Lake Bell was born on March 24, 1979, in New York City, New York. Lake's mother, who is involved in animal rescue, passed on her love for animals to Lake when she was a child. She grew up with her mother's four Dachshunds: Schnitzel, Thumper, Tip, and Ginger. Lake spent part of her teens living in Vero Beach, Florida, playing beach volleyball. 

Lake Bell in Slammed

Lake's first movie appearance was in 2001, in the little-known release Slammed. In 2002, Lake graduated from the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in London, England, where her theater credits include roles in The Seagull, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, The Children's Hour, and The Pentecost. She also studied dance and stage combat at the college. 

Lake Bell in Miss Match

In 2002, she landed numerous parts, including a recurring role on the hit TV series ER and a role in the film Speakeasy, which was produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. 
In 2003, her career continued to develop with roles alongside Jeff Goldblum in the made-for-TV movie War Stories and then with Giovanni Ribisi, Elvis Costello and Christina Ricci in the film I Love Your Work. 

She also landed a costarring role with Alicia Silverstone on the short-lived NBC sitcom, Miss Match (2003). 

Lake Bell in The Practice

2004 was a breakout year for Lake Bell. After a role in the thriller The Hillside Strangler, she appeared in the final four episodes of the Emmy award-winning TV drama, The Practice, alongside James Spader. Her character, Sally Heep, then made the jump to the spinoff series Boston Legal that same year, where she continued to star with Spader and industry icon William Shatner. 

She also increased her exposure with an appearance on the late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live (2004). 

Lake goes from Boston Legal to surface

After being cut from Boston Legal during the 2005 season, Lake landed a starring role in NBC's thriller/drama series, Surface, scheduled to debut during the 2005 fall TV season. 

When she is not working, Lake enjoys writing, painting, picking up foreign languages, and spending time with her favorite companion, a Blue-Nosed Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Margaret. She currently resides in Los Angeles. 

Credit: askmen.com