Kristen Schaal

About Kristen Schaal

Kristen Schaal is an American actress and comedian, best known for her role as Mel in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords and as a contributor on The Daily Show.

Schaal grew up on a farm in Longmont, Colorado and graduated from Northwestern University. After college she moved to New York to pursue a comedy career and five years later in 2005 had her first break when she was included in New York Magazine's "Ten Funniest New Yorkers You've Never Heard Of."

In 2006 Schaal was invited to perform at the 2006 HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen where she won the award for "Best Alternative Comedian". She was also the winner of the second annual Andy Kaufman Award (hosted by the New York Comedy Festival), Best Female Stand-up at the 2006 Nightlife Awards in New York, and "Best Female Stand Up Comedian" at the 2007 ECNY Awards. At the 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, she won the Barry Award for her show Kristen Schaal As You Have Probaby Never Seen Her Before, tying with Nina Conti.