Inside Jillian Bell’s Bold Career Pivot: from Comedy Breakouts to Leading the New 'Splash'
Bell studied comedy at The Groundlings in Los Angeles, spending years refining character work and rapid long-form improvisation. That background caught the attention of Lorne Michaels, leading to a position on the Saturday Night Live writing staff for the 2009, 2010 season. Writing sketches for thirty-five consecutive weeks exposed Bell to the structural mechanics of television production. The experience was grueling, but it taught her how to craft jokes under strict studio deadlines.
Comedy Central's Workaholics gave Bell her first sustained on-screen footprint. Playing Jillian Belk, an eccentric administrative assistant navigating corporate chaos alongside Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, and Anders Holm, Bell created a character who was bizarre yet grounded in genuine workplace frustration. Fast Company highlighted that Bell’s sharp improv instincts consistently turned secondary characters into magnetic on-screen presences. Directors started granting her room to reshape scenes on the day of shooting.
