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Native Detroiter
Kristen Bell
To Be Honored By NAB

By Raymond Rolak

LAS VEGAS–  Television and film actress Kristen Bell will receive the National Association of Broadcasters Chairman’s Award during their annual conference in Las Vegas. 

The diminutive actress will be honored on April 10th.   The award pays tribute to individuals for significant achievements in television.  “Kristen Bell charms audiences with a natural mix of poise and humor that she brings to all her roles,” said NAB Television Board Chairman Jordan Wertlieb.

She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, (Shrine High School and Berkley High School) and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Tom Bell, a television news director.  Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father).  Her maternal grandparents are Bernard Frygier and Anne Agnes Pruchnicki.

She got her first start in acting in the full feature Polish Wedding in 1998 starring Claire Danes.

Kristen Bell currently stars as Eleanor Shellstrop in the hit NBC series “The Good Place,” which was recently renewed for a third season.  She will also star in the Netflix comedy “Like Father” and lend her voice to the animated film “Teen Titans Go! to the Movies,” both of which will be released this year.  Additionally, Bell is working on the sequel to the immensely popular Disney film “Frozen,” in which she is the voice of Anna.  The original film has grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time.  “Frozen 2” is currently in pre-production and is scheduled for 2019.

In 2014, Bell reprised her title role in the Warner Brothers’ film “Veronica Mars.”  She also appeared in a guest-starring arc on NBC’s comedy series “Parks & Recreation.”  For five seasons, beginning in 2012, she starred as Jeannie Van Der Hooven in the Showtime series “House of Lies.”

Examples of additional television credits include “Unsupervised,” “Deadwood,” “Heroes,” and “Party Down.”  She’s also held lead roles in films like “You Again,” “When in Rome,” “Couples Retreat.”   In 2008 she appeared in her breakout film role on location in Hawaii, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

She has two children with her actor-husband, Dax Shepard.  She is advocate of vegetarianism and is a passionate supporter of the Detroit Red Wings.  Bell broke both her wrists at one time while playing hockey when she was age 12.  She loves to cook at home for her family.  “I have a tiny Italian grandmother inside me.  If someone walks in, I’m like, “Let ’em map you a sandwich!”  I show love with cooking,” said Bell.

The award was established to recognize individuals for significant achievement in one or more specific art disciplines in television, the NAB Television Chairman’s Award first debuted in 2009 with four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe-winning actor Kelsey Grammar as the recipient.  The 2017 recipient was award-winning actress and producer America Ferrera.

The National Association of Broadcasters is the premiere trade association for America’s broadcasters and television stations.  Through advocacy, the NAB promotes education, innovation and enables broadcasters to best serve their communities.  From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms, the NAB Show is where global thinkers convene to bring content to life.  It is where the business of television is handled in real time and also the digital age.     www.nab.org