Congrats on the Heroes gig! Is this some kind of evil plot of yours to send fanboys over the edge?
Kristen Bell: Absolutely. It is all part of my plan for world domination � and by “world,” I mean Fanboy World.
How did the gig come about? It’s no secret that you’ve been fielding many offers, including from Lost.
Bell: Obviously, I was in an extremely
lucky position. I’ve kind of felt like I’ve been on a sugar high the
last couple of weeks. Having any of those options… it still feels
surreal. How do you make the decision between [Lost and Heroes]? Basically, being able to stay in [Los Angeles] was a little bit of a factor for me [in terms of turning down Lost]. But I was honored to even be considered by Lost. I really, really was, because I love that show. But I have social relationships with a lot of the people who work on Heroes,
through so many random connections. It was sort of funny that so many
of my friends had been working on this show. I spent a lot of time with
a few of them at Comic-Con. I was actually sitting on the train [back
from San Diego] with Zachary Quinto and Masi Oka, and some of the
writers were on the train and they were like, “Hey, if you ever want to
come on Heroes, give us a call!” And I sort of joked back, “I’d
love that!” Later on I said to Zach, “Hey, if they were serious, I
would love to work with you guys.” And somehow, somebody made it happen.
Wait a second � you ride the train?!
Bell: [Laughs]
Yeah, coming back from Comic-Con; none of us drove because the traffic
was so bad. So we just took the three-hour train ride back.
Weren’t you mobbed by fans?
Bell: No way! Are you kidding me? No one recognizes me.
Seriously?
Bell: I’m dead serious. It’s rare.
Was part of the appeal of doing Heroes the fact that it’s a limited gig, thus allowing you to keep your career options open?
Bell:
That’s certainly not a bad point. I am kind of in the luckiest position
possible, because they’re allowing me to leave it open-ended. So, yeah,
that was extremely appealing. Also, everyone I know who is involved in Heroes
has had nothing but excellent things to say about what it’s like to
work there or for Tim Kring and Co. I received a phone call before I
even knew that the deal was done from Tim and a few of his partners in
crime and � I should probably keep this confidential but � it might’ve
been the nicest phone call I’ve ever gotten. I think there was almost a
point where I fell out of my chair.
How many episodes are you committed for?
Bell: I think I’m doing 13 as of now.
You Again
Astro Boy
Couples Retreat
When in Rome
Serious Moonlight
