Laura Bell Bundy (born April 10, 1981 in Lexington, Kentucky) is a Tony Award-nominated American actress and singer who has been seen in a number of Broadway roles, both starring and supporting, as well as in television and film. She is the daughter of Don Bundy and Lorna Bundy-Jones.
Bundy made her stage debut in regional theatre at age 9. She originated the role of Tina Denmark in the Off-Broadway show Ruthless! The Musical. For this part, she was nominated for a 1993 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Her understudies in Ruthless were Britney Spears and Natalie Portman. Her Broadway debut was in 2002, in the Tony Award-winning musical Hairspray, originating the role of Amber Von Tussle. She was next seen serving as a standby for both Kristin Chenoweth and Jennifer Laura Thompson for the role of Glinda in Wicked. She is now playing the lead role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical, for which she received her first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
Credits outside of New York include the national tour of The Sound of Music and the Los Angeles production of Rock of Ages, in which she starred as Sherrie Christian.
Offstage, Bundy has appeared in films including The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), Life with Mikey (1993), and Jumanji (1995) as Young Sarah Whittle. She appeared in the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls as a member of the fictitious pop group "Dave & the Sweethearts". Bundy was also seen on the CBS soap opera The Guiding Light as Marah Lewis for two years, (October 14, 1999 - October 29, 2001) as well as in television shows such as Veronica Mars, Happy Hour, Modern Men, Cold Case, and Strangers with Candy. Bundy just released her debut country music album, titled Longing For a Place Already Gone.
Laura Bell Bundy was first noticed by the producers of Legally Blonde at a show that former Hairspray cast member Kerry Butler was playing. Butler had done the demo for Legally Blonde. Bundy walked up to the producers and stated that she should be Elle Woods, as told in an interview with Butler.
Britney Spears and Natalie Portman were both her understudies in the off-Broadway play, "Ruthless".
Was accepted to New York University and planned on attending, but decided to defer her admission for one year in order to work on "Guiding Light".
Attended The Lexington School in Lexington, Kentucky.
Attended Lexington Catholic High school in Lexington, Kentucky. Graduated in 1999.
Was the childhood friend of Macaulay Culkin. Her mother was the Culkin family baby sitter.
