| Maria Bello |
Bello signing an autograph at the premiere of A History of Violence at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival, photo by Tony Shek |
| Born |
Maria Elena Bello
April 18, 1967 (1967-04-18) (age 42)
Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation |
Actress |
| Years active |
1992–present |
| Domestic partner(s) |
Dan McDermott
Bryn Mooser (engaged July, 2008) |
Maria Elena Bello (born April 18, 1967) is an American actress best known for her appearances in the movies Coyote Ugly, The Jane Austen Book Club and A History of Violence.
Early life
Bello was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Kathy, a teacher and school nurse, and Joe Bello, a contractor.1 Her father is Italian American and her mother Polish American.234 She grew up in a working-class Roman Catholic family and graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School (Radnor, Pennsylvania). Later she attended Villanova University, majoring in political science. She intended to become a lawyer, but took an acting class during her senior year, just for fun. She was soon cast in small off-Broadway plays, such as The Killer Inside Me, Small Town Gals With Big Problems and Urban Planning. She later guest-starred on episodes of The Commish (1991), Nowhere Man (1995), Misery Loves Company (1995) Due South (1994), and ER (1997-98).
Career
Bello's breakthrough came when the producers Kerry Lenhart and John J. Sakmar cast her as Mrs. Smith in the spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The show was cancelled after just eight weeks on the air. Then came a guest stint on ER as the feisty pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico, in which she guest-starred in the final three episodes of the third season. Bello remained on the show for one season as a regular cast member, departing after the medical drama's 4th season. The actress went on into movies landing a role in Coyote Ugly. She has been nominated for the Golden Globe award twice: for Best Supporting Actress in The Cooler (2003) and for Best Actress in A History of Violence (2005). She also starred in The Jane Austen Book Club as Jocelyn.
In 2008 Bello starred in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as Evy O'Connell, taking over from Rachel Weisz. The move caused uproar from critics and fans of the series, and continues to do so. Bello has stated that she has signed up for three more Mummy films, meaning any possible return of Rachel Weisz is now unlikely.
In December 2008 Bello began developing a drama for HBO. Besides starring in the new series, Bello will also serve as an executive producer.5
Personal life
Bello has a son named Jackson Blue, born in 2001, with former long-time boyfriend Dan McDermott. Bello is also a Muay Thai practitioner. In July 2008 she became engaged to musician Bryn Mooser; a date for the wedding has not been announced.6 Bello and Carrie-Anne Moss of The Matrix are best friends, and they are godmother to each others first born children.7
Filmography
References
- ^ eMatrimony - Supporting, Encouraging and Challenging the WWME Community
- ^ "Maria Bello: after more than a decade of not being the one, suddenly she's well on her way" from FindArticles.com (originally published in Interview magazine)
- ^ Bello epoque - interview with actress Maria Bello from FindArticles.com (originally published in Interview magazine)
- ^ McCarthy, Ellen. Maria Bello, 'Getting Better and Better', The Washington Post, August 11, 2006. Accessed May 24, 2008.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (December 21, 2008). "HBO seals deal with Maria Bello". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997700.html. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
- ^ Actress Maria Bello Engaged, Us Magazine, July 28, 2008. Accessed September 10, 2008. During interview while promoting The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Bello voiced her support for Senator Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election.[5]
- ^ http://fametastic.co.uk/archive/20080729/12465/maria-bello-gets-engaged/
External links
![video Explorer Rick O'Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the frigid ... Picture](../viewVideo.html?title=The Mummy : Maria Bello, "Obama gives me chills..."YouTube=YouTube&summary=Explorer Rick O'Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the frigid ...&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/JO7rV7HRQTw&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://0.gvt0.com/vi/JO7rV7HRQTw/default.jpg&celebrity=Maria Bello&videoType=YouTube)
![video [8 Aug 00] Coyote Ugly Picture](../viewVideo.html?title=Maria Bello [Aug 00] interview (part 2)YouTube=YouTube&summary=[8 Aug 00] Coyote Ugly&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/EbMqeHEQDLU&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://1.gvt0.com/vi/EbMqeHEQDLU/default.jpg&celebrity=Maria Bello&videoType=YouTube)
![video [8 Aug 00] Coyote Ugly Picture](../viewVideo.html?title=Maria Bello [Aug 00] interview (part 1)YouTube=YouTube&summary=[8 Aug 00] Coyote Ugly&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/gb-EBlxfq6A&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://0.gvt0.com/vi/gb-EBlxfq6A/default.jpg&celebrity=Maria Bello&videoType=YouTube)
![Maria Callas Live [Box Set]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FFZQBNDRL._SL160_.jpg)
