Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell

Birth Date: July 18, 1980
Birth Place: Detroit, Mich.

The teen noir series Veronica Mars wilted in the ratings, but its star Kristen Bell left the cancelled show with a fanatic cult following and a heroic career rebound.

The Detroit native dropped out of New York University's prestigious Tisch School to pursue stage roles with Laura Linney and Liam Neeson on Broadway. She soon moved to L.A. and within weeks landed guest appearances on The Shield and HBO's Deadwood before her star-making turn as the witty and spunky teen detective on Mars. Though the series ended after three seasons, Bell didn't miss a beat: she moved onto NBC's Heroes and the comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which is produced by The 40-Year-Old Virgin's Judd Apatow slated for 2008.