Laura Bell Bundy

Bundy originated the role of Tina Denmark in Ruthless! The Musical which opened Off-Broadway in 1992.[9] For this role, 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 Glinda standby for Kristin Chenoweth in Wicked.[11]

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]

Bundy's theatre credits outside of New York City include the national tour of The Sound of Music and Gypsy with Betty Buckley and Deborah Gibson at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey (1998).[13]

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 Wicked alum 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 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.[18]

Bundy appeared in the lead role of Sweet Charity staged and directed by Kathleen Marshall in June 2018 in Los Angeles.[19]

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]

Bundy was a judge at the Miss America 2009 pageant.[24]

Bundy had a recurring role on the sixth season of CBS's How I Met Your Mother as Becky, Robin's co-anchor.[25] She would reprise the role in the spinoff, How I Met Your Father.[26] Bell Bundy had a recurring role as Shelby on The CW's Hart of Dixie from 2012 until 2015.[27]

She starred as Dr. Jordan Denby on the FX sitcom Anger Management in 2013.[28]

In 2015, she starred in Becoming Santa, a Lifetime TV movie with Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter.[29]

She currently stars as Rachel Ragland on The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, a live action sequel series to The Fairly OddParents, which premiered March 31, 2022 on Paramount+.[30]

Bell Bundy at Birdland in July 2007

Bundy released her debut country music album, titled Longing For a Place Already Gone, in 2007.[31]

After leaving Legally Blonde: The Musical in July 2008, she moved back to Nashville to work on her second album, Achin' and Shakin'.[32] 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.[33] 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.[34]

In mid-2013, Bundy signed with Big Machine Records and released the single "Two Step", a duet with Colt Ford.[35]

On October 5, 2020, she and music producer Shea Carter launched their podcast Women of Tomorrow,[36] an extension 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.".[37]

Laura Bell 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.[38]

• Legally Blonde - Cast Recording (2008)