Pontiac, MI - Award-winning Hollywood actress and Oakland County native Kristen Bell has a new starring role in a production she hopes will help save lives in her former hometown and in communities across Metro Detroit.
Bell, who was born and raised in Huntington Woods, is adding her talents to support Oakland County’s new public education campaign that encourages residents to remain vigilant about following health and safety measures to help control the spread of COVID-19 as they wait for a vaccination.
The 1998 graduate of Shrine Catholic High School in Royal Oak has posted a new appeal to her Instagram Story that reinforces the messaging of Oakland County’s “The Only Way To Beat It Is To Face It” awareness push that kicked off December 7.
“Here’s the good news – things WILL get back to normal eventually. They will! But, we’re not quite there yet,” says Bell, who had her breakout film role in 2008 as the title character in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and has nearly 15 million Instagram followers.
“By wearing a mask, you can decrease the risk of COVID-19 transmission! We can beat this virus if we face it together,” Bell says.
In the midst of what health officials describe as “pandemic fatigue,” The Only Way To Beat It Is To Face It calls on Oakland County residents to continue wearing a mask to protect themselves and others, acknowledge the dangers Michigan and the nation will continue to face in the coming weeks and promote the necessity of embracing public health measures to help eventually overcome the pandemic.
“COVID-19 safety measures remain paramount and we’re so excited that Oakland County native Kristen Bell is lending her voice to magnify this message,” County Executive David Coulter said. “We are at the beginning phase of dispensing the vaccine which brings hope and an extra responsibility for us to mask up, socially distance, and wash our hands so we can get through this and keep our communities safe.”
The Only Way To Beat It Is To Face It is funded by a federal CARES Act grant. In addition to Bell’s Instagram message, the campaign features public service announcements by other local celebrities and Oakland County influencers such as former Detroit Lions football great Lomas Brown Jr., former Red Wings hockey star Darren McCarty and Olympic gold medalist and “Dancing with the Stars” champion Meryl Davis. Their call-to-action encourages Oakland County residents to do their part to limit COVID-19 transmission by following health and safety protocols that, beyond wearing masks in public, include frequent handwashing, socially distancing and limiting gatherings with those from other households.
More information about COVID-19 in Oakland County is available at oakgov.com/covid.
Bell is an actress, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. She voiced Princess Anna in the global blockbusters Frozen and Frozen 2 and is well known to television audiences for her critically acclaimed roles on NBC’s The Good Place, as well as Showtime’s House of Lies, and her star making role as the title character in Veronica Mars.
Bell also is actively involved in many charities including Alliance of Moms, Baby2Baby and Charity Water. She is a global advocate for the United Nation’s Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund. She merged her passion for making the world a better place with her business savvy when she helped launch This Bar Saves Lives (now, This Saves Lives). She and her husband, Dax Shepard, proudly created Hello Bello, a line of baby and personal care products that make quality, ethically sourced products at a reasonable price. In addition, Bell recently launched Happy Dance, a new line of premium CBD skincare products made with moms in mind.