Huntington Woods native tests her powers in NBC prime-time drama

Kristen Bell might not have super powers in real life, but don�€™t be surprised to start seeing her appear everywhere at once.

The 27-year-old actor, who grew up in Huntington Woods, wowed TV critics as the star of �€œVeronica Mars.�€� Since that show�€™s cancellation, she has juggled a busy schedule, narrating the CW show �€œGossip Girl�€� and filming two upcoming movies, �€œFanboys�€� and �€œForgetting Sarah Marshall.�€�

But Bell has recently garnered the most buzz for her Oct. 22 debut on NBC�€™s sci-fi hit, �€œHeroes.�€� On the show, she plays Elle, a superhuman who was raised within a shadowy organization called the Company.

At an Oct. 16 media teleconference, Bell and �€œHeroes�€� creator Tim Kring unveiled a few facts about Elle. She is searching for Peter Petrelli (played by Milo Ventimiglia) and knows about his past. She also has connections to HRG (Jack Coleman) and Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere).

Though Bell kept her character�€™s super power a secret, she said she found it refreshing to portray Elle�€™s depth and conflict �€” a clash of ferocity, guts and blindness to right and wrong.

�€œShe�€™s a little messed up in the head, which makes her really manipulative and always out to get what she wants,�€� Bell said. �€œShe very much enjoys her power and enjoys the emotional power it gives her over other people.�€�