Former Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell has been tapped for a lead role opposite Don Cheadle in Showtime’s dark comedy pilot House of Lies. Written by Matthew Carnahan based on the book by Martin Kihn, the project centers on Marty (Cheadle), a self-loathing highly successful management consultant from a top-tier firm who is never above using any means necessary to get his clients the information they want. Bell will play Jeannie Van Der Hooven, a razor-sharp, Ivy-League graduate who works at Marty’s firm. Bell joins previously cast Dawn Oliveri as Marti’s ex-wife, Josh Lawson as Ben Schwartz as his co-workers, Glynn Turman as Marty’s psychoanalyst father; and Donis Leonard Jr. as his young son. Jessika Borsiczky is executive producing the pilot, which will be directed by Stephen Hopkins. Production is slated to begin in February in New York and Los Angeles. Bell’s last regular TV role was on NBC’s Heroes. The actress, repped by CAA and Brookside Artist Amanagement, will next be seen in the features Scream 4 and Everybody Loves Whales.
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Kristen Bell is very talented. Glad she is back on TV and doing a dark comedy. Stay away from the lame romcom movies. It was good for a paycheck for a while but now back to work.
After Kristen’s recent work in terrible Disney comedies, it will be nice to see her in something that will hopefully let her show off her acting chops. Sometimes going back to TV is a good thing!
I love Kristen Bell but Sarah Marshall and the two stupid Disney comedies she made did nothing for her but typecast her as a “dumb comedy actress.” She needs to show off her dramatic side the way Veronica Mars enabled her to do — and clearly she’s got the goods. Just has to find the right vehicles.
After numerous flop movies and a flop tv show banished to premium cable, well good for her ratings on showtime mean little…Kristen probably best suited for the theater after movie goers avoided her in high numbers (Fanboys, Pulse, Only You, Burlesque, When in Rome, Astro Boy)
Even her desperate attempt as a Maxim covergirl was sad
Fancy Lad — were you passed up for Veronica Mars or something? She’s an appealing actress with a few lame movie choices. Let’s remember that Sarah Marshall and Couples Retreat were both hits.
Ha! What? Did she reject your lame pick up in a bar?
I say Bell’s last regular tv roll was as Uda Bengt, the psycho stone-cold head of Valhalla Catering on the underseen Party Down. It sounds like she’s gonna play a very similar character. If so, SHE WILL BE AWESOME!!!
Go Kristen!
Overrated.
Kristen Bell is really gorgeous.
Kristen is terrific but I wish she would stick with movies. If she’s willing to commit to a TV series, she should be the star, not just a part of a large ensemble.
Some people don’t get her appeal, but she was so good during the entire run of “Veronica Mars”. The show was underrated, and it’s still a shame that it was canceled for bringing in 2.5 million viewers a week when “Gossip Girl” and “90210″ bring in less.
I haven’t been a fan of her big screen work save for “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”. Glad to hear she snagged the “Barrymore” cameo alongside Paquin in “Scream 4″. I hope this works for her, but I would have loved to hear her be apart of something more interesting, like Gellar’s “Ringer”.
A welcome return. That manager was sending her to bad movie choices. Kristen is a true TV star and such a lovely woman who you only wish success and good things for. I hope that this marks a new way she will be looking at material in the future.
Good for you CAA
Should be very very watchable.
I find it a little odd that people are calling it a return to TV when she never left TV.
She was on Veronica Mars from 2004-2007.She joined Heroes 4 months after that ended and recurred for a season and a half.She started as the narrator of Gossip Girl the same time she started Heroes and is still on that show.And she had two guest spots on Party Down.She’s consistently stayed on TV in some form or another for the past 7 years.
It’s not like Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is actually returning to TV after 8 years.
Who would not agree that Don Cheadle is to be counted among the most talented, hardest working actors today. I am happy to see him surrounded by other talented, hard working actors, including Kristen Bell. Comparatively (to these two actors and their ensemble,) I care little about the plot and characters of this Showtime project – I feel very confident I will enjoy solid entertainment.
Its kind of funny – you guys don’t seem to get that when an actress gets attached to a pilot this close to its start – basically means Showtime was desperate and was going down a list of actresses looking for anyone who would agree to do this relatively thankless role…
Kind of sad for Kristen Bell – there was much better material out there for her. She should have been better advised from her management.
It’s kind of funny- you don’t seem to realize how many actresses were chasing this role. “Looking for anyone who would agree to do this”? To think that great actresses wouldn’t want to work on a great premium cable pilot, opposite Don Cheadle, may be the dumbest thing I’ve heard this morning.
-It basically means that Showtime held off for the biggest name, and best fit for the part, and it worked. Showtime has a long history of casting minutes before production. Good for Kristen Bell.
K-Bell on Showtime? If all other Showtime shows are any indication, does this means she’s gonna drop trou like every other character on that network? I…uhm…kinda hope so.
More of that crossed eyed, toothy face tv actress, ugh. Her appeal, I will never get.
A “dark comedy” on Showtime?
Heaven forbid a cable channel run a “light comedy”.
Kristen’s strength isn’t “darkness” but light.
She radiates a pleasant, sunny energy(see her interviews on Craig Ferguson).
Darkness doesn’t become her.
I never watched that “Veronica Mars” show, so maybe she’s competent handling drama.
However, whether she can play “dark” isn’t my point.
My larger point: There’s too much “darkness” on TV & movies.
Kristen’s one of those happy energy, wholesome actresses that brighten the TV wasteland.
Why can’t her return to TV be on a “light comedy” instead?
When amiable, good-natured gals like Kristen smile on screen, life feels like a walk in the park on a sunny afternoon.
When girls like Kristen curse & act all dramatic, darkness at noon (great book).
Yes – they waited until just a week before production to offer the role to Kristen – even thought they started casting this pilot before the holiday… Brilliant strategy on Showtime’s part.
And you clearly don’t know much about pilot season – great actors withstanding – you still have to make a choice on the material alone… This is a fairly drab pilot, and maybe the 3rd or 4th most important character in a 6 character script. She deserves better.
Kristen Bell is way too good for this show. What manager would let her do this!!! …The show stinks…. The only reason anyone watched the first show was because of Kristen….
I love Kristen Bell everything she does. I would marry her in a heartbeat !!!