You’ve seen her face a thousand times. Maybe she was the bubbly, slightly intense receptionist on Two and a Half Men, or perhaps you remember her as the scene-stealing Eden on The Exes. But honestly, there’s a good chance you’ve seen photos of Kelly Stables and didn’t even realize it was her—especially if the photo involved a well and some very damp hair.
Kelly Stables is one of those Hollywood chameleons who manages to stay relevant across decades without becoming a tabloid fixture. She’s tiny (around 4'11"), energetic, and has a filmography that makes most "A-listers" look lazy. But the internet has a weird way of cataloging her career. When people search for her photos, they aren't just looking for red carpet glam. They’re looking for the girl who crawled out of the TV and the woman who kept Alan Harper on his toes.
Why The Ring Two Photos Still Freak Everyone Out
If you search for Kelly Stables online, the algorithm is going to throw a lot of horror at you. It’s kinda wild to think about now, but she was the physical force behind Samara Morgan in The Ring Two.
Most people think Daveigh Chase played Samara in every movie. Nope. Kelly took over the "wet hair and jerky movements" duties for the sequel and the short film Rings. There are famous production stills of Kelly in the full Samara makeup—grey, peeling skin, soaked white dress, and that nightmare-inducing hair—standing next to director Hideo Nakata.
It’s a bizarre contrast. You have this incredibly petite, cheerful actress who spent five and a half hours in a makeup chair just to look like a waterlogged corpse. She’s talked about how it took over an hour just to get the gunk off her skin at the end of the day. When you look at those specific photos of Kelly Stables in character, you’re seeing a masterclass in physical acting. She didn't just stand there; she had to mimic those unnatural, glitchy movements that defined early 2000s J-horror.
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The Sitcom Era: Melissa, Eden, and Kelly Watson
Transitioning from a literal demon to a sitcom sweetheart isn't a pivot most actors can pull off, yet Kelly did it effortlessly.
Her stint as Melissa on Two and a Half Men remains a fan favorite. If you’re browsing through episodic stills from seasons 6 through 8, you see her character evolve from a professional receptionist to a woman caught in the chaotic orbit of the Harper brothers. There’s a famous behind-the-scenes story she told Backstage about an audition for the show where her bra actually fell down to her waist mid-scene. She just kept going, script in hand, hiding the wardrobe malfunction while the casting directors were none the wiser. That’s the kind of pro she is.
Then came The Exes.
Playing Eden Konkler, she was the "party girl" friend who eventually became a surrogate mother. Interestingly, if you look at photos from season 2 and 3, you’ll see her actually pregnant in real life. The show-runners decided to write her pregnancy into the script rather than hiding her behind giant handbags or oversized coats. It gave the character a layer of grounded reality that helped the show run for four seasons.
More recently, she popped up in Superstore as Kelly Watson. If you look at the promo shots for the NBC hit, she’s the perfect foil to the Amy/Jonah dynamic. She has this "perky-on-the-outside, slightly-dead-inside" vibe that fits the retail world so well.
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The Stuntwoman Secret and Red Carpet Evolution
Here’s something most people get wrong: they think she’s just a "small actress." In reality, Kelly started as a stunt performer.
She did stunts for Spider-Man (2002) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. There are rare photos floating around from the early 2000s where she’s dressed as a monkey for Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes. She was an extra, a stunt double, and a voice actor before she ever became a household face.
When you track her red carpet photos from the Pride & Prejudice (2003) premiere to the 2023 world premiere of Holiday Twist, you see a woman who has aged gracefully while maintaining a very specific "St. Louis girl" charm. She often favors bright colors—pinks, blues, and florals—which stand in stark contrast to the dark, gritty roles that launched her career.
Where to Find High-Quality, Authentic Photos
If you’re a collector or a blogger looking for legitimate imagery, don't just grab random low-res screencaps.
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- Getty Images & Alamy: These are the gold mines for red carpet events. Look for the Guys Choice 2013 or the Holiday Twist premiere shots.
- Actors Access: This is where you’ll find her professional headshots. They show the range she brings to the table, from "corporate professional" to "quirky neighbor."
- Official Movie Stills: For the horror buffs, the DreamWorks archive for The Ring Two is where those iconic Samara shots live.
What's Next for Kelly Stables?
Kelly isn't slowing down. She’s been hosting industry events like the MPSE Golden Reel Awards and continuing her prolific voice-over career (you’ve probably heard her in Young Justice or W.I.T.C.H. without realizing it).
Her career is a reminder that you don't need to be six feet tall to have a massive presence on screen. Whether she’s playing a receptionist, a retail worker, or a vengeful ghost, her ability to disappear into a role is why we’re still talking about her 20 years later.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Researchers
- Verify the Role: When looking at "horror girl" photos, confirm it's Kelly (The Ring Two) and not Daveigh Chase (The Ring) or Bonnie Morgan (Rings 2017).
- Check the Credits: Kelly often does uncredited voice work or stunts. If a photo looks like her but isn't labeled, check her stunt resume on IMDb.
- Support Current Work: Keep an eye out for her recent lead role in Holiday Twist. It’s a complete 180 from her early darker roles and shows her comedic timing is sharper than ever.
The next time you see photos of Kelly Stables, remember you're looking at a woman who once did bookkeeping for a theater company because she "wasn't strong enough to wait tables." She turned that "short stature" into a massive Hollywood career, proving that in this industry, versatility beats height every single time.