them to safety at her Orlando hotel. Gad expressed his appreciation for his co-star and friend's good deed in an incredibly gracious Instagram post.
Kristen Bell Has A Soft Spot For Animals, Especially Sloths
Most of Kristen Bell's "rescues" have been the many furry friends she has adopted into her life from shelters, yet dogs are not the only animal that she has a strong affinity for. On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Bell shared footage of her having nothing short of a panic attack based on a mere (and correct) hunch that her husband Dax Shepard was going to surprise her with a sloth for her 31st birthday. DeGeneres then seized the opportunity for a cruel prank by convincing her guest that they had booked a sloth for her on the show before breaking her heart with the truth in one of the actress' most memorable, and adorably teary-eyed, moments on TV.
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