Kristen Bell is Anna. Honestly, at this point, it is hard to imagine anyone else tripping over their own feet while trying to save a kingdom. But here is the thing: the Anna we all know—the one who snorts when she laughs and stuffs chocolate in her face—almost didn't exist.
When Disney first started developing Frozen, the story was a much more rigid adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. In those early drafts, Anna and Elsa weren't even sisters. One version had them as mother and daughter. Another had Elsa as a straight-up villain with a coat made of live minks.
It was weird.
Then Kristen Bell walked into the audition room. She didn’t just bring a voice; she brought a specific kind of "awkward girl" energy that forced the writers to throw out their old ideas. Bell has been open about the fact that she grew up obsessed with Ariel from The Little Mermaid, but she wanted Anna to be different. She wanted a princess who didn't have perfect posture.
How Kristen Bell Changed Anna Forever
In the beginning, Anna was written as a more "typical" princess. She was sweet, sure, but a bit more of a standard damsel. Bell pushed back. She told the directors, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, that she wanted Anna to be the kind of girl she was as a kid—someone who talks too fast, puts her foot in her mouth, and is basically a "weirdo."
The animators actually started filming Bell during her recording sessions. They watched how she moved and how she gestured. If you’ve ever noticed Anna’s goofy facial expressions or the way she gets a bit "gassy" before the coronation, you can thank Kristen for that.
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She literally lobbied for the "elated or gassy" line.
The Codependency Struggle
By the time Frozen 2 rolled around in 2019, the character had to grow up. But Bell insisted that Anna’s growth shouldn't be easy. She has spoken frequently about Anna’s struggle with codependency.
In the first movie, Anna’s entire world revolves around getting her sister back. In the sequel, she has to learn who she is when Elsa isn't there to protect or lead. Bell has mentioned in interviews that she relates to that feeling of not knowing what to do when you're alone in a house. It’s that "what do I do with my hands?" energy.
Breaking the "Prince Charming" Mold
We’ve heard it a million times: Frozen is about sisterly love, not romantic love. But the way Kristen Bell as Anna executes this is what actually made it land.
Think about the "Love Is an Open Door" sequence. It’s a perfect parody of every Disney duet ever written. Bell plays it with such genuine, naive sincerity that the twist with Hans actually hurts. If Anna had been a "strong, stoic" warrior from the start, that betrayal wouldn't have worked. We needed her to be a bit of a disaster so we could root for her to find her own strength.
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- Fact: Bell studied music in college and is operatically trained.
- Fact: She auditioned for Tangled before getting the role of Anna.
- The "Zero Authority" Quote: In 2022, Bell "officially" announced Frozen 3 on Jimmy Fallon’s show, despite having no power to do so.
It worked. Disney eventually confirmed that Frozen 3 (and even a Frozen 4) are in the works.
What We Know About Frozen 3 and 4
As of early 2026, the hype is reaching a fever pitch. While Disney is notoriously secretive, Bell has confirmed she has seen parts of the script and described it as "concept stuff."
What’s interesting is the shift in the world's perception of Elsa vs. Anna. Recently, Bell had a hilarious interaction with Andy Cohen, where she found out his son "hates" Elsa and is a ride-or-die Anna fan. Bell was genuinely shocked. Usually, Elsa gets all the glory because of "Let It Go," but Anna is the one people actually relate to.
She’s the human heart of the franchise.
The Vocal Demands
Recording these movies isn't just standing in a booth. For the emotional scenes in the first film, Bell and Idina Menzel actually recorded together in the same room. That’s rare in animation. They wanted to capture the overlapping dialogue and the real-time reactions.
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Bell's voice has a specific brightness to it. In songs like "The Next Right Thing" from the second movie, she has to strip all of that away. That song deals with heavy themes of grief and depression. Bell, who has been an advocate for mental health awareness, brought a lot of her own experience with anxiety to that performance.
It’s not just a kids' song. It’s a roadmap for surviving a panic attack.
Why Anna Still Matters in 2026
The reason this character hasn't faded away is that she feels "real" despite being a cartoon. She represents the side of us that tries too hard and fails, but gets up anyway.
Kristen Bell’s influence on the character ensured that Anna wasn't just a sidekick to Elsa’s magic. She is a leader who leads through empathy. When Elsa abdicated the throne at the end of the second film, leaving Anna as the Queen of Arendelle, it felt earned.
It wasn't because she was the best fighter. It was because she was the one who stayed.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world Bell helped create, there are a few things you can do beyond just re-watching the movies:
- Watch the "Into the Unknown" Documentary: It’s on Disney+ and shows the grueling process of how they broke the story for the sequel. You can see Bell in the booth, working through the character's motivations.
- Listen to the Outtakes: There are several deleted songs, like "Home," that give more context to Anna's role as the protector of Arendelle.
- Follow the Production News: With Frozen 3 slated for a late 2027 release, keep an eye out for D23 announcements regarding the new musical direction.
Anna is a reminder that being "the quirky one" is actually a superpower. She didn't need ice powers to save the day; she just needed to be persistent and a little bit messy. Bell gave her that messiness, and that’s why we’re still talking about her over a decade later.