Before she begins working on Frozen 2, Kristen Bell will play a baddie of sorts. She’s starring alongside Ted Danson in The Good Place an NBC comedy about a selfish woman (Bell) who accidentally ends up in the Eden-like “good place” after she dies. TIME caught up with Bell at Comic-Con to talk about why she loves to play unlikable people, her favorite TV show Game of Thrones and how her Frozen character might fit in at Westeros.
TIME: You’ve played some very likeable characters—Veronica Mars, Anna in Frozen—but also unlikable ones like this one—Sarah Marshall and now Eleanor in The Good Place. Do you try to vary it up?
Bell: No. I don’t tend to get an idea of what type of person I want to play and search for it. That said, when I come across a character that’s more unlikable or selfish or has intentions that could be viewed as negative, I do find it an exciting challenge to try to humanize that person. That’s why I gravitated toward Sarah Marshall. I believe very few people on this planet are malicious for the sake of it. I think everyone is trying to be good and are sometimes misguided.
On the show certain deeds give you “good points” and some “bad points.” When they’re added up, that determines if the person goes to the good place or the bad place. The list of good and bad deeds is hilarious. Did you have a favorite?
I think one of my favorites is “Started to write a social media post about David Bowie dying then stopped and realized I don’t need to comment publicly on David Bowie’s death.” That got you into the good place. I think they’re all things we deal with every day that people roll their eyes at.
I’ve seen some Khaleesi-Elsa comparisons online. I know you’re a big Game of Thrones fan so who, in your expert opinion, do you think Anna would be on the show?
Arya Stark for sure. I think what we saw in the most recent episode was Arya turning away from the Many-Faced God because she remembered she was a Stark and was going to follow her moral barometer over anything else. I think she also is desperate to get back to her family, and I think those things are all really important to Anna. But Anna could never be as violent as Arya is.
That would make for a disturbing Frozen sequel. Who do you think should end up on the Iron Throne?
Anyone but Cersei.
You just said unlikable characters are great.
They are! To play, but I just don’t think she’s good for the people of Westeros.
Your new movie Bad Moms comes out this week. You’ve said you related to it as a mom. Was there a particular scene or moment in the script that made you say, “I have to do this movie”?
The script was the funniest thing I had ever read in my career to date. But I think the most authentic part of it is when my character actually says something along the lines of, “You try your best to raise a good person, and you don’t know whether they’ve succeeded until they grow up and it’s too late.” Which is really true. I think every mom’s goal is to not raise a jerk.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How Donald Trump Won
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- Why Sleep Is the Key to Living Longer
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Nicola Coughlan Bet on Herself—And Won
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- 22 Essential Works of Indigenous Cinema
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com