Kristen Bell opens up about sleeping with her director
Kristen Bell —RUBEN V. NEPALES
LOS ANGELES—This is one actor who’s upfront—even funny and risqué—about sleeping with her director and costar. “Let’s talk about it,” Kristen Bell gleefully consented.
The director is Dax Shepard, who happens to be her husband since 2013. In “CHIPS,” Kristen plays Karen, the ex-trophy wife of Dax’s Jon Baker, a former award-winning pro motorbiker who joins the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to win her back.
In this film version inspired by “CHiPs,” the TV series that starred Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada, Jon’s partner, Frank “Ponch” Poncherello, is played by Michael Peña.
Kristen, beautiful in a long black dress in this amusingly naughty chat at The London West Hollywood Hotel, was teased about her “Baywatch” red swimsuit moment in “CHIPS.” Was that her dream come true or her director’s?
“Strangely very much my dream,” Kristen admitted. “I will say, in his defense, because I was told somewhere else, ‘Your husband gave you a lot of cleavage (exposure).’ I was like, ‘Please hold. My husband didn’t make me do anything because he can’t.
“I definitely suggested all that cleavage (exposure) because I wanted to make Karen unlikable. That’s not to say that my boobs aren’t unlikable (laughs). They are quite likable, I think.”
The mom of two daughters added, “But I needed to present someone who was extremely superficial, not trustworthy, who valued the form of a Barbie doll above all else and who considered herself a trophy wife. She wanted to be with Jon simply because he was winning trophies. But when he wasn’t winning anymore, she was like, I am out because I am the prize.
“I was breastfeeding at the time (of filming). I thought, this is my time to join Christian Bale and the actor’s [dedication to] transformation (laughs). I didn’t pump for about a day. If you don’t pump, your boobs go out, then they go up. It was pretty painful.
“I was like, ‘I need these boobs. I need to give Karen an aggressive boob job.’ Thankfully, we did it. He was like, ‘Don’t you want to let out (breastfeed) a little?’ I said to the kids, ‘If you are hungry, find something else (laughs). Daddy is making a movie and this is everyone’s priority now.’
“So every time I shot, which he spaced it out like one day a week for however many months, I just let my boobs fill up (laughs).”
The actress, who stars with Ted Danson in the series “The Good Place” and headlined other shows, including “House of Lies” and “Veronica Mars,” recounted the first time she met Dax. It was at an intimate birthday dinner of producer Shauna Robertson.
“I just remembered he talked a lot,” said the woman who famously loves sloths—the real animals, we mean. “About two weeks later, we met at a Kings-Red Wings hockey game. He was with a mutual friend. I said ‘hello’ and we were both like, ‘Oh, you were at that party.’
“I remember how I knew he liked me. He asked, ‘Do you have any gum?’ I said, ‘No, just this (she demonstrates taking gum from her mouth). Then, he went like this (she shows how Dax took the gum and put it in his mouth).
“He texted a week after that: ‘Hi, my name is Dax. I violated your privacy and got your phone number from Shauna. How do you feel about that?’
“I was like ‘OK, I’m in.’ He is captivating … he did ride his motorcycle to my house for our first date. He thinks he’s a super-cool dude (laughs), which is still how I feel about him.”
The voice behind “Anna” in the animated hit “Frozen” gushed, “When I am at work, I get to spend the day with someone I adore and who … wants me to look good. It’s the best of both worlds.”
How much is she in love with him? “I got my motorcycle license to impress him,” she revealed with a smile, her blue eyes twinkling.
“This is so embarrassing, but I was so head over heels for him. I was driving down to San Pedro (California) every Saturday for seven or eight weeks, lying to him about where I was because I wanted to surprise him.
“I got my motorcycle license. I framed my certificate and gave it to him for Christmas. He thought it was hilarious because I can’t even use the broiler at home (laughs).
“I have never ridden since. I don’t feel safe. But, I’m a good passenger,” she disclosed.
“Kindness is my north star, always,” said the performer who made her Broadway debut in the musical version of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” while she was still studying at New York University’s Tisch School for the Arts. That was the Michigan native’s first passion—musical theater.
“I have strong self-esteem because I also live by the Eleanor Roosevelt quote, ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.’”
Complimented about being refreshingly candid, Kristen said, “I would say that I have a fairly cooperative philosophy.
“I believe in sharing my entire story, the good with the bad. I revel in self-deprecation. I enjoy that because that’s what makes us human.”
Kristen will be back in “Frozen 2” and is in the cast of the comedy, “How to Be a Latin Lover.” And yes, she will reprise her Kiki role in the sequel, “Bad Moms’ Christmas.”
E-mail [email protected]. Follow him at https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.
