If you don’t recognize Kristen Schaal, you almost certainly know what she sounds like.

Since 2011, the Longmont-born and raised comedian has voiced the character Louise Belcher in 14 seasons of the popular animated series. Bob’s BurgersShe also lent her distinctive voice to BoJack Horseman, Gravity Falls, Big Mouth and the Toy history Franchise.

Her comedic appearances in front of the camera include Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, The Last Man on Earth, 30 Rock And The daily show.

Now Schaal can be seen in My Spy: The Eternal Cityin which she reprises her role as Bobbi, technical specialist of CIA agent JJ ​​(Dave Bautista). The sequel takes the action spy comedy to Italy, where JJ and Sophie (Chloe Coleman), the teenager who blackmailed JJ in the previous film to train her as a spy, become involved in a terrorist plot.

“The film shows the dynamic between parents and children at this age very well,” says 46-year-old Schaal. “Sophie changes from a child to an adult and it’s really hard for parents to accept that. The whole film is just a back and forth between them. I don’t see that often in films. I think it’s really fun.”

Finding a voice

Schaal’s interest in performing first came through her church. “If anyone was ever needed on stage or in the choir, I did it,” she says. “I remember a performance of Divine Magic at a talent show. We did a fashion show that I hosted. In high school, I did theater and gave speeches and debates.”

At Skyline High School, Schaal met Dee Covington, the education director of Denver’s Curious Theater Company, who hired them for plays “built around community issues.” Soon they were touring to other schools as far away as Arizona to perform.

At the same time, Schaal was also working at the now-closed Showtime Video on Main Street, which meant she could take home and learn from as many videos as she wanted.

“I remember pulling Eddie Murphy and Roseanne off the shelves. They were all such great inspirations,” she says. “I knew I wanted to perform, but I didn’t know exactly what I was doing yet.”

The fateful moment came when she was reading poetry in class. “I remember everyone started laughing at me. But I was very serious,” she says. “From that moment on, I knew I was meant to do comedy.”

After a year at CU Boulder, Schaal transferred to Northwestern University in Illinois, where she eventually graduated before moving to New York in 2000 at the age of 22 to pursue her career as a comedian.

“After college, I waitressed for seven or eight years and did a whole bunch of other jobs,” she recalls. “My goal was to make money acting one day.”

When Schaal looks back on that time, she can’t help but wax nostalgic about her dream of becoming a professional comedian and actress.

“That’s the beauty of art. I remember always wanting instant success. But by working toward it, I was able to find my voice and appreciate it even more,” she says. “It’s really hard. It’s been horrible. Scary. Frustrating. There were so many moments where I wished I hadn’t chosen art. But at the end of the day, it’s so rewarding.”

“I had to go”

Slowly but surely, Schaal began to make an impression. Especially after she was New York Magazine in September 2005. It was her role as stalker Mel in Flight of the Conchords This increased her popularity enormously and she has since appeared regularly in films and television shows.

Schaal has come a long way since her Front Range beginnings. When she reflects on how her Colorado childhood shaped her career, she says she had to go elsewhere to succeed as an artist.

“Every time I’m home, I look out into nature, at the mountains and the huge sky, and I can understand why so many people are out there hiking and doing outdoor sports,” she says. “It’s so wonderful. But it’s the opposite of the performing arts. I feel like a lot has changed since I was a child. But when I was a child, I had to at least leave my environment to find people with my interests.”

Still, 24 years after moving to New York, she can’t help but feel a little sentimental about her roots.

“I miss it. I always look at houses in Colorado on Redfin for fun,” she says. “It’s such a beautiful place.”

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ON SCREEN: My Spy: The Eternal City is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Kristen Schaal isn’t the only famous face in Longmont. Read more about the city’s remarkable history