What Is Lauralee Bell's Net Worth?
Lauralee Bell is an accomplished American actress, producer, writer, and director, boasting a net worth of $200 million. She has earned widespread recognition for her long-term portrayal of Christine Blair on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless," a show created by her parents. Bell has been a prominent feature on this show since 1983 and has reprised her role as Christine in several 2007 episodes of "The Bold and the Beautiful." Her extensive body of work includes winning a Daytime Emmy for the 2013 short film "mI promise," which she wrote, directed, and starred in. Additionally, she has created and produced other short films such as "Family Dinner" (2009) and "Just Off Rodeo" (2011), and executive produced the Lifetime movie "Nightmare Tenant" in 2018. Lauralee extends her talent to acting in films like "Carpool Guy" (2005), "Easy Rider 2: The Ride Home" (2012), and "Their Killer Affair" (2017), as well as TV movies like "Past Sins" (2006) and "Mistress Hunter" (2018).
Early Life
Lauralee Bell, born Lauralee Kristen Bell on December 22, 1968, in Chicago, Illinois, hails from a family deeply entrenched in the world of soap operas. Her parents, Lee Phillip Bell and William J. Bell, created the famed soap operas "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." William passed away in 2005 at the age of 78, and Lee died in 2020 at the age of 91. Lauralee has two brothers, William Jr. and Bradley, who has garnered eight Daytime Emmys as the head writer and executive producer of "The Bold and the Beautiful." Her extended family includes Colleen Bell, an executive producer and a former United States Ambassador to Hungary, and Maria Arena Bell, a former executive producer and head writer for "The Young and the Restless." Lauralee attended The Latin School of Chicago and was offered a bit part as model Christine "Cricket" Blair on "The Young and the Restless" during her teenage years.
(Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Career
Lauralee Bell's illustrious career began in 1983 with her role as Christine Blair on "The Young and the Restless." By 1986, her role was upgraded to a contract position. In 2001, she transitioned to recurring status during maternity leave, but returned to her regular role in 2002, before going back to recurring status in 2005. She brought Christine to "The Bold and the Beautiful" for several episodes in 2007, returning to "The Young and the Restless" in 2010 under the condition of a substantial storyline. Since then, she has maintained a recurring presence on the show, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2016. In the '90s, Lauralee guest-starred on hit TV series like "Diagnosis: Murder", "Walker, Texas Ranger", and "Pacific Blue". Her film debut came in 2005's "Carpool Guy," followed by roles in "Past Sins" (2006), "Just Ask Mike" (2008), and a guest spot on "CSI: Miami" (2006). She later appeared in "Easy Rider: The Ride Back" (2012), a unique blend of prequel and sequel to the iconic 1969 film "Easy Rider."
In 2012, Lauralee guest-starred on "Castle" and later won a Daytime Emmy for her short film "mI promise" in 2013. Following this, she appeared in "Their Killer Affair" (2017), "Mistress Hunter" (2018), and "Nightmare Tenant" (2018). In 2021, she portrayed Daphne Dumas in the "V.C. Andrews' Landry Family" series event, featured in "Ruby" and "Pearl in the Mist." Discussing her portrayal of Daphne, Lauralee told Comicbook.com about the unique challenge of embodying an over-the-top character, contrasting her usual approach to roles. She described Daphne as having no limitations and being entirely self-absorbed, offering a distinct departure from her previous roles.
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Personal Life
Lauralee Bell married photographer Scott Martin on October 4, 1997, whom she had met in the eighth grade. The couple has two children, a son named Christian, born January 17, 2001, and a daughter named Samantha, born October 28, 2002. Bell previously co-owned the fashion boutique On Sunset, which closed its doors in 2009.
Awards and Nominations
Lauralee Bell has been recognized with two Daytime Emmy nominations, securing a win for Outstanding Special Class Short Format Daytime for her work on "mI promise" in 2014. She also earned a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for "The Young and the Restless" in 2016. Her contributions to soap operas have garnered her a "Soap Opera Digest" Award (1999), a Young Artist Award (1989), and two Soap Hub Award nominations (2020 and 2021). Additionally, she received a Telly Award in 2014 for Internet/Online Video – Drama for "mI promise."
Real Estate
Bells' family held an impressive collection of properties, mainly in Los Angeles. They owned multiple homes in Malibu's prestigious gated community, Malibu Colony. One of their homes was acquired by billionaire Sheldon Adelson for $13.5 million in 2014. Another was listed for nearly $19 million. In July 2020, LeBron James purchased their Beverly Hills compound for approximately $40 million. For many years, the family owned an 8-acre hilltop estate in Malibu, where they engaged architect Tadao Ando to design a 30,000-square-foot brutalist mansion, which was later sold to Beyoncé and Jay-Z for $200 million in May 2023.
