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An Interview with Kristen Bell, Voice of 'Anna' in Disney's 'FROZEN'!

By InCinemas / 13 Mar 2014 (Thursday)

We previously shared 10 facts you never knew about the hit animation Frozen, an epic tale of adventure and comedy from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

This time, we have more to share about this Oscar-winning film as we managed to grab the interview transcript with actress Kristen Bell (voices Princess Anna) as she shares her thoughts on the magical movie.

Qn: What can you tell us about your character in Frozen?

Kristen Bell: I play a girl named Anna in the movie, and I’m so proud of this character. There are a lot of my characteristics in Anna, like her feistiness. I love the way she’s able to pick up a shovel, fend off wolves and save the day!

Qn: What is Anna’s biggest charm?

Kristen Bell: I think her charm is caught somewhere between her sincerity and her optimism. It’s really hard to dismiss someone who is genuine and sincere, especially when compounded with optimism. To me, those people are goofy. I think that’s exactly what Anna is like; she’s goofy, charming and fun.

Qn: Why doesn’t Anna have any friends in the beginning of the story?
Kristen Bell: Her lifestyle hasn’t allowed her to have a full kingdom or household, which is why she now talks to the paintings and the statues. She runs around the palace and she probably spends too much time in the kitchen bugging the staff because she wants some real friends in her life. To me, that’s what makes her so cute and loveable.

(Find out more about Frozen!)

Qn: What’s different and unique about Frozen?
Kristen Bell: Everything is different and unique in this movie! The love story is unique because it’s about siblings and the love of family. A lot of Disney movies are adventures, but I feel like this adventure is even bigger than anything you’ve seen before.

Qn: What went through your mind when you discovered you were going to be the voice of a new Disney icon?

Kirsten Bell: I’d always wanted to be part of a Disney animated movie, so I was full of glee when I found out I was going to play Anna. I grew up watching Disney musicals, and I was especially obsessed with The Little Mermaid and Aladdin when I was little. As a young girl, it was always my dream to be a Disney princess – but I wanted to be a very specific Disney princess. I wanted to be one that I wanted to see, which was a princess who was way more awkward than the Disney princesses I’d seen on screen.

Qn: Would you describe Anna as awkward?

Kristen Bell: That’s exactly what Anna’s like! Disney allowed me to mold Anna into the princess I dreamed about as a child, so I feel extremely lucky. You know what? I couldn’t be happier to be part of this amazing project.

Qn: What other input did you have into the character?

Kristen Bell: Another goal of mine was to have a princess without great posture. I never sat up straight when I was little, but the Disney princesses always did that. Thankfully, Anna hasn’t got amazing posture either – just like me.

Qn: You mentioned that your favorite childhood Disney movies were The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Is your favorite Disney princess Ariel or Jasmine?

Kristen Bell: Ariel is my favorite. I really loved Aladdin when I was growing up because I went through a whole tomboy phase, but I think I identified more with Aladdin than I did with Jasmine. Jasmine is great; I’ve got nothing against her – but Ariel is a fantastic princess. She’s awesome.

Qn: What were you like when you were growing up?

Kirsten Bell: I was really awkward. I talked to myself a lot and I ate my dinner next to the dog. I was goofy and I was klutzy – and I was way too energetic. I often spoke before I thought, too – and I wanted to see someone like that in a Disney animated movie. I was really lucky that Disney let me add all of these extra, unique attributes to my character.

Qn: Frozen is a fun and frosty fairy tale… Are you a fan of winter?

Kristen Bell: I’m a huge fan of winter. In fact, I prefer the winter to summer. I’m the only person who lives in California and doesn’t appreciate the warm weather there. I love the cold weather and I’m always trying to get back to the snow instead of a beach.

Qn: What’s your favorite winter memory?

Kristen Bell: I always had dogs when I was growing up, so my favorite winter memories are of dogs running in the snow. That always brings a smile to my face. They always used to make me laugh when they scampered through deep snow!

Qn: How good are you at building snowmen?

Kristen Bell: I’m pretty decent at creating snowmen. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, so I’ll get right in there. I grew up in Detroit, where it’s nice and cold in the winter. That means I’ve had a lot of practice.

Qn: What was it like to duet with Broadway star Idina Menzel in Frozen?

Kristen Bell: It was nerve-wracking. Idina is the most intimidating singer, but the most un-intimidating person. She’s so gentle in real life, but there’s a real ferocity behind her voice. She can really sing. I’ve seen her sing on stage numerous times and she’s got one of the best voices on the planet, but I was really, really nervous about the duet.

Qn: How did you get over your nerves?

Kristen Bell: It was very daunting to sing with her, but we used to rehearse at her house where she was so lovely and carefree. I’d sing my verse and she’d say, “You sound great.” Whenever I heard that, I’d get excited and happy. Idina is a wonderful person.

Qn: How often do you sing?

Kristen Bell: [Kirsten’s House Of Lies co-star] Don Cheadle and I sing A Whole New World on set almost every week, but we change the words depending on what we’re doing. We sing it back and forth in a scene with the dialogue we’ve been given. It’s a very popular song on the set of House Of Lies!

Qn: Your baby daughter, Lincoln, was born in 2013. How does it feel to know she’ll be watching Frozen in a few years?

Kristen Bell: I feel very nervous about her watching Frozen. What if she doesn’t like it? I would melt if that happened! I hope she likes it as much as I liked Disney movies when I was growing up. However, if she doesn’t, I don’t mind. Maybe she’ll be more into off-roading like her dad? It already feels like she’s showing signs of liking that. I’ll definitely show it to her and hopefully she will be proud of her mom. If she only wants to see it once, I won’t be offended.

Frozen is releasing on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD on March 18 2014!

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An Interview with Kristen Bell, Voice of 'Anna' in Disney's 'FROZEN'!