Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress and film producer. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 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. She later gained fame and critical praise as the title character on the television series Veronica Mars from September 2004 to May 2007 and will reprise the role in the 2014 film based on the series.