Laura Bell Bundy
Laura Ashley Bell Bundy (born April 10, 1981) is an American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway roles, including the original Amber Von Tussle in the musical version of Hairspray, the original Elle Woods in the musical version of Legally Blonde, and Dr. Jordan Denby on television's Anger Management. She signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released her first country music single, "Giddy On Up", on February 20, 2010. The album's second single, "Drop on By", was released to country radio on August 9, 2010.
Laura Bell Bundy | |
|---|---|
 Bell Bundy in April 2010 | |
| Born | Laura Ashley Bell Bundy April 10, 1981 Euclid, Ohio, U.S.[1] |
| Other names | Laura Bell, Laura Bundy |
| Occupation | Actress, country singer, dancer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouse(s) | Thom Hinkle (m. 2017) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | laurabellbundy |
Early life
Bundy was born in Euclid, Ohio, and raised in Lexington, Kentucky.[2][3] Her mother, Lorna Bundy-Jones (née Lorna Ann Bell), is a Lancome Beauty Advisor at Ulta and her father, Don Bundy, is an electrical engineer. Her parents divorced in 1997 when she was 16 years old; both have since remarried.[4] She took dance lessons at Town and Village School of Dance in Paris, Kentucky.[5] When she was nine she appeared in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. She graduated from Lexington Catholic High School.[5] She is the niece of Marcia Malone Bell, Miss Kentucky 1978 and 1979 Top Ten Miss America semifinalist.[6] Bell Bundy was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was about 18 years old.[7] 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.[8]
Career
Stage
Bundy originated the role of Tina Denmark in the musical Ruthless! The Musical which opened Off-Broadway in 1992.[9] For this part, 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]
Credits outside of New York City include the national tour of The Sound of Music, 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, Milburn, New Jersey on September 28, 2017, running to 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]
Film and television
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' How I Met Your Mother as Becky, Robin's co-anchor. [25]Bell Bundy had a recurring role as Shelby on The CW's Hart of Dixie from 2012 until 2015.[26]
She starred as Dr. Jordan Denby on the FX sitcom Anger Management in 2013.[27]
In 2015, she starred in Becoming Santa a Lifetime TV movie with Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter.[28]
Country music
Bundy released her debut country music album titled Longing For a Place Already Gone in 2007.[29]
After leaving Legally Blonde: The Musical in July 2008, she moved back to Nashville to work on her second album, Achin' and Shakin'.[30] Her second album, 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.[31] 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.[32]
In mid-2013, Bundy signed with Big Machine Records and released the single "Two Step", a duet with Colt Ford.[33]
Personal life
In December 2015, Bundy announced her engagement to TBS executive Thom Hinkle after four years of dating. They were married on June 3, 2017, in Arcadia, California.[34] On February 25, 2019 she announced that she was pregnant with her first child.[35] Their son was born in May 2019.[36]
In March 2020, Bundy announced on social media that she had tested positive for COVID-19 but has recovered since then.[37]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [38] |
US [39] |
NOR [40] | ||
| Longing for a Place Already Gone[41] |
|
— | — | — |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas[42] |
|
— | — | — |
| Achin' and Shakin' |
|
5 | 28 | 34 |
| Live at Jazzfest 2013[43] |
|
— | — | — |
| Another Piece of Me[44] |
|
— | — | — |
| Women of Tomorrow[45] |
|
— | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [46] |
US Country Airplay | US Bubbling [47] |
US Dance [48] | |||
| 2010 | "Giddy On Up" | 31 | — | 7 | 43 | Achin' and Shakin' |
| "Drop On By" | 48 | — | — | — | ||
| 2012 | "That's What Angels Do" | — | — | — | — | Another Piece of Me |
| 2013 | "Two Step" | — | 59 | — | — | |
| 2020 | "Get It Girl, You Go" (with Shoshana Bean and Anika Noni Rose)[45] |
— | — | — | — | Women of Tomorrow |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Adventures of Huck Finn | Susan Wilks[20] | as Laura Bundy |
| 1993 | Life with Mikey | Courtney Aspinall[21] | as Laura Bundy |
| 1995 | Jumanji | Young Sarah Whittle[22] | |
| 2006 | Surf School | Doris[22] | |
| 2006 | Dreamgirls | Sweetheart[22] | |
| 2008 | The Drum Beats Twice | Peggy | as Laura Bundy |
| 2013 | Watercolor Postcards | Sonny[22] | |
| 2016 | After the Reality[54] | ||
| 2017 | Pure Country: Pure Heart[55] | Marq Dunn | Direct to video |
| 2017 | Beauty Mark | Lorraine[56] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role[57] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Home Improvement | Sharon | Episode: "Mrs. Wilson's Opus" |
| 1999 | Strangers with Candy[58] | Kimberly Timothy | Pilot episode, unaired |
| 2000–01 | Guiding Light | Marah Lewis | Series regular |
| 2003 | All Grown Up | Brenda | Television film |
| 2005 | Veronica Mars | Julie Bloch | Episode: "Green-Eyed Monster" |
| 2006 | Dirtbags | Meg | Television film |
| 2006 | Cold Case | Nora McCarthy | Episode: "Willkommen" |
| 2006 | Modern Men | Tyffani | Episode: "The Homewrecker" |
| 2008 | Happy Hour | Alicia | Episode: "Thanksgiving" |
| 2010–14 | How I Met Your Mother | Becky | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Herself | Episode: "Maggie, the Musical" |
| 2011 | Trailer Trash | Peggy Sue | Unsold television film |
| 2011 | Hound Dogs | Ginger Ledoux | Television film |
| 2011 | To the Mat[59] | Janice | Television film |
| 2012–15 | Hart of Dixie | Shelby | 24 episodes |
| 2013 | Malibu Country | Shauna | Episode: "Adventures in Babysitting" |
| 2013 | Royal Pains | Gina Black | Episode: "A Trimus Story" |
| 2013 | Dear Dumb Diary[60] | Aunt Carol | Television film |
| 2013–14 | Anger Management | Dr. Jordan Denby | 53 episodes |
| 2015 | Becoming Santa | Holly Claus | Television film |
| 2016 | Almost Royal | Herself | Episode: "The Great Outdoors" |
| 2016 | Angie Tribeca | Vivian Tribeca | Episode: "Murder in the First Class" |
| 2016 | Scream Queens | Nurse Thomas | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Documentary Now! | Bridget Bailey | Episode: "Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid" |
| 2016 | Fuller House | Ginger Gladstone | Episode: "Fuller Thanksgiving" |
| 2016 | Season's Greetings | Darcy Blake | Television film |
| 2017 | Liv and Maddie | Tracey Okahatchee | Episode: "Voice-A-Rooney" |
| 2017 | The Christmas Calendar | Emily | Canadian television film |
| 2019 | American Gods | Columbia | Episode: "Donar the Great" |
| 2019–20 | Perfect Harmony | Kimmy Bell | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | AJ and the Queen | Bernadette Anderson | Episode: "Mt. Juliet" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work | Organization | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Legally Blonde: The Musical[61] | Tony Award[62] | Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role in a Musical[62] | Nominated[62] |
| Drama Desk Award[61] | Outstanding Actress in a Musical[61] | Nominated[61] | ||
| 2010 | Giddy On Up | CMT Music Awards | Breakthrough Video of the Year | Nominated[63] |
| American Country Awards[64] | Music Video Breakthrough Artist[64] | Nominated[64] |
References
- "Laura Bell Bundy". Ageeyehaircolor.com. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- Biography umgnashville.com, accessed November 17, 2010
- Bialas, Michael. "Cowgirl Power: 10 Reasons to Root, Root, Root for Laura Bell Bundy" Huffington Post, June 8, 2010
- "The Official Website of Laura Bell Bundy :: Bio" Archived January 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Official Website of Laura Bell Bundy. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
- "Lex’s Laura Bell Bundy hits big-time (again) with lead role in TV’s 'Anger Management'" kyforward.com, August 7, 2013
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Laura Bell Bundy Shares Her Struggle With Wheat! fitperez.com, November 1, 2010
- "Jumanji Overview and Cast" tcm.com, retrieved August 7, 2018
- Holden, Stephen. "Theater in Review" The New York Times, May 13, 1992
- Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review. Through Hot Pink Glasses, a World That's Nice" The New York Times, August 16, 2002
- " 'Rock of Ages' Musical" Archived May 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com
- Hetrick, Adam. "Laura Bell Bundy Exits Broadways 'Legally Blonde' July 20" Playbill, July 20, 2008
- Klein, Alvin. "Theater Review. When a Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose Indeed" The New York Times, September 20, 1998
- Laura Bell Bundy to Join LEGALLY BLONDE Tour as Temporary Replacement broadwayworld.com, January 10, 2009
- Hetrick, Adam. "Bundy to Headline Nashville Engagement of Legally Blonde Tour," Playbill.com, June 22, 2009
- Soltes, Fiona.'Legally Blonde' star Bundy injured,"The Tennessean, June 30, 2009
- Gans, Andrew. "Broadway Chance Style Benefit, with Bundy, Michele, Espinosa, Cusick, Presented Sept. 27" Playbill, September 27, 2008
- McPhee, Ryan. "Watch Footage of Leslie Kritzer, Laura Bell Bundy, and More in 'The Honeymooners' " Playbill, October 3, 2017
- "Full Cast Set for Los Angeles Sweet Charity, Starring Laura Bell Bundy". Playbill.com. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- " The Adventures of Huck Finn Cast" tcm.com, retrieved August 7, 2018
- Life with Mikey tcm.com, retrieved August 7, 2018
- "Laura Bell Bundy Filmography" allmovie.com, retrieved November 15, 2017
- Dreamgirls tcm.com, retrieved August 8, 2018
- 2009 Miss America Pageant Puts the Spotlight On National Judges Saturday Archived April 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine missamerica.org, December 1, 2008
- Ausiello, Michael (August 5, 2010). "Exclusive: Laura Bell Bundy joins 'How I Met Your Mother' as [spoiler alert]!". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- Ng, Philiana. " 'Hart of Dixie' Taps Broadway Actress Laura Bell Bundy for Season 2" Hollywood Reporter, August 6, 2012
- Day, Patrick Kevin. "Laura Bell Bundy joins 'Anger Management'" Los Angeles Times, August 6, 2013
- Becoming Santa rottentomatoes.com, retrieved August 8, 2018
- Longing For a Place Already Gone allmusic.com
- Pastorek, Whitney."Broadway star Laura Bell Bundy kicks off her 'crazy' country career: A Music Mix Q&A" Entertainment Weekly, April 12, 2010
- "Dierks Leads Four New Albums into Country Top 10 | New Country Music, Listen to Songs & Video". Roughstock.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
- "That's What Angels Do - Laura Bell Bundy - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Kratofil, Colleen (June 3, 2017). "Laura Bell Bundy Is Married! Get All the Details on Her Custom Sherri Hill Wedding Dress". People. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- Fierberg, Ruth (February 26, 2019). "Tony Nominee Laura Bell Bundy Is Pregnant". Playbill. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- Meyer, Dan. "Tony Nominee Laura Bell Bundy and Husband Thom Hinkle Welcome First Child" Playbill, May 21, 2019
- Patton, Janet (March 25, 2020). "'It's very very scary. Of course I'm scared:' Lexington's Laura Bell Bundy has coronavirus". Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- "Laura Bell Bundy Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
- "Laura Bell Bundy Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
- "norwegiancharts.com - Norwegian charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
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- "I'll Be Home for Christmas" allmusic.com, retrieved August 8, 2018
- "Live at Jazzfest 2013", New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival homegrownmusic.net, retrieved August 8, 2018
- Nicholson, Jessica (May 15, 2015). "Laura Bell Bundy To Reveal 'Another Piece of Me' June 9". MusicRow. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- "ONErpm Signs Laura Bell Bundy For New Album Release". All Access. August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- "Laura Bell Bundy Album & Song Chart History - Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
- Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 127. ISBN 0-89820-188-8.
- "Laura Bell Bundy Album & Song Chart History - Hot Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
- "Laura Bell Bundy – "Giddy on Up" « Shane Drake".
- "Rhet Bear - Director of Photography". rhetbear.com.
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- Wyland, Sarah (November 20, 2013). "Watch Laura Bell Bundy's "Kentucky Dirty" Music Video". Great American Country. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
- "CMT : Videos : Laura Bell Bundy : I Am What I Am". Country Music Television. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- Hipes, Patrick. "The Orchard Picks Matthew Morrison-Sarah Chalke Indie ‘After The Reality' " deadline.com, April 7, 2017
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