Lake Bell is one of those actors who might not be a household name but she is someone who you have almost certainly seen. The talented lady has been performing since the early 2000s and has plenty of credits to her name. Those roles span both the world of television and feature films.
She has appeared here or there in notable shows like New Girl, The League, and Drunk History. However, to find the best work of her career, only television series where she appeared in at least five episodes are being considered, as well as the movies she has starred in.
Million Dollar Arm (7.0)
2014 saw Lake Bell appear in a few noteworthy films. One of them was the popular kid's movie, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, while the other was a more dramatic Disney release. That was Million Dollar Arm, which tells the story of two Indian baseball pitchers who were discovered after winning a reality show competition.
Both pitchers went on to make history and sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The film is led by Jon Hamm as the agent who discovers them, while Bell is part of the supporting cast as his tenant Brenda, who helps him and the pitchers out.
Surface (7.2)
For a lot of people, Surface marked their introduction to Lake Bell. It was the first time that she really got to shine as the lead role in something, scoring top billing in this short-lived series that ran from 2005 until 2006 and spanned 15 episodes as Laura Daugherty.
This sci-fi series aired on NBC and focused on a marine biologist (Bell), a teenager, and an insurance salesman who all come into contact with a dangerous sea creature that the government hides a lot of information about. Despite solid reviews, it didn't have enough viewers to gain a second season.
Shot Caller (7.3)
Thanks to Game of Thrones, practically everyone knows about Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who portrayed Jaime Lannister in the series. However, he's almost totally unrecognizable as the lead character in the 2017 crime thriller Shot Caller.
The film follows a stockbroker who gets put in jail after someone dies in a DUI he causes. While in prison, he completely transforms into a hardened gangster, turning a 16-month sentence into several years. Lake Bell has a supporting role as Kate Harlon, his wife.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp (7.4)
In 2001, Wet Hot American Summer was released and failed both commercially and critically. Over time though, it became a cult classic that starred many future notable actors like Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, and Elizabeth Banks. In 2015, a hilarious prequel series arrived on Netflix.
That was Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and it saw the original cast return to play younger versions of themselves even if they were over a decade older by then. Lake Bell joined the cast as Donna Berman, appearing in seven of the eight episodes. She'd also return for the Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later series in 2017.
Childrens Hospital (7.8)
The success of Childrens Hospital is almost baffling. A dark comedy series staring actual people becoming a hit on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim didn't seem possible but it happened. To be fair, Adult Swim was known for making the strangest of shows work.
Childrens Hospital was a short-form series running from 2008-2016, with each episode usually lasting about 11 minutes, and worked as a spoof on medical dramas. The cast featured strong comedic talents like Rob Corddry (who also created it), Ken Marino, Henry Winkler, and Megan Mullally. Bell played Dr. Cat Black for 57 episodes.
How To Make It In America (7.9)
How to Make It in America only lasted two seasons on HBO but was well-liked while it was around. The series debuted in 2010 and centered on two friends named Ben and Cam as they hustle their way to try and find success in the New York City fashion scene.
Lake Bell had a major role as Rachel Chapman, the ex-girlfriend of Ben who eventually begins a relationship with his friend Domingo (rapper Kid Cudi). The cancellation of the show led to the loyal fanbase being upset and executive producer Mark Wahlberg was hopeful for a revival that never came.
Boston Legal (8.4)
This was the first big show that Lake Bell had the chance to appear on. Boston Legal was one of the most popular dramas during the 2000s, spanning five seasons and 101 episodes between 2004 and 2008. The show was led by the likes of James Spader and William Shatner.
Boston Legal was actually a spin-off of The Practice, which ran from 1997 until 2004. Lake Bell was part of the main cast in season one as Sally Heep, a character she actually debuted in a short run on The Practice. Bell returned as a guest during the third season.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (8.4)
Lake Bell has done a fair amount of voice work in her career, which is pretty cool considering she directed, wrote, and starred in a movie about voiceover work titled In a World. In 2018, Bell got to lend her voice to an Academy Award-winning film in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
The outstanding movie centers around Miles Morales, a teen who gains the powers of Spider-Man and teams up with other Spider-People from multiple dimensions to stop Kingpin, also known as Wilson Fisk. Bell voices Wilson's wife Vanessa in a few short scenes.
Harley Quinn (8.5)
It's fitting to have just mentioned voice work because that's what all of Lake Bell's best projects feature. Her greatest work as a character is arguably what she has done as Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy in the Harley Quinn animated series that premiered in 2019.
Harley Quinn is an adult animated series that follows the exploits of the titular character as she breaks away from The Joker to become her own villain/anti-hero. Quinn bonds with Ivy, who is arguably the best character on the show, and their relationship is universally praised. Bell also voices a few smaller characters.
Bojack Horseman (8.7)
Netflix's Bojack Horseman is another one of those shows that shouldn't work on paper but is incredible in execution. Set in a world with anthropomorphic animals, it focuses on a horse who is a former '90s television star struggling with depression, addiction, and more.
With an unexpected mix of comedy, heartbreak, and some really emotional storylines, Bojack Horseman hit audiences a lot harder than expected. It ran from 2014 until 2020. Lake Bell voiced Katrina Peanutbutter, the abusive ex-wife of Mr. Peanutbutter, in nine episodes.