After two seasons of drawing rave reviews and a select but rabid fan following on UPN—Stephen King and Joss Whedon are die-hard viewers—the unconventional teen sleuth series Veronica Mars (which exists somewhere between a Nancy Drew Mystery and a David Lynch film) has a new life on life on the just-launched CW, nestled promisingly in the timeslot behind the network’s biggest hit, Gilmore Girls.
Kristen Bell shares a lot with Hollywood.com, including her hopes that the third season’s ratings will equal its critical acclaim: “We would love to be in the top five as far as ratings.”
Hollywood.com: Now that Veronica’s in college, will you be playing her any differently?
Kristen Bell: Not really, I think that there is a really cool thing that I could do. It depends on till I see the scripts, really, because I would never choose to do something without having a basis from what the writers are going to give me. That is obviously very important as an actor, to stay within their perimeters. But I think I know her really well, and I think there is a really cool thing to play with because she is embarking on a new experience. She is also going to be really nervous but really confident. I think she wants to be open to the world, but at the same time she is going to do that Veronica thing where she is just going to get tough all of a sudden and go into her shell.
HW: You’re in your 20s but look more like a teenager. What’s the upside and downside of that?
KB: The downside is I’m carded everywhere, even at R-rated movies. The upside is I can play younger for a while, which is what every actress seems to yearn for. The other downside is I have the opposite thing, where I’d really like to play a young mom my age, someone who is not just getting out of high school.
HW: You’re steadily branching out into features. Veronica’s such a distinct character—how do you hope to depart from her in your film roles?
KB: I don’t know that I have a set thing in mind at all. I read a lot and I take whatever I like. It really depends on the part but like I would certainly like to play a girly girl. I have played a tough girl for so long. But it depends on the day you catch me, because my next role may be another tough girl. It just depends on what I like.
HW: Tell us about your upcoming projects.
KB: I shot Fifty Pills, which premiered at Tribeca this year, and then also Fanboys, which I shot right at the end of the season. I sort of did it simultaneously with Veronica Mars, and it’s a movie about Star Wars nerds that drive across the country to break into George Lucas‘s ranch. Dude, it’s a rad idea. It’s got amazing cameos, like Billy Dee Williams cameos, Carrie Fisher cameos, William Shatner. It’s hysterical. There’s a kind of war between Star Trek and Star Wars. It’s an absolute love letter to any cult fan, but especially to Star Wars fans.
HW: Do they make you look like a geek girl or are you a little too glam for that?
KB: I wore a short, dark bob that had really tight bangs. It was funny and cute and I dressed in skull tights kind of like Goth comic book store nerd fangirl.
HW: And are you, in fact, a fangirl?
KB: I’m a Star Wars fan. I don’t know as much as the people that we met on the movie, but I’ve always loved the trilogy. We met some crazy fans that have devoted their lives to it.
HW: Veronica Mars has its own rabidly devoted fan following. Do you have a movie or TV show addiction of your own?
KB: Oh, Arrested Development absolutely. It was one of the funniest shows I have ever seen and I TiVo’d it and I thought the cast was impeccable. You really don’t get better than that cast and I think it was awesome that we got to have the kids guest star on our program. I miss it dearly. I love The League of Gentlemen. It’s a British comedy series, kind of like British Kids in the Hall. I love it. They have unbelievable changes in character. All the guys play all the roles, including women and I think the transformation of character is amazing. It’s one thing to play a regular person truthfully. It’s quite another to play your polar opposite truthfully. It’s really hard comedy and I love it.
HW: We know you’re devoted to pet rescues. Have you saved any animals lately?
KB: I am always saving animals, always. That’s my real job. We are fostering a dog right now that I found across from Paramount when I was coming back from an audition or something. We got her spayed and microchipped and we are just meeting families for her. She is a SharPei Terrier mix. Her name is Clipper.
HW: Let’s help you clear up some confusion: are you on MySpace?
KB: No, but there are 11 people who say they’re me! I guess that’s good for something, but it also makes me a little scared and creeped out. I’ve recently discovered YouTube and it’s hysterical. There are so many funny videos on that and it makes me laugh. But I’m also deathly afraid of YouTube, because I know there is going to be that time where I trip and my skirt flies up and it’s going to be the Number One Rated Video.
