Kristen Bell understood why highschoolers loved Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars' high school experience was nothing like Kristen Bell's. While Mars was an outcast, Bell said she had a good high school experience but understood why teen viewers loved her character so much.

She appealed to teens who felt unwelcome, whether for all four years or just part of it. "That's the cool thing about Veronica; she doesn't let it affect her, or she's decided not to let it affect her," Bell said during an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

In the premiere episode, we see how much Mars had to push through as a teenager. She was friendless until she met Wallace, abandoned by her mom, dumped by her boyfriend, her best friend was murdered, and she had to deal with scrutiny from her father's job. For anyone else, this would have hurt their confidence.

However, Mars used this as fuel to get justice for her best friend, build a no-nonsense attitude, and keep her head high even when it felt heavy.

"The sad realization is there are a lot of kids who have that kind of hand dealt to them at a young age, and that's why you're sort of prematurely jaded and bitter," Bell added. "What I love about Veronica is that she makes the decision to turn her life in a different direction. She could be crying in her bedroom all day and she could be reclusive, but she's not."