Kristen Schaal, born on January 24, 1978, in Longmont, Colorado, is an American actress, comedian, voice artist, and writer.
Raised on a cattle ranch in a rural area near Boulder, Colorado, by a Lutheran family of Dutch and German descent, Schaal grew up with her parents—a construction worker father and a secretary mother—and her older brother.
After graduating from Northwestern University, she moved to New York to pursue a career in comedy, where her unique blend of deadpan humor and eccentric performances quickly set her apart.
Schaal has become a recognizable figure in both live-action and animated projects, known for her versatility across television, film, and stand-up comedy.
Siblings
Kristen has one sibling, an older brother named David Schaal, born in 1975, making him three years her senior.
David is an app developer and graphic designer based in Boulder, Colorado.
Notably, he created the Bob’s Burgers Pinball app, inspired by the animated sitcom Bob’s Burgers, where Kristen voices the character Louise Belcher.
Kristen has publicly expressed pride in her brother’s work, sharing a promotional post about the app on Instagram in October 2015 and tweeting about his high score in the game on November 2, 2015.
Career
Schaal first gained attention in 2005 when New York magazine included her in an article titled “The Ten Funniest New Yorkers You’ve Never Heard Of.”
Her breakout role came in 2007 as Mel, the obsessive fan in HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, earning her an EWwy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2009.
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Schaal’s voice acting career has been particularly prominent, with iconic roles as Mabel Pines in Disney’s Gravity Falls and Louise Belcher in Fox’s Bob’s Burgers, the latter being one of her most significant and enduring roles since 2011.
She has also lent her voice to characters like Trixie in the Toy Story franchise, Sarah Lynn in BoJack Horseman (earning a Primetime Emmy nomination), and Victoria Best in WordGirl.
On television, she played Carol Pilbasian in The Last Man on Earth alongside Will Forte, Hazel Wassername in 30 Rock, and The Guide in What We Do in the Shadows.
Schaal has also appeared in films such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Despicable Me 2, and Norbit.
Beyond acting, she has performed stand-up at major festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe and Bonnaroo, co-hosted the weekly variety show Hot Tub with Kurt Braunohler, and contributed as a writer and consultant for South Park and The Daily Show, where she was an occasional commentator from 2008 to 2016.
Accolades
In 2006, Schaal won the Best Alternative Comedian award at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and the Best Female Stand-Up at the Nightlife Awards in New York City.
That same year, she was honored with the second annual Andy Kaufman Award at the New York Comedy Festival.
In 2007, she received the Best Female Stand-Up Comedian award at the ECNY Awards.
At the 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Schaal won the Barry Award for her show Kristen Schaal As You Have Probably Never Seen Her Before, tying with Nina Conti.
Her 2008 Edinburgh Fringe performance with Kurt Braunohler, Double Down Hearts, earned a nomination for the If.comedy award.
In 2013, her role as Mabel Pines in Gravity Falls won her an Annie Award at the 40th Annie Awards.
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