Culture

Kristen Bell confirms her Good Place character is bisexual

Jan 24 2019
Written by Nick Duffy

Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) with Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil) on The Good Place. (NBC)

Kristen Bell has confirmed her Good Place character Eleanor Shellstrop is bisexual.

The acclaimed NBC sitcom, which is in its third season, has repeatedly alluded to Kristen Bell’s character Eleanor Shellstrop having a crush on Tahani Al-Jamil, who is played by Jameela Jamil.

Speaking to talk show host Conan O’Brien on Wednesday’s (January 23) Conan, the Frozen star admitted the issue head on.

Kristen Bell: Eleanor Shellstrop is kind of bi, and it’s fine with me

Bell said: “We’ve certainly alluded to it a lot of times, how attracted Eleanor is to Tahani, although I believe the consensus was, there’s not really a reason, it’s not a pivotal point in the story, to define each person’s sexuality.

“It almost seems indulgent and not necessary to go into it. Why do we have to define what Eleanor is attracted to?

“Tahani is gorgeous, so she keeps mentioning it. Eleanor is kind of bi, and it’s fine with me!”

Addressing the potential for a romance on the show, Jameela Jamil added: “We would have been down, just to be clear!”

Kristen Bell and Jameela Jamil love lesbian The Good Place fanart

O’Brien also showed the pair some of the ‘Teleanor’ fanart from fans who want their characters, Eleanor Shellstrop and Tahani Al-Jamil, to hook up for real.

Bell said: “That is really cute,” while Jamil quipped: “Conan, did you draw this?”

The host replied: “No, no. It looks similar to what I drew, but you’re dressed.”

The Good Place previously all-but-confirmed the character sexuality in a October 2018 episode, with Eleanor Shellstrop flirting with a virtual simulation of Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), and quipping to Chidi: “More guys should be bi. It’s 2018; get over yourselves.”

Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) flirts with Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) in an October 2018 episode of The Good Place (NBC)

The character has also referred to crush Tahani as “a hot rich fraud with legs for days” and a “sexy skyscraper,” as well as saying she’s “tall and glamorous and has cappuccino skin and curves everywhere.”

The Good Place co-star says Kristen Bell character Eleanor Shellstrop is ‘super bisexual’

William Jackson Harper, who plays Chidi Anagonye on the hit show, previously said the Kristen Bell character was “super bisexual.”

Speaking to the Metro about the long-held fan theory in 2018, Harper said: “There’s a million different possibilities and one of the things I think the show does well, and [which I’m] really kind of into, is the fact that Eleanor is super bisexual and it’s not something that we just focus on.

“It’s not the reason for the show and it’s not a thing that is harped on, it’s just who she is.

“I think that’s great to not just completely focus on one aspect of a person’s character because it seems to be the most buzz-worthy thing in the show, or potentially buzz-worthy thing on the show. I think it’s great.”

Harper added: “It’s not something we don’t talk about, she talks about it, and we all kind of accept it instead of, you know, go, ‘Hey let’s unpack that, let’s talk about it,’” said Harper, who has also acted on Broadway in All the Way.

“No one bats an eye at it, and that’s certainly true of people that I hang out with, if someone says they’re attracted to whatever person and it’s not something we have follow up questions on.”