Kristen Bell Talks The Boss and Frozen 2

Kristen Bell stars opposite Melissa McCarthy in this Friday’s Universal Pictures comedy

Whether you know her as Veronica Mars‘ title detective, Frozen‘s Princess Anna or by one of the many other memorable characters she has played over the past few years, it’s a pretty safe bet that Kristen Bell has brought a smile to your face at one time or another. This Friday, she’s starring opposite Melissa McCarthy in the Universal Pictures comedy The Boss.

The Boss marks the second feature film from husband and wife pair Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone. As he did with Tammy, Falcone directs The Boss, which stars McCarthy as a successful but savage businesswoman named Michelle Darnell. Kirsten Bell plays Claire, Darnell’s personal assistant, who’s raising a ten-year-old daughter on her own. When Darnell is caught for insider trading, the mogul is sent to prison and emerges, months later, to find that her empire is gone. Finding no one in her life she can turn to but the assistant she abused for years, Darnell winds up turning to Claire for help.

In the below interview with ComingSoon.net, Kristen Bell chats about what it’s like working on a McCarthy and Falcone film, working with kids on an R-rated film and even teases a bit about the current status of the hugely-anticipated Frozen 2! She also speaks a bit about her now-in-theaters cameo in Disney’s Zootopia and her cameo (as Kristen Bell!) on The CW‘s iZombie.

In addition to Kristen Bell and Melissa McCarthy, The Boss stars Peter Dinklage and Kathy Bates. Catch it in theaters Friday, April 8.

CS: How did “The Boss” begin for you?

Kristen Bell: I saw the script and knew they were looking for someone possibly like me. I had secretly always dreamed of working with Melissa [McCarthy] and Ben [Falcone]. My husband has known them for 20 years. They grew up in comedy together. They were in The Groundlings, performing at weird black box theaters. I was always very jealous of that. I would always say to him, “I want to work with Ben and Melissa!” So I auditioned one night at their office and got a call the next day. Really, the stars just aligned for me.

CS: What sort of conversations go into figuring out the dynamic your character has with Melissa McCarthy’s Michelle Darnell?

Kristen Bell: I think that, because the character of Claire has to be verbally abused by Michelle Darnell so often, they were looking for someone who could sort of take it with strength and sensitivity. That’s what I was trying to convey in my audition. They also wanted someone who could hang with Melissa. I’m not even sure that’s me, but I tried my damnedest throughout the course of this movie. I still feel very lucky and shocked that they cast me.

CS: This is also the second film directed by Ben Falcone. Can you tell me a little bit what it’s like to have him helming?

Kristen Bell: The vibe on set is so joyful. He’s the most patient, lovely director. He genuinely wants the scene to be great and he genuinely wants everyone to feel good doing it. When you see his little face pop out from behind the monitor, he’s always smiling. You can actually hear him giggling quite a bit in the background of a scene. Thankfully, they can edit that out. But he really makes you feel good. They both boost your self esteem a lot. Melissa is different than I thought. I thought I would be extremely intimidated working alongside Melissa. I mean, I was, but then I realized that she wants everyone around her to do great and feel good. They are such a genuinely kind couple and they love what they do. They love to spread joy and spread giggles. It’s what they were put on planet Earth for. I would work for them in a heartbeat in the future.

CS: I’m assuming that a project like this winds up with a fair amount of improv.

Kristen Bell: There is a lot, mostly from Melissa’s end. I’m not a trained comedian. I tried to add valuable things where I could. We had who we called the Alternators. They took care of the alts during the scenes. Chris Henchy was one of our producers with Steve Mallory and Ben Falcone. After the scene, they would run up with Post-It notes and say, “What about saying this?” or “You could say this instead!” There was this exciting energy of, “How can we make this better?” Once we all collectively felt that it was as good as it can get, we were moving on. It was a really fun experience. I guess that’s the most succinct way to put it. It was really, really fun.

CS: You’re working with a young actress playing your daughter throughout the film. What goes into building that sort of relationship?

Kristen Bell: Luckily, I have two daughters. I was just imaging in my head what I would feel like when my daughter turns ten or eleven years old. Ella [Anderson] is such an old soul. Not in the weird way that you say a kid is an old soul. She’s just a really respectful young lady who loves acting and was a joy to be around. She and I hit it off immediately. It was easy to convey that mother daughter love because it was so similar to what we shared in real life.

CS: Is there any particular caution that has to be involved in filming an R-rated movie with younger actors?

Kristen Bell: I don’t think so. I don’t really buy into that. It’s why we didn’t stop swearing around our children. It’s not like we come home and curse to them. I don’t have any problem explaining to a child, “This is an adjective I used because I was feeling particularly passionate. It’s not a word that you’re allowed to use here or on the playground. But you’re also not allowed to drive. You’re not allowed to vote. You’re not allowed to drink alcohol. When you grow up, you’ll be allowed to do those things.” To me, that’s a pretty cut and dry issue. We’re kidding ourselves if we think that the girls we work with haven’t heard “f–k” and “s–t” before. Because they have. We didn’t steal anyone’s innocence, you know? I don’t think that any of the R-rated places we go are damaging or scary. It’s mostly used for swears. There’s not blood and guts or violence or nudity.

CS: It’s crazy how many places you’ve been appearing lately. Right after seeing “The Boss,” I caught your cameo on “I, Zombie.” Meanwhile, you’ve got “House of Lies” regularly and just had another quick cameo in “Zootopia.”

Kristen Bell: That’s pretty much because I make friends with a lot of people. I really like a lot of the people that I’ve worked with. It bleeds into my social life and then comes full circle back into business. My Disney friends say, “Oh! It would be so cute if you were the sloth! Would you like to do that?” and I say, “Sure! When do you want to do it? As long as I have time, I’m there.” And then Rob Thomas, I would lie down on train tracks for. If he calls and says, “I need you to record something!” and I say, “Of course!” I like the people that I’ve worked with. I want to support their creative endeavors. If I can help them out, I want to do it.

CS: You’ve had a really diverse career as far as genre and format, appearing on both TV and the big screen. Has it surprised you, some of the roles that you’ve become really well known for?

Kristen Bell: I’m shocked people keep hiring me, in all honesty! I’m pretty confident, but I’m also a girl and am pretty normal. Every time I start a job, I feel like I’ve forgotten how to act. It’s like, “Nobody is going to believe this bulls–t!” I don’t know what I’m doing and I have no comedic instincts. But then I calm myself down and go, “But also, who cares?” This business is meant to be fun and so many people want to do it. I have a responsibility to enjoy myself when I’m doing it.

CS: Does that affect the kind of projects you go after?

Kristen Bell: Not really. I gravitate to towards comedy because, if you’re making a comedy, you’ll generally have fun on set. It’s a good barometer. If you’re laughing on set, it’s going to be a funny movie. But I also love the darkness and depth of “House of Lies.” I love playing an emotionally stunted, really selfish character like Jeannie Van Der Hooven. I don’t think that I pick my projects, tonally, any differently, but I am mindful of picking good people to work with. If I sense that someone I’m working with is going to be a grump and make the experience negative, I don’t think it’s worth it. I don’t care what kind of a role or opportunity it is. It’s just pointless to me. I want to go to work and have fun, and not be miserable.

CS: You’ve played a couple of characters that have become really iconic. Do you find that your fanbase has changed as you’ve moved from “Veronica Mars” to “House of Lies” and “Frozen”?

Kristen Bell: In truth, it’s not something that I think about. I can only see with these eyes out. I don’t look in the mirror very often to think about it. Especially when I go home now, my focus is entirely on my girls. I’m flattered and happy that people have found enjoyment in the projects that I have done. I’m particularly proud that so many young girls loved “Frozen” and loved the message behind that movie about loving someone’s flaws and enjoying how you’re different. I’ve had a couple really great projects in my life that really meant something to somebody. I may not think about it on a daily basis, but when I stop and consider that something I did positively affected someone else, it really makes me happy.

CS: Does it ever surprise you when some of your lesser known roles wind up meaning a lot to fans?

Kristen Bell: Listen, there are a surprising number of people who find “Pootie Tang” to be a really good movie! It was my first film role and I only had one line. Louis C.K. was so kind to keep me in the movie over the end credits after my role was cut.

CS: It was announced pretty recently that not only is “Frozen 2” on the way, but that we’re getting an original “Frozen” holiday special next year. Have you started working on either?

Kristen Bell: No, there’s such a long process that’s involved before I come in to record. I’m privy to a lot of it, though, and it’s an exciting process even for me. I’m as much of a “Frozen” fan as anybody else. I’m happy to be staying with that family. I love them very much and they’re incredibly talented filmmakers. Josh [Gad], Idina [Menzel] and I have forged a friendship through the crazy weird explosion that this movie has been. I feel particularly lucky that it’s going to have an extra life, because when I can be Princess Anna to little kids, it feels really good. I can call friends or nieces or nephews or auction winners as Princess Anna and it’s really special. It feels like a super power.