Kristen Moves into a "House of Lies"

Kristen Bell(ex-"Elle") just got cast as a "razor-sharp Ivy League graduate" in Showtime's "House of Lies," which makes us wonder: Does she just keep getting more ruthless with each role? Yes, she was very sweet as Veronica Mars, but we like her way better when she's making Jason Segel cry while naked or screaming at Adam Scott through a Bluetooth headset.

So it sounds as if her part in this new dark comedy from Matthew Carnahan ("Dirt") fits her well. Described as "a subversive, scathing look at a self-loathing management consultant from a top-tier firm," "House of Lies" stars Don Cheadle as Marty, a "highly successful, cutthroat consultant who is never above using any means (or anyone) necessary to get his clients the information they want," and finds Bell in the role of Jeannie Van Der Hooven, an ambitious woman who works at Marty's firm.
Based on Martin Kihn's tell-all book "House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time," the series has also tapped Ben Schwartz ("Parks and Recreation") and Josh Lawson ("Romantically Challenged") as employees at Marty's firm, and Glynn Turman ("In Treatment") as Marty's father. We look forward to seeing Bell crush them all beneath her sensible career-lady shoes.

-- Melissa Maerz

Ali's Close Call!

Actress ALI LARTER almost didn't make it to the hospital in time for the birth of her first child last month (Dec10) after mudslides closed off her neighbourhood in Los Angeles.

The Heroes star recently gave birth to little Theodore Hayes MacArthur, her first child with her husband, writer/actor Hayes MacArthur.

She has now shown off her son in the new issue of Us Weekly magazine - but admits mudslides caused by heavy rain in California nearly stopped her reaching the hospital when she went into labour.

Larter says, "During the L.A. mudslides, our street was closed. Four hours after the fireman opened it, I was in labour!"