July 18: Kristen Bell - "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "House of Lies" - is 33-years-old today.

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Kristen Anne Bell was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Shortly after her high school graduation, Bell moved to New York City to attend the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, majoring in musical theater.

In 2001, during her senior year at New York University, Bell left a few credits shy of graduating to take a role in the short-lived Broadway musical version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as Becky Thatcher.

After moving to Los Angeles, Bell landed various television guest appearances and small film parts before appearing in a lead role in the David Mamet film Spartan. Her first film role was an uncredited appearance in Polish Wedding.

She gained fame and critical praise as the title role on the acclaimed television series Veronica Mars from September 2004 to May 2007. During her time on Veronica Mars, Bell appeared as Mary Lane in the film Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, a reprise of the role she had played in the New York theatrical production of the eponymous musical upon which the film was based. She also portrayed the lead role in Pulse, a remake of a J-Horror film.

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In 2007, she joined the cast of Heroes, playing the character Elle Bishop, and Gossip Girl as the off-screen titular narrator.

In 2008, she played Sarah Marshall in the comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She has since appeared in a number of comedy films, such as Fanboys, Couples Retreat, and When in Rome.

Bell was also the voice of Cora in Astro Boy and is the voice and face of Lucy Stillman in the Assassin's Creed video game series.

Bell has received a Satellite Award and Saturn Award, and has been nominated several times for Television Critics Association Awards and Teen Choice Awards.

She is the female lead on the Showtime series House of Lies, which premiered on January 8, 2012. She also stars in The Lifeguard, written and directed by Liz W. Garcia.

In 2006, Bell was selected "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" on PETA's yearly poll. She was placed #68 on Maxim's 2005 "Hot 100" list, #11 in Maxim's 2006 "Hot 100" list, and #46 in Maxim's 2007 "Hot 100" list in which she was stated to have "single-handedly saved the CW from becoming the worst network ever."

In 2006, Maxim also placed Bell at the top of the "Fall TV's Criminally Sexy Investigators" List. In 2008, she was featured at #59 on Ask Men's Top 99 Women of 2008 List.

Confirming her aledged popularity with "geeks,” Bell was voted the fourth sexiest woman on TV by the staff at Wizard magazine.






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