Laura Bell Bundy

Laura Ashley Bell Bundy (born April 10, 1981) is an American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway roles, her best known being the original Amber Von Tussle in the musical version of Hairspray, the original Elle Woods in the musical version of Legally Blonde and Dr. Jordan Denby on television's Anger Management. She signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released her first country music single, "Giddy On Up," on February 20, 2010. The album's second single, "Drop on By," was released to country radio on August 9, 2010.
== Early life ==
Bell Bundy was born in Euclid, Ohio, and raised in Lexington, Kentucky.[2] [3] Her mother, Lorna Bundy-Jones, is a Lancome Beauty Advisor at Ulta and her father, Don Bundy, is an electrical engineer. Her parents divorced in 1997 when she was 16 years old; both have since remarried.[4] She took dance lessons at Town and Village School of Dance in Paris, Kentucky.[5] When she was 9 she appeared in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. She graduated from Lexington Catholic High School.[5] She is the niece of Marcia Malone Bell, Miss Kentucky 1978 and 1979 Top Ten Miss America semifinalist.[6] Bell Bundy was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was about 18 years old.[7] In 1995 at the age of 14, Bell Bundy appeared in the film Jumanji, playing the younger version of Bonnie Hunt's character, Sarah Whittle.[8]
== Career ==
=== Stage ===
Bell Bundy originated the role of Tina Denmark in the musical Ruthless! The Musical which opened Off-Broadway in 1992.[9] For this part, she was nominated for a 1993 Drama Desk 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.[10] Bell Bundy was next a standby for both Kristin Chenoweth[11] and Jennifer Laura Thompson in the role of Glinda in Wicked. She ended her run as the standby in August 2004.
From 2007 to July 2008, she starred on Broadway in Legally Blonde: The Musical where she originated the lead role of Elle Woods, receiving her first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.[12]
Credits outside of New York City include the national tour of The Sound of Music, Gypsy with Betty Buckley and Deborah Gibson at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey (1998)[13] and the Los Angeles production of Rock of Ages, in which she starred as Sherrie.
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. She began her brief run on January 13, 2009 and ended on February 22, 2009.[14] She was to play Elle again during the Nashville engagement of the national tour from June 23–28, 2009.[15] However, she fractured her arm during the June 27, 2009 performance, finished the show and was rushed to the hospital immediately after.[16]
On September 27, 2008, she participated in a benefit concert for Anaheim, California's the Chance Theatre with fellow Wickedalum Eden Espinosa and with Spring Awakening alum Lea Michele for the Broadway Chance Style: Up Close and Personal concert.[17]
She appeared as Trixie Norton in a new musical The Honeymooners, based on the television comedy The Honeymooners. The musical premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Milburn, New Jersey on September 28, 2017, running to 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.[18]
Bell Bundy appeared in the lead role of Sweet Charity staged and directed by Kathleen Marshall in June 2018 in Los Angeles.[19]
=== Film and television ===
Bell Bundy has appeared in films including The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993),[20] Life with Mikey (1993) [21] and Jumanji (1995) as Young Sarah Whittle.[22] She appeared in the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls.[23]
Bell Bundy was also seen on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light as Marah Lewis for two years (October 14, 1999 – October 29, 2001), as well as in television shows such as Veronica Mars, Happy Hour, Modern Men, Cold Case and Strangers with Candy. She guest-starred in the TV series Cold Case with Adam Pascal and Tracie Thoms in the episode "Willkommen."
She also appears in several short web videos as various comedic characters, such as Justice Goode and Shocantelle Brown.
Bell Bundy was a judge at the Miss America 2009 pageant.[24]
Bell Bundy had a recurring role on the sixth season of CBS' How I Met Your Mother as Becky, Robin's co-anchor.[25] Bell Bundy had a recurring role as Shelby on The CW's Hart of Dixie from 2012 until 2015. [26]
She starred as Dr. Jordan Denby on the FX sitcom Anger Management in 2013.[27]
In 2015, she starred in Becoming Santa a (Lifetime) TV movie with Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter.[28]
=== Country music ===
Bell Bundy released her debut country music album titled Longing For a Place Already Gone in 2007.[29]
Her first single, "Giddy On Up," debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number 60 for the chart week of February 20, 2010 and peaked at number 31 in May. The single was made into a music video, which was directed by Shane Drake. She also performed the song on the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards, where it was done in the style of the music video. The next single, "Drop On By," was less successful than her debut, only peaking at number 48.
After leaving Legally Blonde: The Musical in July 2008, she moved back to Nashville to work on her second album, Achin' and Shakin'. [30] Her second album, 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.[31] It also charted internationally, where it reached number 34 on the Norwegian Albums Chart. 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.[32]
In mid-2013, Bell Bundy signed with Big Machine Records and released the single "Two Step", a duet with Colt Ford.[33] It peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. After many delays, Another Piece of Me was issued on June 9, 2015 as a digital-only release via Big Machine. No further singles were released from the album and Bell Bundy parted ways with Big Machine shortly after its release.
== Personal life ==
In December 2015, Bell Bundy announced her engagement to TBS executive Thom Hinkle after four years of dating. They were married on June 3, 2017 in Arcadia, California.[34]
== Discography ==
=== Studio albums ===
Title 	Album details 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions
Title 	Album details 	US Country
[35] 	US
[36] 	NOR
[37]
Longing for a Place Already Gone[38] 	
* Release date: June 5, 2007
* Label: The LAB Records
* Formats: CD, music download	— 	— 	—
I'll Be Home for Christmas[39] 	
* Release date: June 4, 2007
* Label: The LAB Records
* Formats: CD	— 	— 	—
Achin' and Shakin' 	
* Release date: April 13, 2010
* Label: Mercury Nashville
* Formats: CD, music download	5 	28 	34
Live at Jazzfest 2013[40] 	
* Release date:
* Label: Homegrown Music Network/MRI
* Formats: CD	— 	— 	—
Another Piece of Me[41] 	
* Release date: June 9, 2015
* Label: Big Machine Records
* Formats: Music download	— 	— 	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart
=== Singles ===
Year 	Single 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Album
Year 	Single 	US Country
[42] 	US Country Airplay 	US Bubbling
[43] 	US Dance
[44] 	Album
2010 	"Giddy On Up" 	31 	— 	7 	43 	Achin' and Shakin'
2010 	"Drop On By" 	48 	— 	— 	— 	Achin' and Shakin'
2012 	"That's What Angels Do" 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Another Piece of Me
2013 	"Two Step" 	— 	59 	— 	— 	Another Piece of Me
"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart
=== Music videos ===
Year	Video 	Director
2010	"Giddy On Up" 	Shane Drake[45]
2010	"Drop On By" 	Kristin Barlowe[46]
2012	"That's What Angels Do" 	Laura Bell Bundy/Becky Fluke[47]
2013	"Two Step" (with Colt Ford)	Laura Bell Bundy/Becky Fluke[47]
2013	"Kentucky Dirty"[48] 	Laura Bell Bundy/Becky Fluke[47]
2015	"I Am What I Am"[49] 	Becky Fluke
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1993	The Adventures of Huck Finn 	Susan Wilks[20] 	as Laura Bundy
1993	Life with Mikey 	Courtney Aspinall[21] 	as Laura Bundy
1995	Jumanji 	Young Sarah Whittle[22]	
2006	Surf School 	Doris[22] 	
2006	Dreamgirls 	Sweetheart[22] 	
2008	The Drum Beats Twice[50] 	Peggy 	as Laura Bundy
2013	Watercolor Postcards 	Sonny[22] 	
2016	After the Reality[51] 	 	
2017	Pure Country: Pure Heart[52]	Marq Dunn 	Direct to video
2017	Beauty Mark 	Lorraine[53] 	
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role[54] 	Notes
1996 	Home Improvement 	Sharon 	Episode: "Mrs. Wilson's Opus"
1999 	Strangers with Candy[55] 	Kimberly Timothy 	Pilot episode, unaired
2000–01	Guiding Light 	Marah Lewis 	10 episodes
2003 	All Grown Up 	Brenda 	Television movie
2005 	Veronica Mars 	Julie Bloch 	Episode: "Green-Eyed Monster"
2006 	Dirtbags 	Meg 	Television movie
2006 	Cold Case 	Nora McCarthy 	Episode: "Willkommen"
2006 	Modern Men 	Tyffani 	Episode: "The Homewrecker"
2008 	Happy Hour 	Alicia 	Episode: "Thanksgiving"
2010–14	How I Met Your Mother 	Becky 	5 episodes
2010 	Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List	Herself 	Episode: "Maggie, the Musical"
2011 	Trailer Trash 	Peggy Sue 	Unsold TV pilot
2011 	Hound Dogs 	Ginger Ledoux 	Television movie
2011 	To the Mat[56] 	Janice 	Television movie
2012–15	Hart of Dixie 	Shelby 	24 episodes
2013 	Malibu Country 	Shauna 	Episode: "Adventures in Babysitting"
2013 	Royal Pains 	Gina Black 	Episode: "A Trimus Story"
2013 	Dear Dumb Diary[57] 	Aunt Carol 	Television movie (Hallmark Channel)
2013–14	Anger Management 	Dr. Jordan Denby 	53 episodes
2015 	Becoming Santa 	Holly Claus 	Television movie
2016 	Almost Royal 	Herself 	Episode: "The Great Outdoors"
2016 	Angie Tribeca 	Vivian Tribeca 	Episode: "Murder in the First Class"
2016 	Scream Queens 	Nurse Thomas 	3 episodes
2016 	Documentary Now! 	Bridget Bailey 	Episode: "Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid"
2016 	Fuller House 	Ginger Gladstone 	Episode: "Fuller Thanksgiving"
2017 	Liv and Maddie 	Tracey Okahatchee	Episode: "Voice-A-Rooney"
2017 	The Christmas Calender 	Emily 	Television movie
== Awards and nominations ==
Year	Work 	Organization 	Category 	Result
2007	Legally Blonde: The Musical[58]	Tony Award[59] 	Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role in a Musical[59]	Nominated[59]
2007	Legally Blonde: The Musical[58]	Drama Desk Award[58] 	Outstanding Actress in a Musical[58] 	Nominated[58]
2010	Giddy On Up 	CMT Music Awards 	Breakthrough Video of the Year 	Nominated[60]
2010	Giddy On Up 	American Country Awards[61]	Music Video Breakthrough Artist[61] 	Nominated