Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images Lia FairchildLake Bell, born Lake Siegel Bellis, is known for playing more non-traditional — maybe even "envelope-pushing" — characters in movies and television. From her breakout role as edgy Tipper in 2008's "What Happens in Vegas" and the callous Rachel Chapman in "How to Make it in America" to her performance as the monotone yet matter-of-fact Dr. Cat in the cult hit "Children's Hospital," there's something special Bell brings to the table, delivering an endearing uniqueness that has audiences laughing and, every now and again, crying. And it would seem it was no coincidence she ends up playing these types of characters.
In fact, her determined introspection doesn't just guide her decision-making; it also gives her the inspiration to create the parts she wants to see and become instead of waiting around for them. Like when she used her fascination with the human voice to write, direct, and star in her award-winning Indie film "In a World...," where she portrayed the sarcastically sweet Carol.
And while she seems to find that sweet spot in portraying her characters, balancing between the awkward underdog and the sex symbol, Bell's fans find her completely sexy! She has posed in magazines both fashionably and daring, on covers, sometimes clad only in body tattoos, and landed on lists like Maxim's Hot 100 and Femme Fatales' Sexiest Women. But it hasn't been all glitz and glamour for the actor who's made it through some very difficult times. So let's take a closer look at the transformation of Lake Bell.
She loved performing as a kid
InstagramLike many actors and artists, Lake Bell knew from a young age she wanted to be in entertainment. As she recounted on The Daily Beast's "The Last Laugh" podcast, she came up with a talk show that she would host for her family when she was still in kindergarten, and realized early on that she wanted to be an actor. Her mom encouraged her to receive formal training, so shew went to Rose Bruford College in London to study drama.
In a 2014 interview with HitFix, Bell called her time at the school one of the weirder living situations she's experienced. While attending the drama college — which is in an area called Sidcup that Bell said she learned is considered "the armpit of London" — Bell stayed above a place that served fish and chips. Not only did they have to deal with the constant fried fish smell, but Bell said they worried about fires possibly breaking out.
At the school, the actor also trained in dance and stage combat, for which she even became certified. As noted in the Los Angeles Times, this training paid off in the movie "What Happens in Vegas" when her character got into a physical fight with Rob Corddry's character. Some of her theater credits during that time include "The Seagull," "Six Degrees of Separation," and "The Children's Hour," as per Filmbug.
She lit up the screen in What Happens In Vegas
20th Century StudiosThey say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Thankfully, for Lake Bell that wasn't the case. Her portrayal of Tipper, the relentlessly loyal and fiery sidekick to Cameron Diaz's Joy in "What Happens in Vegas," made a lasting impression on audiences who didn't just love the movie but wanted to know more about Lake Bell. Even as her edgy character both starts and ends the movie in somewhat of a violent way — with that first scene where she has a full-on brawl with Rob Corddry, and her last scene when she gets to punch Jason Sudeikis' character in the junk as redemption for hurting her friend, then telling him, "You know why!"
If it sounds like tons of fun to you, you're right. Bell told the Los Angeles Times, "We had so many scenes where we'd just mess with each other relentlessly. It's so much fun to hate someone." And she came away with some great connections to boot, as Bell has stayed friends with not just Diaz but Corddry, too, as she told Entertainment Weekly in 2019.
But the most important thing she got out of the movie was breaking out of the more serious roles she'd been getting on television. Bell told the Daily Beast, "It was a big movie for me and it was like, 'Hey, this is a comedy person!'"
Lake Bell and Rob Corddry started a real-deal friendship
Joe Scarnici/Getty ImagesObviously, Rob Corddry got over the beating Lake Bell delivered to him on the set of "What Happens in Vegas," because the pair became good pals — and not just Hollywood friends. Still, it wasn't only friendship that Corddry saw when he looked at Bell; he truly believed in her skill as a comedic actor. That's why he wanted her to join the cast of "Children's Hospital," the satirical medical show he co-created that started as a web series and grew into something of a cult hit.
The respect and admiration between Bell and Corddry is evident in a 2012 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, when they appeared alongside co-creator Rob Huebel. "We don't start with a season order, and Lake's episode was just one of the most satisfying for every reason and so that's our first episode," Corddry said, seated next to his buddy and co-star. When Bell married tattoo artist Scott Campbell a year later, of course Corddry was in attendance... but not simply as a wedding guest. Rather, he acted as the officiant. "My husband, Scott Campbell and I really, really look up to Rob and his wife as a couple," Bell said when she and Corddry appeared on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" together in 2019. And so, they asked him to be the one to facilitate their union. Corddry also shared that the over-the-top smooch scene he shared with Bell was his first on-screen kiss.
She started editing for The Hollywood Reporter
Larry Busacca/Getty ImagesLake Bell might not have followed in the footsteps of her racetrack-owning father, but she does appreciate a beautiful ride. And so, in 2011, The Hollywood Reporter brought her on as an automotive contributing editor for their column "Test Drive." Some of the cars she had the opportunity to test drive and review were the Maserati GranTurismo, the Porsche Panamera 4s, the 911s, Jaguar's XKR Coupe, and the Range Rover Evoque. Of the GranTurismo, she wrote, "The body and guts of this car exude opulence." While she did note the V8 and 433 horsepower, she zeroed in on the fact that the car made her feel wealthy as she drove around Beverly Hills.
Though many might think of speed when it comes to the cars the actor reviewed, it's not about going fast for Bell. Her unique and often eclectic tastes has birthed an appreciation of other aspects of the vehicles like the handling or sound. "I love city driving — I call it Tetris–weaving — and the more active dance of driving," she told Men's Journal.
By 2014, she was no longer test driving but cars were still on her mind and coming up in interviews. When asked by Sharp Magazine what she still wanted to try, Bell replied, "I'm still waiting for the Tesla ... I like the new electric BMW." She added how she liked the concept and forward-thinking of electric cars.
She made her mark in the voice work world
Roadside AttractionsAs Lake Bell's screen acting career took off, her voice acting career followed suit — much to her delight. In a statement obtained by Variety in 2022, Bell said, "Without hyperbole, the subject of voice has been a lifelong passion, inspiring my work and life from every angle." In November 2022, she will release an audiobook called "Inside Voice: My Obsession With How We Sound," a project where she digs into all aspects of voice, from looking at what voice means to exploring various dialects.
In 2010, Bell voiced the character Patrol Witch in "Shrek Forever After." She also voiced characters in video games, video shorts, and even landed some recurring roles on "BoJack Horseman" and the hit animated show "Harley Quinn."
Her most notable "voice" work to-date is the actor's passion project, "In a World...," a live-action movie about a voice coach trying to make it in the film voiceover world. Wearing all the hats — and headphones — Bell wrote, directed, and starred in the movie. Bell opened up to "Flicks and The City" about all the responsibility, saying, "As long as you know that it's difficult as you're going into it and you prepare accordingly, I think then, you know, you're set to maybe have a good time doing it. I certainly had a great time." The 2013 film was released at Sundance and won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.
In 2013, she married Scott Campbell
Andrew H. Walker/Getty ImagesIn 2010, when Lake Bell appeared in the pilot of "How to Make it in America," a dramedy series about 20-somethings trying to make it in New York, she had no idea she would eventually meet her future husband. That man, Scott Campbell, who appeared in a Season 2 episode as a tattoo artist, is actually a tattoo artist.
By March of 2012, the couple were engaged, and they tied the knot about a year later at The Marigny Opera House in New Orleans. According to People, in attendance were their family and closest friends including celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Eva Longoria, Kate Bosworth, and of course, Rob Corddry as officiator. Standing up — on four legs — for the bride and groom were their dogs, Texas and Margaret, who were happy to pose for wedding photos as well.
By 2017, things were going well. Bell had two children, two new tattoos done by her hubby, and she told Larry King, "He's the most gentlemanly man I've ever met in my life." Sadly, things ended for the couple in October of 2020 when they divorced. Bell shared a statement on her Instagram page stating, "With respect and thoughtful guidance, we will continue to be parental comrades in arms and best friends for all of our days."
Lake Bell posed topless on magazine covers
New York MagazineWhen the world began to fall in love with Lake Bell through her unique characters infused with whatever piece of her own personal magic the actor sprinkled into it, they wanted to see more of her. But some fans may have gotten to see more of her than they planned.
In 2013, just before the release of "In a World...," which she wrote, directed, and starred in, Bell bared all — save for the body art that covered the goods — for the cover of New York magazine. As The Cut noted, the tattoos painted on her body for the image were fake, but they were designs made by her tattoo artist husband, Scott Campbell. In 2014, she had a similar shoot with Esquire magazine, this time appearing on the cover in only black pantyhose.
The naysayers who judge Bell's magazine covers needn't express their opinions to the actor. As she said on "Off Camera with Sam Jones," "I want to express myself in that way and it's like, it feels sexy. It feels beautiful." She shared that while she has received criticism on social media, those sentiments are well overshadowed by all of the support from her fans.
She became a Tribeca Film Festival juror
Bryan Bedder/Getty ImagesFor more than two decades, the Tribeca Film Festival — which takes place in New York each spring — has been a place for visionary artists to showcase their films and other media. An important part of the screening process is the festival jury, comprised of various industry professionals from writers to directors to editors.
In 2014, Bell was selected as a juror along with Whoopi Goldberg and Toni Collette to select winners among the hundreds of entrants. In their announcement of the jury, Tribeca Film called Bell a triple threat after the release of her film "In a World...," which did well at Sundance, was nominated for several awards, and Bell won Breakthrough Performance Behind the Camera from Phoenix Film Critics Society. Bell told Mandatory she was excited about her first-time jury role. "It's a lot of work and I take it really seriously. Obviously I had a tremendous experience and I'm very thankful to Sundance," she gushed.
Per E! News, Bell surprised everyone at Tribeca by showing off her baby bump at the Vanity Fair party. And if the 2014 jury honor and mom-to-be news wasn't enough to be excited about, the actor also had two films releasing that same year: the animated movie "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," which came out before the festival, and Disney's "Million Dollar Arm," which came out after and also stars Jon Hamm.
She gave birth at home
Lake BellAfter Lake Bell married Scott Campbell in 2013, they got right to work starting a family, and the following year their first child was born, a daughter she gave birth to at home. A month prior to the birth, she posted a pic on Instagram, saying, "Everything is ready to go! Sterile, chillaxing, serene.... Hope baby comes early!" Four months later, she was back in the spotlight, attending a pre-Oscar party.
On "Armchair Expert" with Dax Shepard, Bell said of her first home birth, "I felt very empowered." She also shared that when her daughter, Nova, arrived in 2014, the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, and the midwife was able to save the infant. Fast-forward to 2017 when her son, Ozzy, was born. The umbilical cord was also wrapped around his neck, but resuscitation would not work. So, the paramedics were called. "Scott ran out with Ozzy and got in an ambulance," Bell said of the traumatic experience. As she tried to recover at home, Bell received a video from her then-husband at the hospital showing her newborn son breathing.
And while the doctors said her son might not walk or talk, he beat those odds. In 2020, Bell shared with her Instagram followers that her daughter has epilepsy. "It's a beginning of a long journey and I want/need to remember that I am not alone," she wrote. "And if you are dealing with a loved one with epilepsy, I get it... You are not alone."
Lake Bell co-created a sitcom
Rich Fury/Getty ImagesYou never know whom you're going to meet in the school drop off line and where that relationship will take you. As Lake Bell recounted to the New York Post, she experienced one such fortuitous meeting with Dax Shephard. The two ended up starring together in the television sitcom "Bless this Mess." Possibly more fateful for Bell, though, was working with Elizabeth Meriwether on the hit show "New Girl," since the two reunited to co-create and write "Bless this Mess," which debuted in 2019.
In October of 2017, Deadline reported that the project had a production commitment from Fox, and it was only the second comedy pilot commitment of that year, an excellent start to what they hoped would be a long run. And the show, which focused on a New York City couple who moves to Nebraska to live on a farm, seemed to be a quick hit with audiences. The Los Angeles Times compared it to "Green Acres" as well as the more recent hit series "Schitt's Creek." In conclusion, the publication said of the show's fate, "We may not be rewatching 'Bless This Mess' in 40 years, but it's worth embracing now."
Seems they got it right because despite the fact that for two seasons, Bell wore many hats in production, maintained obvious chemistry with her on-screen partner, Shepard, and audiences were endeared to their characters, the show was canceled.
Whispers of a romance with Chris Rock
Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesIt's difficult to keep your love life on the down low when you're a celebrity— especially when you've been through a divorce and everyone is waiting to see who you will end up with next. After Lake Bell announced her divorce to Scott Campbell in 2020, the Daily Mail reported she was briefly seen out and about with actor/musician Nick Thune. But the serious head turns came when she was spotted out with comedy icon Chris Rock.
It all started in June of 2022 when TMZ reported they were hanging out at a St. Louis Cardinals game. Lest anyone assume that baseball game outing was a one-time hangout, the following month, they were photographed out and about together in Los Angeles. A source told People, "They are getting to know each other and seem to have fun."
Mere days later, People had yet another scoop about Lake Bell and Chris Rock. A source told the outlet, "They share a giant sense of humor and a way of looking at life with sarcasm and outrage, which gives them lots to laugh about." People also noted that the two took a summer trip to Croatia together. While there's no sign of Rock on Bell's Instagram page, there are a number of paparazzi shots of the pair where they're holding hands and smiling. Needless to say, this rock-mance seems un-bell-ievably cute.
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