Noël Kristi Wells was born on December 23, 1986, in San Antonio, Texas. Her father is a Tunisian immigrant, and her mother is of Mexican descent. She attended Memorial High School in Victoria, Texas, where she was active in speech and debate, graduating as salutatorian. Wells later studied at the University of Texas at Austin, earning degrees in Plan II Honors and Radio-Television-Film.

     After moving to Los Angeles in 2010, Wells performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and gained recognition for her sketch and parody videos on YouTube. She joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player during its 39th season in 2013 but was not brought back for a second season. She later starred as Rachel Silva in Master of None (2015–2017) and voiced Kelsey Pokoly in Craig of the Creek (2018–2025).

     In 2017, Wells wrote, directed, and starred in the indie film Mr. Roosevelt. She also ventured into music, releasing her debut album It's So Nice! in 2019. In Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–2024), she voiced Ensign D'Vana Tendi, a cheerful Orion Starfleet officer.