Kristen Bell has had her fair share of good roles in Hollywood. She has been a key voice behind franchises like Gossip Girl and Frozen, and he also acted in some really funny movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Bad mothers. But, The good place occupies a special place in the heart of Bell. In fact, she quotes Eleanor Shellstrop playing in The good place like four of the happiest years of his life.
But how did Bell land a role in the hit NBC comedy? She, along with Ted Danson, were the only two cast members who knew what the show’s premise would be. Instead of auditioning for the role, like her co-stars, Mike Schur (who created the series) personally called Bell to join the project. The couple originally met on the set of Saturday Night Live (SNL) when Bell was just a teenager.
Kristen Bell met the creator of ‘The Good Place’ on the set of SNL
“Mike Schur and I met when I was 18 in the hallways of Saturday night live where he was the lead writer and where one of my friends was an intern in the stage design department. And I said, ‘Ooh, can I go with you?’ And we’d seen each other a few times because we were both kids there. And then for the next 15 years, I bumped into him and always adored him. And then when he started creating the best television with The office and Parks [and Recreation] and Brooklyn nine nineI was always desperate to work for him, but I didn’t think he would remember me, “Bell shared with Vanity Fair.
RELATED: Kristen Bell Only Got Her Role In ‘Frozen’ Because She Auditioned For ‘Tangled’
But, it turns out, Schur had also admired Bell from afar and she came to mind when he was rolling the ball. The good place. “And then one night, I got a call on my voicemail saying,” Hi Kristen, this is Mike Schur. “I’m not sure if you remember me, but I have this project and I think you should be part of it.” And I was kind of going crazy, ”Bell recalled.
How Bell Joined the Cast of ‘The Good Place’
What followed was not the traditional audition process, but rather a passionate conversation between the couple. “And we sat down for lunch over a four-hour lunch, and we discovered that we were both very concerned about what it means to be a good person. So it was as if all these stars aligned with me, finally being able to work with Mike, having the opportunity of my dreams, being the subject of my dreams and living the four happiest years that I have had, “said Bell of her time working in The good place.
Clearly Bell and Schur created something truly unique and wonderful together. Bell, along with the other cast members, was able to bring incredible depth and nuance to Schur’s vision. Bell may have been chosen in an unconventional way, but clearly she was the right actor for the job.
