Maria Bello

Early life

Bello was born April 18, 1967, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Kathy, a school nurse and teacher, and Joe Bello, a contractor. Her father is of Italian ancestry, with roots in Montella, Italy, and her mother is of Polish ancestry. She grew up in a working-class, Catholic family and graduated from Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania. She majored in political science at Villanova University. Following graduation, Bello honed her acting skills in a number of New York theater productions.

Career

Bello's early TV appearances include episodes of The Commish (1991), Due South (1994), Nowhere Man (1995), Misery Loves Company (1995), and ER (1997–98). Her breakthrough came when she was cast as Mrs. Smith in the TV series spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith, though the show was cancelled after eight weeks. She then appeared in the final three episodes of the third season of ER as pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico and was a regular cast member during the medical drama's fourth season.

Bello moved on to films, landing a role in Coyote Ugly (2000). She was 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 starred in The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) as Jocelyn and as Dr. Alex Sabian in the 2005 film, Assault on Precinct 13, a remake of the original 1976 movie made by John Carpenter. In 2008, she starred in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as Evelyn O'Connell, replacing Rachel Weisz. In December 2008, Bello began developing a drama for HBO. Besides starring in the new series, Bello planned to also serve as an executive producer. She starred in the 2009 drama film The Yellow Handkerchief, which was released in theatres on February 26, 2010, by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

In 2010, Bello guest starred in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The following year, she starred in the TV series Prime Suspect, which was cancelled after 13 episodes. In 2011, she became a founding board member of the CQ Matrix Company, a company created by her then-partner, Clare Munn, to help clients achieve "transformative living and the power of intelligent exchange" by enhancing their communication quotient. In 2014, she starred alongside Frank Grillo in the James Wan-produced thriller Demonic.

Bello began producing short films in 2010. In 2022, she was a producer on the film The Woman King.

Personal life

Bello has a son, Jackson, with her former boyfriend Dan McDermott.

In November 2013, she wrote about having a same-sex relationship with her best friend, Clare Munn. Bello's book, Whatever...Love Is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves, was published in 2015. Bello and Munn split the same year and the actress was rumoured to be dating Elijah Allan-Blitz.

Bello and chef Dominique Crenn became engaged on December 29, 2019, while holidaying in Paris. They were married in a ceremony in Mexico on May 12, 2024. Bello filed for divorce in May 2025, citing irreconcilable differences.

Philanthropy

Bello has been involved in several advocacy and philanthropic causes. In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Bello founded WE ADVANCE with Aleda Frishman, Barbara Guillaume, and Alison Thompson. It is an organization that encourages Haitian women to collaborate in making healthcare a priority, and putting an end to domestic violence within their communities. , the organization is based in a health clinic and a community outreach center in Cité Soleil. Bello led fundraising efforts in Philadelphia and donated to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. She is also a board member of Darfur Women Action Group, an NGO that undertakes activism on behalf of genocide victims of the Darfur conflict.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Singer, Leigh. (February 19, 2009). "Oscars: the best actors never to have been nominated". [[The Guardian]].
2. "Maria Bello". [[British Film Institute]].
3. "Supporting, Encouraging and Challenging the WWME Community". eMatrimony.
4. (July 2012). "All'attrice Maria Bello l'Ischia Humanitarian Award / Actress Maria Bello: Ischia Humanitarian Award". Napoli.repubblica.it.
5. (August 11, 2006). "Maria Bello, 'Getting Better and Better'". Washingtonpost.com.
6. "Maria Bello". [[Yahoo! Movies]].
7. "Maria Bello". [[AskMen.com]].
8. (2014-07-14). "Maria Bello - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com".
9. (April 1, 2001). "Maria Bello Interview". futuremovies.co.uk.
10. Schneider, Michael. (December 21, 2008). "HBO seals deal with Maria Bello". [[Variety (magazine).
11. "Exclusive: Maria Bello Signs On to SVU". TVGuide.com.
12. Andreeva, Nellie. (2011-02-17). "Maria Bello To Star In NBC's 'Prime Suspect'". Deadline.
13. "CQ". ClareMunn.com.
14. (January 5, 2015). "International Demonic Trailer Begins Haunting - Dread Central".
15. ["The Woman King"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8093700/?ref_=nm_flmg_tp_t).
16. Eggenberger, Nicole. (December 2, 2013). "Maria Bello Shares 'Modern Family' Picture With Girlfriend Clare Munn and Ex-Boyfriend Dan McDermott After Coming Out as Gay". [[Us Weekly]].
17. Bello, Maria. (November 29, 2013). "Coming Out as a Modern Family". [[The New York Times]].
18. Bello, Maria. (2015). "Whatever ... love is love: questioning the labels we give ourselves". [[Dey Street Books]].
19. Webber, Stephanie. (2016-03-22). "Maria Bello, 48, Splits From Girlfriend, Is Now Dating Elijah Allan-Blitz, 29: Photos".
20. "Maria Bello Reveals She's Engaged to Chef Girlfriend Dominique Crenn: 'I've Finally Grown Up'".
21. "Maria Bello and Dominique Crenn are officially married!".
22. Saunders, Angel. (May 28, 2025). "Maria Bello Files for Divorce from Chef Dominique Crenn, 1 Year After Marriage". [[People (magazine).
23. Bello, Maria. (January 12, 2011). "How to ADVANCE Our Money in Haiti". The Huffington Post.
24. "Maria Bello, Darfur Women Action Group Board Member | Darfur Women Action Group".
25. Otterson, Joe. (August 20, 2024). "Maria Bello Joins Kevin Williamson Netflix Series 'The Waterfront'". [[Variety (magazine).