Kristen Bell is an actress.
Kristen Anne Bell ( born July 18 , 1980 ) is an American actress and singer . In 2001 , she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and starred in the Broadway revival of The Crucible the following year . Bell gained critical acclaim for her first major role as the title character in the teen noir drama television series Veronica Mars ( 2004 -- 07 ) . She has since appeared in a number of comedy films , such as Couples Retreat ( 2009 ) , When in Rome ( 2010 ) , You Again ( 2010 ) , and The Boss ( 2016 ) . Lauralee Kristen Bell ( born December 22 , 1968 ) is an American soap opera actress .