Lake Bell

Lake Bell (born March 24, 1979, in New York City) is an American screen artist best known for her work as an actor, while also building a parallel career behind the camera as a director and screenwriter. With a sharp comedic edge and an easy on-screen presence, she has moved fluidly between studio films, indie projects, and television.

Bell’s TV résumé includes standout roles across series such as Boston Legal, Surface, How to Make It in America, and the cult-favorite medical spoof Children’s Hospital. That range—legal dramedy, sci-fi, character-driven comedy—has helped define her as a versatile performer comfortable in both ensemble casts and scene-stealing turns.

On the film side, she’s appeared in mainstream comedies and dramas including It’s Complicated (as Agness Adler), What Happens in Vegas (as Tipper), Pride and Glory (as Megan Egan), Over Her Dead Body (as Ashley), and No Strings Attached (as Lucy). She also contributed voice work to Shrek Forever After as the Patrol Witch / Wagon Witch #2.

From satirical projects like Prop 8: The Musical to darker fare such as Burning Palms, Bell continues to expand her creative footprint—balancing Hollywood visibility with an artist’s curiosity for tone, genre, and storytelling craft.