Laura Bell Bundy

Biography

Laura Ashley Bell Bundy-Hinkle (born April 10, 1981) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. Her career started as a child, when her mother entered her in beauty pageants, where she would sing as a talent. After recognizing her singing ability, her mother took her to New York City, where she found success as a child actress and model, signing with Ford Modeling Agency in 1986. She was cast as the lead in Ruthless! at age 9 in 1991. She later gained wider recognition for her role as the young Sarah Whittle in 1995's Jumanji. Later she played Marah Lewis on the daytime soap Guiding Light from 1999 to 2001.
She is best known for originating the Broadway roles of Amber Von Tussle in the musical version of Hairspray and Elle Woods in the musical version of Legally Blonde in 2007, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. In 2010 she signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released her two country music singles, "Giddy On Up" and "Drop on By". Bundy is a co-founder of Womxn of Tomorrow, a foundation that supports and encourages women and women's rights. In 2023, she returned to Broadway, starring in The Cottage.

Early life

Laura Ashley Bell Bundy was born on April 10, 1981, in Euclid, Ohio, and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. Her mother, Lorna Bundy-Jones (née Lorna Ann Bell), is a Lancome Beauty Advisor at Ulta, and her father, Don Bundy, was an electrical engineer. Her parents divorced in 1997 when she was 16 years old; both later remarried. Her father died in 2018. She took dance lessons at Town and Village School of Dance in Paris, Kentucky. When she was nine, she appeared in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. Finding success on stage, she auditioned for roles in Les Misérables and The Will Rogers Follies before landing the lead role in Ruthless!.
In 1991, she moved to New York and attended the Professional Children's School while performing in Ruthless!. Five years later she moved back to Kentucky and graduated from Lexington Catholic High School. She is the niece of Marcia Malone Bell, Miss Kentucky 1978 and 1979 Top Ten Miss America semifinalist. Bell Bundy was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was about 18 years old. 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. During this time she began writing songs. Her first band was formed at the age of 18. While performing in Hairspray, she enrolled in NYU as a sociology major, but did not graduate.

Stage

Bell Bundy originated the role of Tina Denmark in Ruthless! The Musical which opened Off-Broadway in 1992. 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. 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.
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.
Her 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).
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. She would go on to play Elle again during the Nashville engagement of the national tour from June 23–28, 2009. However, she fractured her arm during the June 27, 2009 performance, finished the show, and was rushed to the hospital immediately after.
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.
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.
Bell Bundy appeared in the lead role of Sweet Charity staged and directed by Kathleen Marshall in June 2018 in Los Angeles. She returned to Broadway in the 2023 play The Cottage, which ran at the Hayes Theater from July through October 2023.

Film and television

Bell Bundy has appeared in films including The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), Life with Mikey (1993), and Jumanji (1995) as Young Sarah Whittle. In 1999, she debuted in the role of rebellious daughter Marah Lewis on the CBS daytime soap opera Guiding Light and playing the character until 2001. She appeared in the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls.
Bell Bundy was a judge at the Miss America 2009 pageant.
She 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. She reprised the role in the spinoff, How I Met Your Father.
Bell Bundy 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.
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. Bell Bundy also played Jordan's twin sister, Jessie.
In 2015, she starred in Becoming Santa, a Lifetime TV movie with Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter.
She starred 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+.

Country music

Bell Bundy released her debut country music album, titled Longing For a Place Already Gone×Longing for a Place Already Gone24 July 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Fool Moon2:332Texas4:193Between Me and You4:374Just Me4:005Fallin’4:236Designated Drunk3:487Lovin’ and Livin’3:418I’ll Make the Money3:419The C Word2:2410Long Blonde Hair3:4511Good Genes3:2212Bad Boy3:3513Just Pretend That You Love Me3:5814Dancing With Myself5:3015Lovin’5:1016Texas3:54, in 2007.
After leaving Legally Blonde: The Musical in July 2008, she moved back to Nashville to work on her second album, Achin' and Shakin'. 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. 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×That's What Angels Do31 July 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1That's What Angels Do3:37", in 2012.
In mid-2013, she 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. Her third album Another Piece of Me×Another Piece of Me9 June 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Love Me Like a Lady3:072Two Step (feat. Colt Ford)3:093Happy Yet3:584She Only Wants to Dance3:275China and Wine4:306Let's Pretend We're Married3:507I Am What I Am4:098That's What Angels Do3:369Making Me Feel3:1010Kentucky Dirty3:1211Give My Broken Heart a Break3:1812Maps Out the Window3:0513Missin' Me Yet3:0714Another Piece of Me3:5615Wait Until the Sun Goes Down3:31 was digitally released in June 2015.

Director

In July 2017, Bell Bundy co-directed Lexington Theatre Company production of Legally Blonde: The Musical at Lexington Opera House. On November 12, 2017, she directed a concert of Double Standards at The Town Hall.
In 2018, she wrote and directed music videos for a Barefoot Wine campaign.
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.

Podcasts and Women of Tomorrow

On October 5, 2020, she and music producer Shea Carter launched their podcast Women of Tomorrow, 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."
Her fourth album Women of Tomorrow×Women of Tomorrow7 May 2021 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1American Girl4:022Money Ho (Let's Get Down to Business)3:023Girls Just Want to Have Fun4:124Digital Disease3:205Red Rover3:266Sick of Saying Sorry4:477Cat Fight3:468Good Guy4:009Calling All Lost Boys3:2610Get It Girl, You Go3:37 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.
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.

Personal life

In December 2015, she announced her engagement to TBS executive Thom Hinkle after four years of dating. They were married on June 3, 2017, in Arcadia, California. On February 25, 2019, she announced that she was pregnant with her first child. Their son was born in May 2019.
Bell Bundy is an activist focused on women's rights and equality. She is the founder of Double Standards Organization and Womxn of Tomorrow.

Cast recordings and soundtracks

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)

Other recordings

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

Demo readings

Blood Drive
But I'm a Cheerleader
Hairspray