is a bit of a rarity in Hollywood—a tantalizing actress who’s actually smart. And funny. And down-to-earth, which means no flashing her bits to the paparazzi  (trust us, we Googled it). The 27-year-old burst onto the scene in 2004, starring in Veronica Mars as the eponymous heroine, and won the hearts of fanboys (and us) faster than you could say “Nancy Drew who?” Yet she still managed to fly under most people’s radar.

After a flurry of work, though, the diminutive Bell is looming large in the spotlight: This past fall, she joined the hit show Heroes as supercharged vixen Elle, taking over as the reigning hot hero (sorry, Hayden). And in January she puts her hyperdrive quick wit to use in Fanboys, a flick about a group of friends plotting to steal an early print of Star Wars: Episode I. She also stars opposite Jason Segel in the upcoming Judd Apatow–produced Forgetting Sarah Marshall—a comedy about a TV starlet who breaks up with her average-Joe boyfriend. While Hollywood worshipped divas who were as fake as their racks, Bell was keeping things real. Trifeys, listen and learn: Hollywood’s about to be saved by the Bell.

By Tim Leong
Photographs by Matt Doyle
Styling by Jewels

Complex: So we’ve all heard that nerdy is the new cool.
Kristen Bell: It is. Geek chic.

C: And that’s something that’s definitely been associated with you.
Kristen Bell: I’m flattered. [Laughs.]

C: How do people know you’re not a poser?
Kristen Bell: They don’t. Here’s what I like about it: For the longest time trying to be cool was cool, and then trying to be cool became annoying. And what was previously perceived as nerdy is now viewed as original. What I like about nerdiness, geekiness, is it doesn’t really matter what you’re into—it just means you’re not a follower. People who like what they like and don’t apologize for it just because it’s not mainstream.

C: Such as?
Kristen Bell: I ordered walkie-talkie watches from the Sharper Image catalog because sometimes I want to talk to someone who’s in a different room in my house. And I make my roommate wear one, and sometimes I’ll just be like, “Hey, bring the orange juice upstairs!” or whatever. That may not be what you’d think a typical 27-year-old woman would be into. [Laughs.] I have fierce running charade parties - full-contact running charades. You can move furniture, you can use the dogs as booby traps. There is clotheslining. Pretty much anything goes. I have no furniture in my front living room because I like to have dance parties or headstand contests.