Kristen Bell has been confirmed as returning as this year’s host of the Actor Awards, but how much do you know about this star of the screen?
Hollywood star Kristen Bell has been confirmed as the host of the 2026 Actor Awards – formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards – which will take place on March 1.
In a news release, per The Hollywood Reporter Kristen, said of the news: “I’ve enjoyed hosting the show every time, so it was an easy decision to come back for a third. What I’m most excited for is the fact that I’ll be doing what every actor does best… sing.”
Kristen hosted last year’s show too, opening with a song, ‘Do you want to be an actor?’ to the tune of ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman?’ from Frozen, where Kristen famously voiced the character of Anna.
But how much do you know about Kristen Bell? Here are some facts you might not know.
Kristen didn’t like her name when she was a child
Kristen was the name her parents gave her, and the one she uses professionally and always has done. But there was a time she didn’t like the name. When she was four, she declared she didn’t like her name, so her mother encouraged her to use her middle name, Anne, instead. However, by the time she got to high school, Kristen had reverted to using her first name.
Kristen almost got her degree
Kristen is another actor who attended university but dropped out before she graduated because her career took off. Kristen attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied – obviously – musical theater.
Kristen was just six credits shy of graduating when she dropped out of university, but the opportunity of appearing in a Broadway musical was too much to turn down. In a later interview with now-defunct website IVillage, Kristen said: “You get to the point where you don’t need a degree to be an actor.”
She’s been voted ‘world’s sexiest vegetarian – twice
Kristen has been a vegetarian for many years, and this – as well as her attractiveness – has been recognised by PETA.
PETA – the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – runs a yearly ‘World’s Sexiest Vegetarian’ poll, and Kristen has been voted top on two occasions, 2006 and 2013.
Kristen proposed via Twitter
Kristen has been married to fellow actor Dax Shepard since October 2013, but their path to marriage wasn’t straightforward. They began dating in 2007, and got engaged in January 2010. However, they decided to delay their marriage until the state of California legalised same-sex marriage. When section 4 of the Defense of Marriage Act was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on June 26, 2013, Kristen took to Twitter (as it then was, now X to some) to ask Dax to marry her. He duly accepted.
Why Kristen wears scuba gloves while swimming
Kristen wears scuba gloves when she goes swimming, even if diving isn’t involved but there is a specific reason for it. Kristen has a fear of the sensation of touching things with ‘prune fingers’ – the wrinkling that happens after skin has been in water for some time. Kristen revealed this in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel in 2018, adding that wearing the gloves means she can swim with her children without fearing touching them.
Kristen practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Kristen practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a martial art based on grappling, ground fighting and submission holds. It is based on the concept that a smaller, weaker person can defend against a bigger opponent by using leverage and weight distribution. Kristen revealed she was taking classes with her daughter.
