Laura Ashley Bell Bundy–Hinkle (born April 10, 1981) is an American actress and singer. Her career started as a child, when her mother entered her in beauty pageants, where she would sing as a talent. After recognizing her singing ability, her mother took her to New York City, where she found success as a child actress and model, signing with Ford Modeling Agency in 1986. She was cast as the lead in Ruthless! at age 9 in 1991.[1]
She is best known for originating the Broadway roles of Amber Von Tussle in the musical version of Hairspray and Elle Woods in the musical version of Legally Blonde, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. In 2010 she signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released her two country music singles, "Giddy On Up" and "Drop on By". Bundy is a co-founder of Womxn of Tomorrow, a foundation that supports and encourages women and women's rights. In 2023, she returned to Broadway, starring in The Cottage.
Early life
Laura Ashley Bell 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, was an electrical engineer. Her parents divorced in 1997 when she was 16 years old; both later remarried. Her father died in 2018.[4][5] She took dance lessons at Town and Village School of Dance in Paris, Kentucky.[6] When she was nine, she appeared in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. Finding success on stage, she auditioned for roles in Les Misérables and The Will Rogers Follies before landing the lead role in Ruthless!.[7]
In 1991, she moved to New York and attended the Professional Children's School while performing in Ruthless!.[8] Five years later she moved back to Kentucky and graduated from Lexington Catholic High School.[6] She is the niece of Marcia Malone Bell, Miss Kentucky 1978 and 1979 Top Ten Miss America semifinalist.[9] Bell Bundy was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was about 18 years old.[10] 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.[11] During this time she began writing songs. Her first band was formed at the age of 18. While performing in Hairspray, she enrolled in NYU as a sociology major, but did not graduate.[12]
Career
Stage
Bell Bundy originated the role of Tina Denmark in Ruthless! The Musical which opened Off-Broadway in 1992.[13] Tina Denmark is a child actress who wants to be in show business, and she'll do anything to get what she wants. For this role, she was nominated for a 1993 Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle 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. Amber is a bratty, selfish resident princess of The Corny Collins Show.[14] Bell Bundy was next a Glinda standby for Kristin Chenoweth in Wicked. She starred as Sherrie Christian in the jukebox musical Rock of Ages in Los Angeles.[15]
From 2007 to July 2008, she starred on Broadway in Legally Blonde: The Musical where she originated the lead role of Elle Woods. Elle is a sorority sister, president of the Delta Nu who finds herself at Harvard University studying to become a lawyer. For this role she received her first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.[16]
Bell 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, alongside Lauren Zakrin. Bell Bundy began her brief run on January 13, 2009, and ended on February 22, 2009.[18] She would go on to play Elle again during the Nashville engagement of the national tour from June 23–28, 2009.[19] However, she fractured her arm during the June 27, 2009 performance, finished the show, and was rushed to the hospital immediately after.[20]
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.[21]
On June 13, 2010, she was a presenter at the 64th Tony Awards ceremony.
She appeared as Trixie Norton in a new musical The Honeymooners, based on the television comedy The Honeymooners. Trixie Norton is a former burlesque dancer and wife of Ed Norton, who wants to get back into show business. 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.[22]
Bundy appeared in the lead role of Sweet Charity staged and directed by Kathleen Marshall in June 2018 in Los Angeles.[23] She was cast to return to Broadway in the 2023 play The Cottage, which is scheduled to run at the Hayes Theater from July through October 2023.[24]
Laura had a recurring role as Shelby on The CW's Hart of Dixie from 2012 until 2015. Shelby is the newcomer in town who was introduced as a love interest for George Tucker, however, later begins a relationship with Brick.[33]
She starred as Dr. Jordan Denby on the FX sitcom Anger Management in 2013. She's a new psychologist, business partner for Charlie and alcoholic, who attends Alcoholics Anonymous. Laura also played Jordan's twin sister, Jessie.[34]
Bell Bundy released her debut country music album, titled Longing For a Place Already Gone, in 2007.[37]
After leaving Legally Blonde: The Musical in July 2008, she moved back to Nashville to work on her second album, Achin' and Shakin'.[38]Achin' and Shakin' was released on April 13, 2010. It debuted at number 5 on the BillboardTop 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.[39] It also charted internationally, where it reached number 34 on the Norwegian Albums Chart. Her two songs "Giddy On Up" and "Rebound" was featured on the video game series Rock Band. 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.[40]
In mid-2013, Bundy signed with Big Machine Records and released the single "Two Step", a duet with Colt Ford. This song was peaked at number 59 on the US Country Airplay.[41] Her third album Another Piece of Me was digitally released in June 2015.
In 2018, Laura Bell wrote and directed music videos for a Barefoot Wine campaign.[44]
She also directed several sketches and music videos, includes parodies and covers of hit songs. Her most well-known sketch comedy web series is a Cooter County and Skits-O-Frenic.[45]
Podcasts and Women of Tomorrow
On October 5, 2020, she and music producer Shea Carter launched their podcast Women of Tomorrow,[46] an extension of 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."[47]
Her fourth album Women of Tomorrow was released in May 2021. This album was received well by critics and it has over 1 million streams on Spotify and other streaming services.[48]
Bell Bundy 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.[49]
Personal life
In December 2015, Bell Bundy announced her engagement to TBS executive Thom Hinkle after four years of dating. They were married on June 3, 2017, in Arcadia, California.[50] On February 25, 2019, she announced that she was pregnant with her first child.[51] Their son was born in May 2019.[52]
Bell Bundy is an activist focused on women's rights and equality. She is the founder of Double Standards Organization and Womxn of Tomorrow.[53]
