Before landing her first Emmy nomination for Nobody Wants This, Kristen Bell earned out-of-this-world praise for her breakout role on Veronica Mars.

Rob Thomas created the UPN mystery series that starred Bell as the titular high school student who works at her dads private investigation agency after her best friend, Lilly, is murdered. The cast included Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs III and Enrico Colantoni, with Amanda Seyfried recurring as Lilly.

In an interview last year timed to Veronica Mars 20th anniversary, Bell said that the show allowed me to discover who I am and what Im good at. She also deemed it the hardest job I have had to date and explained, That was before the union was enforcing any real rules, and we were there for 17 hours a day. It was just such a physically demanding shoot. Veronica Mars premiered Sept. 22, 2004, and THRs review noted that, despite outlandish plot points, Bell is so convincing in the role that it all somehow makes perfect sense. The series lasted three seasons, with the final one airing on the CW, before an eight-episode Hulu revival in 2019. Additionally, Warner Bros. released a movie of the same name in 2014 after a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter raised more than $5 million. NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made his TV writing debut with the reboot and noted in a THR column that the experience was dizzyingly wonderful.

After going on to lead series like The Good Place, Bell returned to the small screen in September with Netflixs Nobody Wants This. It centers on the interfaith relationship between agnostic podcaster Joanne (Bell) and rabbi Noah (Adam Brody). The project is nominated for three Emmys, including best comedy series and acting nods for Bell and Brody.

Ive never gotten a response to any show Ive ever been a part of like this show, the actress told THR about Nobody Wants This, which returns for its second season in October. This is very much uncharted territory for me.

This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.