Kristen Anne Bell was born July 18, 1980 in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up Kristen would go by her middle name until high school, deciding at the age of four that she did not like her first name. It would be during high school that Kristen would really develop her passion for acting, taking part in numerous productions held by her high school's drama and music club. Later on, only a few credits away from graduating from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Kristen would leave to take on Broadway!