Kristen Bell is very busy.
Not only is she preparing to workshop her new musical play Three Months Later in Los Angeles, but she’s also preparing to film Season 3 of Netflix’s hit romance series Nobody Wants This.
In between those projects, she will host the Actor Awards for the third time on March 1st.
“I’m in full-throttle bad boss mode,” Bell says. “Well, I’m not a bad boss. I’m more like a worker bee.”
Have you gotten used to calling it the Actor Award instead of the SAG Award?
It’s starting. This statue has always been called “The Actor,” so the name didn’t come out of nowhere, so it’s a little easier. I think this show has been warming up for a while, but the fact that this show has become so well known, not only nationally but globally, makes it easier for people to understand what this show is about, which is that it’s a true tribute to the actors who were voted in by the actors. This is the closest thing to a high school yearbook you’ll ever have. It also embraces the show’s modern identity.
Do you remember the first time you said, “I’m an actor”?
Before I started working in the press, I don’t think I would have casually said to anyone, “I’m an actor,” so I think it was only after I started working in the press.
Did you say that in your first credited role in 2001’s Pootie Tongue? Were you an actor at that time?
It certainly was.
The cast also includes Chris Rock, Jennifer Coolidge, and Wanda Sykes.
That was fun. She played Andy Richter’s daughter. It was cut because it was a one-scene, but they kept it in the credits, and I was still really proud. Still, I was fascinated by comedians. I love comedy. I think smiling is very important. I think it’s kind of a cool spirit to have the sole purpose of making people smile. So it was very exciting to be able to watch a scene with the cast.
Were you informed in advance that you were not shortlisted?
They did. It was very respectful. Then I sat and watched the entire movie, and when the credits rolled, my name was still there. I was really happy.
But look where you are now. Look how far we’ve come.
Look how far we’ve come! Hey, look how far we’ve come!
I was told the schedule, but it looks like it will be very tiring.
It does, but it only lasts for certain weeks of the year. High octane mode occurs approximately six weeks out of the year. But I actually turn off my phone at 5 o’clock, so I’ll say I’m just in high-octane mode.
you do?
Yeah, that’s a non-negotiable for me. So during the day I try to rush, rush, rush to get all these things done. Because when the kids get home and we all finish work and the family gets together, my phone is in another room, I make dinner, and I watch a movie. I’m watching “Castaway” tonight. I work hard so I can play really hard.
How many jokes are written for you for the acting awards?
1 billion. Usually we start with a concept. Are you going to discuss a name change? My vote was, A, this is the only year we can do that because it’s the year of the name change, and B, I think there’s a lot of comedy in it. Would it be funny to make a joke about this before jokes were even a concept? There are anchor shows that everyone knows, like “Severance” and “The White Lotus.” There were some strong hitters that I was seeing for the first time. Then there’s a ping pong movie, so we mixed in ping pong so we could goof around, and we all just sat around and thought about what would be the funniest and most goofy thing to say about those subjects.
When do you decide whether to sing?
I’ve always wanted to sing, but concerts alone aren’t enough. They didn’t buy tickets to the Kristen Bell concert, right? They bought tickets for the acting awards. So I don’t think anyone paid for a ticket, but they’re coming to see this special experience that’s been around for 30 years. You can’t just do what you want. It’s not just my bedroom mirror where I can perform. But if we can find a topic or concept for the song and a sufficiently interesting version, I’m here for it.
The 32nd Annual Acting Awards, presented by SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Radio and Television Artists), will be streamed live on Netflix on Sunday, March 1 at 5pm PT/8pm ET.
This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
