Jillian Leigh Bell (born April 25, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She was a writer for the 35th season of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live between 2009 and 2010.
Since her departure from SNL, she has had starring roles in the films Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) and I'm Totally Fine (2022). Her other film credits include 22 Jump Street (2014), Fist Fight (2017), Godmothered (2020), and Candy Cane Lane (2023). Bell is engaged to illustrator and musician Luke McGarry.
She has also acted in television, starring as Jillian Belk on Workaholics, voicing Violet Hart on Bless the Harts, and in a recurring role as Dixie on the final season of Eastbound & Down.
Early life Bell was born and raised in Henderson, Nevada. She began studying improv at age eight. She graduated from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas in 2002, moved to Los Angeles, and became a member of the comedy group The Groundlings.
Career Bell auditioned for Saturday Night Live, and although she did not join the cast, she became a writer for the show in 2009 for its 35th season. That year she also appeared in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm as an assistant wearing revealing clothing at work.
In 2011, Bell began playing Jillian Belk on the Comedy Central series Workaholics. Film director Paul Thomas Anderson saw her in it and gave her a small role in his 2012 film The Master, then another small role in his 2014 film Inherent Vice. She had a recurring role as Dixie in the fourth and final season of Eastbound & Down. In 2014, she appeared in 22 Jump Street with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. In 2015, she co-starred in Goosebumps and The Night Before.
In January 2016, Bell portrayed the constantly misbehaving adult daughter of wealthy parents in a Comedy Central series, Idiotsitter; it had originally launched as a web series in early 2014. She starred as the Fairy Godmother in Disney's Godmothered, a film released on Disney+ in 2020 and also starring Isla Fisher.
Filmography +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released
Film Year Title Role Notes 2011 Bridesmaids Girl at Shower 2012 Love, Gloria Cheryl The Master Susan Gregory2014 22 Jump Street Mercedes Nillsen Inherent Vice Chlorinda2015 Goosebumps Lorraine Conyers The Night Before Betsy Greenberg2016 The Angry Birds Movie Helene the Lunch Mom, Yoga Instructor Voice Office Christmas Party Trina Vanstone 2017 Fist Fight Counselor Holly Rough Night Alice 2018 Game Over, Man! Embarrassed Girl 2019 Brittany Runs a Marathon Brittany Forgler Also executive producer Sword of Trust Cynthia 2020 Cowboys Sally Bill & Ted Face the Music Dr. Taylor Wood Godmothered Eleanor Fay Bloomingbottom / Fairy Godmother 2022 The Drop Lindsey I'm Totally Fine Vanessa 2023 Murder Mystery 2 SusanFool's Paradise Shaman Good Burger 2 Katt Bozwell Candy Cane Lane Pepper 2024 Reunion Vivian Also executive producer 2025 Kinda Pregnant Kate Summer of 69 Cashier Also director
Television Year Title Role Notes 2006 Crossbows & Mustaches Denise Television shorts 2007–2008 Preppy Hippies Jillian 5 episodes2009 Waiting to Die Kristy Pilot Worst Week Eleanor Episode: "The Puppy" 2009–2010 Saturday Night Live Team Helga Curling Player Episode: "Jennifer Lopez"; also writer 2009–2024 Curb Your Enthusiasm Maureen 2 episodes2011 Franklin & Bash Jennifer Putnam Episode: "Jennifer of Troy" Friends with Benefits Amanda Episode: "The Benefit of Keeping Your Ego in Check" 2011–2017 Workaholics Jillian Belk 44 episodes 2012–2013 Partners Renata 6 episodes2013 To My Future Assistant Pilot Eastbound & Down Dixie 8 episodes High School USA! Miriam Voice, episode: "Rumsprinabreakers" 2014 Gravity Falls MelodyVoice, 2 episodes 2015 Lucas Bros Moving Co Beyonce, Laura 2015–2019 SuperMansion Lex Lightning Voice, 20 episodes2016 Portlandia Car Rental Clerk Episode: "Weirdo Beach" Son of Zorn Dorothy Clementina, Headbutt Girl Voice, episode: "Return of the Drinking Buddy" 2016–2017 Idiotsitter Genevieve "Gene" Russell Also creator and writer 2017 Dogs In a Park Various Dogs 8 episodes 2018 Drunk History Clara Kinsey Episode: "Sex" 2018–present Bob's Burgers Mandy, Nat Voice, 7 episodes2019 Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television Herself Episode: "The Rhy Chromosome" Neurotica Hailey Episode: "Eureka!" What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage Herself Episode: "Elevator" Human Discoveries Minerva Voice, recurring role Archer Captain Glenda Price Voice, episode: "Dining with the Zarglorp" Nailed It! Guest host Episode: "One Fail, Two Fail. I Fail, You Fail!" 2019–2021 Bless the Harts Violet Hart Voice, recurring role 2019–2022 Green Eggs and Ham Gluntz Voice, recurring role2020 Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party Herself Episode: "The Eggplant Parm Episode" Room 104 Sam Episode: "Star Time" 2021 Home Sweet Homegoods Jillian 6 episodes2022 Tales of the Walking Dead Gina Episode: "Blair / Gina" Roar Christina Episode: "The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder" Impractical Jokers Herself Episode: "Jillian Bell" 2023 History of the World, Part II Head Writer Episode: "VIII"2024Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesLee the EelVoice, guest role2025Sausage Party: FoodtopiaTrish the WalnutVoice, main role
Accolades In 2010, Bell was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for her work in the writers' room on Saturday Night Live. In 2015, she was nominated for two MTV Movie Awards for her work on 22 Jump Street: Best Villain and, with co-star Jonah Hill, Best Fight.
In 2019, she received the Fairbanks Award at the San Diego International Film Festival and the Next Wave Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
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