Kristen Bell didn’t exactly leave TV behind when “Veronica Mars” ended its run in 2007. She had a recurring part on “Heroes” and guested on a couple episodes of “Party Down” — and you can hear her every week as the voice of “Gossip Girl.”

But she’ll have her first regular role on a series since “Veronica” when Showtime’s dark comedy “House of Lies” premieres. At the Television Critics Association press tour on Wednesday (Aug. 3), Bell talked with Zap2it about what appealed to her about the series — about a team of anything-for-business consultants — how she sought out the new gig and moving between film and television.

Zap2it: Are the characters political consultants?
Kristen Bell: Really anything. It’s basically a group of cutthroat management consultants that will do whatever is necessary to get the job and the after-work. It’s murky as to what they actually really do, which I think is the actual description of consultants. If someone has a problem, we come and fix it — you’re downsizing, you need to stop fighting, whatever needs to be done. And their moral compasses are a little bit wonky. … But there’s a dynamic between the four of us — Don Cheadle, me, Josh Lawson and Ben Schwartz — that’s very fun. We travel together all the time, we spend 100 hours a week together. So it’s kind of our life as traveling salesmen.

Would you call it a comedy, a dark comedy, what?
It’s a dark comedy — a dark dramedy, I’d say actually. Tonally, it’s very Showtime.

What about the role appealed to you?
I’d been searching for the right TV project. I knew I didn’t want anything built around me, for the reason of it’s difficult to be No. 1 on the call sheet. It’s a very different workload than No. 2. But also I wanted to find a writer or creator who had a story to tell, who wasn’t just like, “OK, what can we do with her?” I didn’t want it to be sold on me; I wanted to be part of a good project. And I trust Matthew Carnahan ["Dirt"], our creator, implicitly. I think he’s very funny, he’s very dark, he’s very provocative. I think Showtime also has a lot more they can do with storylines — what they show, the subject matter they broach. And working with Don Cheadle is not a bad thing. He’s pretty exceptional, both as a human being and as an actor, and I just feel like I’m learning a lot from him. I’m trying to absorb how he works.

Other than not being in every scene, what’s different about being part of an ensemble vs. being the star of a series?
When you’re No. 1 on the call sheet, when you completely represent a show, there’s so much more that’s required of you. You’re in every frame of the show, but there’s also the publicity aspect that’s a reality for us. There’s just a lot more on your shoulders, a lot more pressure. There’s a lot more pressure when you’re the main component of a show, and I didn’t want that pressure. I wanted to have fun, and this has actually been really fun.

Can you talk more about your character?
I don’t know if I can. A lot is revealed in the first three episodes. She’s very compartmentalized. She has a lot of issues.

I’d imagine that in a show called “House of Lies” the people probably aren’t squeaky-clean.
Yeah — she’s very flawed. All the characters are kind of flawed. So the dynamics are a little bit deeper — no one is exactly what you think they are. That’s partly because their line of work bleeds over into their personal lives. They’re chameleons. They transform into whatever the client needs them to be and do whatever they need to get the job. If you need us to be firm, we’re firm. You need us to be soft, we’re soft. You need us to rub your back, we’ll rub your back. The ability to transform to get what you want is what bleeds into my character’s personal life.

It almost sounds like you’re getting to play several different characters.
There are many facets to my character’s personality, and every time they come up with a new one they’re like, “Oh yeah, and she’s this, and she believes this. Which could be directly contradictory to something we’ve already established, but that’s what they’re asking me to do, and it’s really exciting as an actor.

“House of Lies” is scheduled to premiere in January.

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Kristen Bell will return to TV on … Sunday, January 8, 2012, when her new Showtime comedy House of Lies debuts, announced the network at the critics press tour in Beverly Hills.

Lies stars Bell and Don Cheadle as cut-throat corporate consultants, and will premeire alongside the return of Californication and Shameless.

Showtime also announced a new project, Laughing Stock, a comedian interview program produced by Steve Carell and David Steinberg.

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Kristen Bell’s dance card on House of Lies is officially pretty damn full.

The new Showtime comedy has cast Melrose Place‘s Michael Rady and Carnivàle‘s Nick Stahl as love interests for Bell’s corporate consultant character, Jeannie, TVLine has learned exclusively.

Rady will play the recurring role of Wes, a moneyed golden boy who may be a bit too conservative for Jeannie. Stahl, meanwhile, will guest star in one episode as Kurt, a musician who makes Jeannie question what she wants out of life and love (my guess: no-strings sex with a hot musician).

Lies, based on Martin Kihn’s hit tell-all book How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Tell You the Time, revolves around dueling corporate management consulting firms. The cast also includes Don Cheadle, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, Dawn Olivieri and Glynn Turman.

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Starring Don Cheadle as Marty, a successful and cutthroat consultant who stops at nothing to get his way, Showtime’s upcoming comedy House of Lies stands as one of the cable network’s first series orders under new entertainment topper David Nevins. The Hollywood Reporter was on hand Tuesday for Showtime’s first screening of the series, written by Matthew Carnahan (Dirt). Here are five things to know about Lies, which the network plans to air next year.

Don Cheadle bares it all. On hand to introduce the comedy, Cheadle warned that the opening scene was quite revealing. The actor bares it all in the first and last minutes of the episode, one literally in which he’s waking up after a night with his ex-wife and then figuratively as the half-hour closes, illustrating that Marty has a conscience when all is said and done.

Turns to the camera, breaking the fourth wall. Based on House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time by Martin Kihn, there are plenty of consulting terms that must be interjected and explained in the series. In the version screened, Cheadle’s Marty turns to the camera and the action behind him pauses as he defines terms including “counseled out” and “afterwork.” Cheadle is better than Saved By the Bell’s Zach Morris but the device kills the momentum.

LGBT friendly. Donis Leonard Jr. is a breakout star waiting to happen as Roscoe, Marty’s young son who is exploring his sexual identity. Wearing a purple skirt, Roscoe tells Marty of his plan to audition for the role of Sandy in the school production of Grease and winds up exiting the room with a quick pirouette after dad signs off. It’s a refreshing take on the “gay son” character.

Strong and crazy women return. Kristen Bell’s Jeannie has a background in business consulting and psychology and offers the reason and logic to Marty’s madness. Meanwhile, Dawn Olivieri has the smart and crazy covered in Monica, Marty’s pill-popping ex-wife who happens to run the top-rated consulting firm.

Jean-Ralphio lives. Ben Schwartz channels a toned-down Jean-Ralphio from NBC’s Parks and Recreation to play Clyde, a member of Marty’s consulting firm. Hopefully Josh Larson’s Doug, a fellow member of the firm, will be given as much material as Parks’ Aziz Ansari so that both can become formidable sidekicks.

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Kristen Bell Online is pleased to bring you a brand new and exclusive new promotional image from Kristen’s new series, “House of Lies”!

The first promotional photo of Kristen Bell with the cast of “House Of Lies” has just been released – and I’ve added it into our photo gallery – in HQ!

It’s Showtime for Kristen Bell! …READ MORE

The cable net has officially given a series pickup to House of Lies, a half-hour comedy starring Veronica Mars MVP Kristen Bell and Oscar nominee Don Cheadle.

Showtime has also greenlit the Claire Danes drama Homeland. Both shows received 12-episode orders.

Lies, based on Martin Kihn’s hit tell-all book How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Tell You the Time, revolves around dueling corporate management consulting firms. Bell plays Jeannie, a razor-sharp Brown grad who reluctantly finds herself attracted to her co-worker Marty (Cheadle). The cast also includes Ben Schwartz (Undercovers), Josh Lawson (Romantically Challenged), Dawn Olivieri (Heroes) and Glynn Turman (In Treatment).

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I have just added another 70 HQ photos of Kristen Bell from the set of the “House of Lies” pilot from February 6th into our gallery!