Laura Bell Bundy

Bell Bundy originated the role of Tina Denmark in Ruthless! The Musical which opened Off-Broadway in 1992.[14] Tina Denmark is a child actress who wants to be in show business, and she'll do anything to get what she wants. For this role, she was nominated for a 1993 Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. In 2002, at the age of 21, she made her Broadway debut in the musical Hairspray, originating the role of Amber Von Tussle. Amber is a bratty, selfish resident princess of The Corny Collins Show.[15] Bell Bundy was next a Glinda standby for Kristin Chenoweth in Wicked. She starred as Sherrie Christian in the jukebox musical Rock of Ages in Los Angeles.[16]

From 2007 to July 2008, she starred on Broadway in Legally Blonde: The Musical where she originated the lead role of Elle Woods. Elle is a sorority sister, president of the Delta Nu who finds herself at Harvard University studying to become a lawyer. For this role she received her first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.[17]

Bell Bundy's theatre credits outside of New York City include the national tour of The Sound of Music with Marie Osmond and Gypsy with Betty Buckley and Deborah Gibson at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey (1998).[18]

Bell Bundy reprised the role of Elle Woods in the U.S. national tour of Legally Blonde: The Musical as a temporary replacement for the injured Becky Gulsvig, alongside Lauren Zakrin. Bell Bundy began her brief run on January 13, 2009, and ended on February 22, 2009.[19] She would go on to play Elle again during the Nashville engagement of the national tour from June 23–28, 2009.[20] However, she fractured her arm during the June 27, 2009 performance, finished the show, and was rushed to the hospital immediately after.[21]

On September 27, 2008, she participated in a benefit concert for Anaheim, California's the Chance Theatre with fellow Wicked alum Eden Espinosa and with Spring Awakening alum Lea Michele for the Broadway Chance Style: Up Close and Personal concert.[22]

On June 13, 2010, she was a presenter at the 64th Tony Awards ceremony.

She appeared as Trixie Norton in a new musical The Honeymooners, based on the television comedy The Honeymooners. Trixie Norton is a former burlesque dancer and wife of Ed Norton, who wants to get back into show business. The musical premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, New Jersey on September 28, 2017, running through October 29. Directed by John Rando, the musical also starred Michael McGrath as Ralph Kramden, Michael Mastro as Ed Norton, and Leslie Kritzer as Alice Kramden.[23]

Bundy appeared in the lead role of Sweet Charity staged and directed by Kathleen Marshall in June 2018 in Los Angeles.[24] She was cast to return to Broadway in the 2023 play The Cottage, which is scheduled to run at the Hayes Theater from July through October 2023.[25]

Bell Bundy has appeared in films including The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993),[26] Life with Mikey (1993),[27] and Jumanji (1995) as Young Sarah Whittle.[28] In 1999, Laura made debut in the role of rebellious daughter Marah Lewis on the CBS daytime soap opera Guiding Light and playing the character until 2001.[29] She appeared in the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls.[30]

Bell Bundy was a judge at the Miss America 2009 pageant.[31]

Bundy had a recurring role on the sixth season of CBS's How I Met Your Mother as Becky, a hyperactive, obnoxious girl and Robin's co-anchor.[32] She reprised the role in the spinoff, How I Met Your Father.[33]

Laura had a recurring role as Shelby on The CW's Hart of Dixie from 2012 until 2015. Shelby is the newcomer in town who was introduced as a love interest for George Tucker, however, later begins a relationship with Brick.[34]

She starred as Dr. Jordan Denby on the FX sitcom Anger Management in 2013. She's a new psychologist, business partner for Charlie and alcoholic, who attends Alcoholics Anonymous. Laura also played Jordan's twin sister, Jessie.[35]

In 2015, she starred in Becoming Santa, a Lifetime TV movie with Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter.[36]

She currently stars as Rachel Raskin on The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, a live action sequel series to The Fairly OddParents, which premiered March 31, 2022 on Paramount+.[37]

Bell Bundy at Birdland in July 2007

Bell Bundy released her debut country music album, titled Longing For a Place Already Gone, in 2007.[38]

After leaving Legally Blonde: The Musical in July 2008, she moved back to Nashville to work on her second album, Achin' and Shakin'.[39] Achin' and Shakin' was released on April 13, 2010. It debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart as well as number 28 on the all-genre Billboard 200. As of June 26, 2010, the album has sold over 70,000 copies in the United States.[40] It also charted internationally, where it reached number 34 on the Norwegian Albums Chart. Her two songs "Giddy On Up" and "Rebound" was featured on the video game series Rock Band. Bell Bundy also appeared in fellow country artist Miranda Lambert's music video for "Only Prettier," as one of Lambert's friends alongside Kellie Pickler and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. Bell Bundy began as the spokesperson for the Selected Chevrolet Dealers of Middle Tennessee in September 2011. Bell Bundy released a new single, "That's What Angels Do", in 2012.[41]

In mid-2013, Bundy signed with Big Machine Records and released the single "Two Step", a duet with Colt Ford. This song was peaked at number 59 on the US Country Airplay.[42] Her third album Another Piece of Me was digitally released in June 2015.

In July 2017, Laura Bell Bundy co-directed Lexington Theatre Company production of Legally Blonde: The Musical at Lexington Opera House.[43] On November 12, 2017, she directed concert of Double Standards at The Town Hall.[44]

In 2018, Laura Bell wrote and directed music videos for a Barefoot Wine campaign.[45]

She also directed several sketches and music videos, includes parodies and covers of hit songs. Her most well-known sketch comedy web series is a Cooter County and Skits-O-Frenic.[46]

On October 5, 2020, she and music producer Shea Carter launched their podcast Women of Tomorrow,[47] an extension of their album of the same name that allows "Bundy and Carter to dive deep into [the issues of women's rights] that were so hard-fought."[48]

Her fourth album Women of Tomorrow was released in May 2021. This album was received well by critics and it has over 1 million streams on Spotify and other streaming services.[49]

Bell Bundy has been a guest on many podcasts to promote the podcast and album, one of the most notable being The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales.[50]

• Hairspray - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2003)
• Dreamgirls - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2006)
• Legally Blonde - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2008)
• Pure Country: Pure Heart - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017)

• Featured on Guiding Light - "I Believe in the Mystery", 2002
• Featured on NEO: New, Emerging, Outstanding - "Any Day", duet with Kerry Butler, 2005
• Featured on New York Cares About Local Music - "Goodbye Yesterday", duet with Amber Rhodes, 2006
• Featured on Declaration of Independence - "Hugh Damn Right", duet with Colt Ford, 2012
• Featured on In the Spirit: A Celebration of the Holidays - "Baby, It's Cold Outside", with John Driskell Hopkins & Atlanta Pops Orchestra, 2015
• Featured on Saloons on Neptune - "Take a Shot", duet with Cowboy Troy, 2015

• Blood Drive
• But I'm a Cheerleader
• Hairspray