Fans of the new hit SHOWTIME comedy series HOUSE OF LIES can now enjoy a behind the scenes look at what goes on at the Galweather & Stearn offices when the hot, young team of consultants is away from their clients. The team typically spends four days a week on the road, working hard and playing even harder. But, on Fridays, the real fun begins… This is the story of what happens on the fifth day. The “Fridays at Galweather” webisodes were written by Emmy® Award-winning series star Ben Schwartz and series co-producer Wes Nickerson, and directed by Emmy Award-winning series star Glynn Turman (“The Wire”).

The HOUSE OF LIES webisodes focus on Clyde (Schwartz) and Doug’s (Josh Lawson) frat boy antics during their “work day” at the Galweather & Stearn offices. Clyde and Doug take on “strategic” issues that include sexual harassment, hazing a new applicant, how to hire cost-effective adult entertainment and what to do when trapped in an elevator. The webisodes will also feature a guest appearance by series star Kristen Bell.

For an inside look at “Fridays at Galweather,” go to http://galweatherstearn.com/people-values

The videos are also available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND.

She curses, she gets lap dances, she makes raunchy sex jokes. For Kristen Bell’s latest role on Showtime’s House of Lies, it’s safe to say her squeaky clean Veronica Mars persona has officially left the building.

“Being in a strip club in the middle of the afternoon with the lights on was a little unnerving. There’s a scene where I have to dance sexily around in my underwear that made me very nervous,” Bell tells TVGuide.com. The part “scared me a little bit.”

In the half-hour comedy, which follows a team of management consultants and stars Don Cheadle, Bell plays whip-smart, cutthroat “schmooze operator” Jeannie Van Der Hooven. House of Lies marks Bell’s first series regular TV project since she played a teen sleuth in cult favorite Veronica Mars, which was axed in 2007. On the big screen, she’s co-starred in films Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Burlesque and still voices the title character of Gossip Girl. “I was excited that Jeannie was very, very different and much more provocative [than Veronica Mars],” Bell says. “It’s important to show that it is a shark tank and it is sink-or-swim and Jeannie would not be able to work there if she didn’t play like a boy and get as dirty as they did.”

Producers liked her for the role at least partly because Jeannie was such a departure. “To see her open up is pretty amazing,” creator and executive producer Matthew Carnahan says.

Bell was first approached about House of Lies after she and fiancé Dax Shepard pitched another project to Showtime President David Nevins. Instead, Nevins called her the next day to gauge her interest in the pilot for a slick, racy comedy starring Cheadle. “Before he finished the ‘le’ in Cheadle, I said yes,” she recalls. “I just flew by the seat of my pants.”

Working with Cheadle, who both stars in and executive-produces the comedy, Bell wouldn’t get top billing — but she says that was part of the appeal. She remembers all too well the pressure and long hours that went with carrying Veronica Mars. “What they initially said was, ‘You’re a small role in the pilot, but don’t worry we’re going to develop your character. It’s going to be great,’ which I can tell is the pitch that everyone gets when you have under 20 lines in a pilot. They always promise you the world. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t,” she says.”Even if they were yanking my chain about developing the character, I said to myself, ‘Its fine. If I have to support Don Cheadle in a series, there are worse jobs you can have.’”

It came as a pleasant surprise when the producers delivered. “I’ve never had a promise carried through like this,” she says. “I love my part.”

Bell has already bonded with the cast, too — a perk that the movie star says will keep her coming back to TV. “The four of us met and immediately fell in love. A four-way love square hasn’t even been done on Jersey Shore,” she says of her castmates, which also include Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) and Josh Lawson (Romantically Challenged). “I’m a creature of habit. I’m a lot like a dog. I like being fed at the same time. I like seeing the same people every day. On TV, it really becomes like a big family. Those relationships, I think on a human level, fuel what you’re able to do as an actor.”

And yes, she’s totally down to get back into Veronica Mars’ shoes should a big-screen continuation go into production. “I’m so thankful for the impact that Veronica Mars has had on my life. It makes me excited that it affected people to the degree that it did. It makes me excited that fans still want a movie because I still want a movie,” she says. “That wasn’t an easy show to shoot or to publicize. I’m proud of it, and I think nothing compares to something you work on that you’re genuinely proud of.”

House of Lies airs Sundays at 10/9c on Showtime.

TVGuide.com

Kristen Bell is featured on the cover and inside the February 2012 issue of “Self” magazine!

Kristen Bell belongs on TV — and I don’t say that just because I want her in my life, and my living room, on a weekly basis.

What I mean is that the actress simply meshes with the medium so well, her best work always seems to come alive on the small screen: from Veronica Mars to Heroes and Reefer Madness, the pint-sized powerhouse never fails to hit it out of the park when she lives in my DVR.

Kristen is now back where she belongs thanks to Showtime’s sensational House of Lies, where she co-stars as a corporate strategist alongside Don Cheadle. I recently caught up with Kristen backstage at The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to talk all about this dynamic new role, what you can expect from her next big screen projects and why baby sloths rival Lee Press On Nails for title of “Best Thing Ever.”

Insider.com: What attracted you to House of Lies?
Kristen Bell: Everything. I liked the fact it was cable, so there are no limitations on the storylines in terms of how deep or provocative we could go. I like how sleek and sophisticated and dirty it was. I like that it’s relevant since Occupy Wall Street and movements like that are in the zeitgeist. I like this character because she’s so compartmentalized and I’ve never played someone who is not only willing to tell lies to other people but often lies to herself.

Insider: You and Don Cheadle have insane chemistry. Did you know each other before this show?
Kristen: We didn’t. We had lunch prior to doing the show, which I believe was the lunch for him to either yay or nay me. They had invited me on board, but clearly it’s Don’s show – what if he hated me? So we went out to lunch and hit it off. He is a better human being than an actor, and he’s a damn good actor.

Insider: I would have been so nervous. Did you know that this lunch served this dual purpose?
Kristen: Yes, I found out late in the game. Once they reached out, I thought, “This is so exciting!!!” Then they told me, “You just gotta have lunch with Cheadle.” I was a little nervous but if he didn’t like me, then it was probably not meant to be.

Insider: Plus, who wouldn’t like you?
Kristen: Exactly. Who on earth wouldn’t not like me?!?

Insider: I was a huge Veronica Mars fan — does its enduring popularity make it more difficult for you to pick TV projects?
Kristen: Yes and no. It’s like having your first dog or child, nothing will replace that. Veronica Mars was fiercely intelligent and thankfully that’s the kind of material I’m attracted to. I’ve tried to pepper my choices with intelligent ones. I think House of Lies is very, very intelligent. So I hope the fans are satisfied. It’s hard to please the Veronica Mars crowd sometimes because it was such a well-constructed, beautiful show.

Insider: You talked about being able to make the show as dirty as you want. With that said, what was it like filming the pilot episode in that strip club?
Kristen: My strip club experience was interesting because, number one, we were there during daylight, so that’s … yea. But the girls were lovely and beautiful but it’s a weird experience when they raise the lights in between takes.

Insider: Did they give you any tips for that underwear dance you do in an upcoming episode?
Kristen: Oh man .. no. I tried. It was one of, if not, the most embarrassing moment of my life. I don’t do sexy, I do cute – I can do cute till the cows come home. But sexy is a lot harder, do you know what I mean? It’s not what I feel.

Insider: Fans are excited to see that, but what are you excited for fans to see?
Kristen: I’m excited for the episode where we visit Jeannie’s home town. You get to see a bit behind the scenes of what she’s dealt with growing up, specifically with her being from a lower class family. I’m excited for that to be revealed because when you have characters who are so cutthroat and antagonistic, you do need to see what makes them tick. You need to see why they do the things they do, so I’m glad they reveal that because it makes Jeannie a little more sympathetic.

Insider: In addition to House of Lies, you co-star with John Krasinski & Drew Barrymore in Big Miracle. What appealed to you with that movie?
Kristen: I liked that it was an actual event. It was such an inspiring story on so many levels. It’s a comment on cultures clashing, the Americans judging the inupiats and the way they live. It’ll tug on people’s heartstrings because for some reason, we feel that whales are like us. More so than a lot of other animals. There were so many parts of the script that I liked beyond it being a fascinating, inspiring story.

Insider: Like the rockin’ 80s wardrobe you wear in the movie?
Kristen: Oh, you have no idea. You’re not ready. Nobody is. The one thing I really wanted to do was wear Lee Press On nails, which incidentally was the first monologue I ever memorized for a commercial audition. They were baby pink iridescent nails and before shooting, I begged for approval and no one seemed to care. Ken Kwapis, our director, was like, “I don’t care what nail polish you wear. I have a whole movie to make.” Cut to the editors and Ken emailing me, saying, “We love every single shot where we can see your nails! We want more nails!” It’s a comment on the times because that’s what my moms hands looked like.

Insider: You also co-star in the vignette film Movie 43, and play Supergirl?
Kristen: Oh yea, it’s happening. Legit Supergirl costume. It’s me, Justin Long as Robin, Jason Sudeikis as Batman, Uma Thurman as Lois Lane and it’s about Gotham City speed dating. We’re all switching tables and flirting.

Insider: That said, who do you think the most attractive superhero is?
Kristen: I’m not an underpants on the outside kind of girl. You know? Keep it to yourself. Let me get there if I want to get there. It’s too much too soon. Is it cute if I wear the bra on the outside of my shirt? No. I’d look like a lunatic. So I would have to say Clark Kent because his underpants are on the inside. Suit is always a good look. And those glasses? Forget about it. I love those.

Insider: You’ve also supply the voice of Gossip Girl — a show that currently has split fans into two camps: ones that want Blair with Chuck and ones that want her with Dan. Where do you fall?
Kristen: This is just my opinion as Kristen Bell, but I can’t get enough of Blair with Chuck. Obsessed.

Insider: OK, and finally — the million dollar question: What is cuter, a yawning puppy or a sneezing panda?
Kristen: Neither. A baby sloth. Screw your answers. Above anything! Have you ever seen one?

Insider: Apparently not….
Kristen: [To assistant] Do you have an iPhone? YouTube: “It’s Bathtime Too Cute Animal Planet.” Can I explain something to you?

Insider: Please.
Kristen: I Google Baby Sloths maybe 2-3 times a week. I’ve been obsessed with sloths for as long as I can remember. They must be my spirit animal or something. There’s nothing cuter than a baby sloth. It doesn’t exist in my opinion. OK, maybe a slow Loris. Maybe. On a good day. And if it’s a baby slow loris. You’re gonna die. You’re not ready. Watch this video and cry your eyes out.

TheInsider.com

Kristen Bell is making her return to TV in Showtime’s “House of Lies” (premieres Sunday, Jan. 8, 10 p.m. EST), but don’t expect this to be the typical Kristen Bell role. Her character, management consultant Jeannie Van Der Hooven, is spunky; but hiding underneath the sassy exterior is one very ambitious and morally ambiguous woman. Veronica Mars she isn’t.

“She doesn’t have the strongest moral compass, but the interesting thing compounding that is she doesn’t really think she’s doing anything wrong,” Bell told The Huffington Post in a phone interview in late December. “She is completely compartmentalized and I’ve never played anyone like that. I’ve always kind of played characters that have a stronger sense of what’s right and wrong. Jeannie’s really multidimensional.”

In “House of Lies,” Bell stars alongside Don Cheadle, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson and Dawn Olivieri, all playing top-notch business consultants who wheel and deal with the one percent.

Bell got her big break in 2004′s “Veronica Mars,” a cult-hit series about a teen private eye. Following the cancellation of “Mars” in 2007, she joined the cast of “Heroes,” further cementing herself as a geek goddess, and then, took to the big screen in films like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Burlesque.” Now, “House of Lies” is like her homecoming.

(more…)

Who doesn’t love them some Kristen Bell?

When you’re chatting with Bell, there are two things you have to ask her about (besides her new show on Showtime House of Lies): When is the Veronica Mars movie happening? And will we ever get more than just her voice on Gossip Girl?

OK, and one more thing: When are she and Dax Shepard getting married? Let’s get to that one first…

What’s up with the wedding plans?

“Nothing. I don’t have any plans,” she says with a laugh. “I don’t really care.”

OK, with that out of the way, let’s get to the TV talk. “XOXO, Gossip Girl” is our weekly reminder than Kristin Bell is the voice behind the infamous Gossip Girl. So because she brings GG to life vocally, it’s only fair to assume we’ll someday see her face on the Upper East Side…right?

“I don’t know. I don’t write it,” she tells us. “I’m Josh Schwartz’s puppet and I’m happy to be one. That’s up to him. It comes out of his big, beautiful brain.”

OK, still on the fence about showing her face on the CW hit. But she’s definitely off the fence and dancing in the lush grass below about a Veronica Mars movie. “We’re all dying to do a Veronica Mars movie,” Bell gushes. “I would absolutely be game. We’re trying to find creative ways to figure out a Veronica Mars reunion.”

Max Greenfield wants it. Bell wants it. What the heck is everyone else waiting for?!

The darling blonde certainly has not been hurting for awesome co-stars since Veronica Mars. She appears in House of Lies with the one and only Don Cheadle, after all. “He’s a full-fledged movie star, which is a bit intimidating,” she tells us. “He’s so talented that you really want him to be as cool as he is talented. And once he delivers and you realize he’s far cooler than you are, then you’re just jealous of him the rest of the time you’re working together. That’s pretty much how it goes when you work with Don Cheadle, because he’s so exceptional.”

We think you’re pretty exceptional too, girl. Check out our full interview with Bell above.

House of Lies premieres Jan. 8 on Showtime.

E! Online

Some new spoilers about what’s coming up on “House of Lies” have just been revealed by Ask Ausiello!

Question: Hey, guess what? I totally saw you in an old episode of Veronica Mars. I can’t believe that I didn’t notice it before. I was wondering if you have any scoop on Kristen Bell’s new show House of Lies, I saw the premiere and it looks promising. —Jack
Ausiello: Around the midseason mark, Bell’s Jeannie will start dipping her pen in company ink in a big way.

Kristen Bell will be making the talk show rounds next week to promote the premiere of “House of Lies”! Check her out the following shows and check your local TV listings for exact air times in your area.

Friday, January 6th: LIVE WITH KELLY, syndicated
Friday, January 6th: LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS