WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Hacks season 4, episode 5.
Kristen Bell’s surprise guest cameo inHacksseason 4, episode 5, “Clickable Face,” ended a TV streak that has lasted nearly a decade. As one of the manyHacksseason 4 guest stars, Bell plays herself shopping for groceries and gets approached by Jean Smart’sDeborah Vance to appear on her newly acquired late-night show. Although Bell is only featured for a brief scene inHacksseason 4, she adds an authentic Hollywood tone to the showbiz series that has increased with its primary location change from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
The title ofHacksseason 4, episode 5, “Clickable Face,” is a reference to Bell’s popularity and her having a draw on the internet, as discussed by Deborah’s network TV executives and producers in the episode. Deborah is anxious to regain the popularity that her late-night show had achieved during its first week, becoming the most-watched show of its kind during that time. AsJimmy Kimmel himself hilariously makes clear to Deborah inHacksseason 4, episode 5, the battle for late-night supremacy can be hard fought and even cutthroat when it comes to booking A-list celebrities.
Hacks Season 4 Is Kristen Bell’s First TV Cameo As A Fictionalized Version Of Herself Since 2017
She Also Appeared As Herself In The Hollywood Comedy Series Nobodies
Bell joins the likes of industry legendsCarol BurnettandMerrill Markoewith a cameo as herself inHacksseason 4. While Bell has appeared as herself several times in the context of reality or documentary series,Hacksseason 4 marks the first time she’s played a semi-fictionalized version of herself since a 2017 episode ofNobodies.
Hacks season 4 marks the first time she’s played a semi-fictionalized version of herself since a 2017 episode of Nobodies.
Similar toHacks,Nobodieswas a showbiz series about a group of friends who collaborate on a children’s show. It was created by Hugh Davidson (Robot Chicken), Larry Dorf (The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window), and Rachel Ramras (Mike Tyson Mysteries), who all starred in the series as themselves as well.Nobodiesran for 24 episodes across two seasons in 2017 and 2018, and also featured cameos from Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Allison Janney, Bob Odenkirk, Jason Bateman, and more.
As Deborah jokes inHacksseason 4, episode 5, Bell is still known for her classic TV roles, such asVeronica Mars. She is certainly most recognized as the voice of Anna in Disney’sFrozenandFrozen II,as well asclassic comedy movies such asForgetting Sarah MarshallandGet Him to the Greek. She also notably appeared as herself in a surprise cameo in the series finale ofGossip Girlafter voicing the titular character throughout all six seasons. Recently, she starred inNetflix’s hit romantic comedy seriesNobody Wants Thiswith Adam Brody.
Does Kristen Bell Really Only Appear On Jimmy Kimmel’s Late-Night Show?
She Has Certainly Favored His Show Over Other Late-Night Competitors
Jimmy Kimmel, who appears as himself intimidating Deborah in a network studio parking lot inHacksseason 4, episode 5, warns Deborah to back off of “KB” because he has “dibs” on her for bookings.Kimmel claims in the episode that he has worked for years to earn her exclusive first bookingon his popular late-night show, doing things such as donating tens of thousands of dollars to her “gluten-free energy bars”, switching his phone to match her green bubble texts, and posing in a diaper on a billboard.
Bell first appeared on Kimmel’s show in 2004 and has returned as a featured guest, as well as a guest actor for specific segments, a total of 40 times.
While Kimmel was certainly exaggerating and joking about his “rights to Bell after Conan died” onHacks,Bell has appeared on his show more than any other late-night competitor, so there could be some truth behind the gag. Bell first appeared on Kimmel’s show in 2004 and has returned as a featured guest, as well as a guest actor for specific segments, a total of 40 times.
By comparison, she’s only appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonfive times andThe Late Show with Stephen Colbertfour times. Bell was even a guest host ofJimmy Kimmel Live!in 2017, suggesting that Kimmel wasn’t entirely kidding with hisHacksseason 4 joke.
