Maria Elena Bello born April 18, 1967 is an American actress and writer. Her film roles include Permanent Midnight (1998), Payback (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), The Cooler (2003), A History of Violence (2005), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Grown Ups (2010), Prisoners (2013), and Lights Out (2016). On television, Bello appeared as Dr. Anna Del Amico on the medical drama ER (1997–1998), with other starring roles including as Lucy Robbins on the series Touch in 2013, as Michelle McBride on the first season of the series Goliath in 2016, and from 2017 to 2021 as Special Agent Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane on the series NCIS.
The Guardian named her one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.[2]
Early life[edit]
Bello was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Kathy, a school nurse and teacher, and Joe Bello, a contractor.[3][4] Her father is Italian American, with roots in Montella, Italy,[5] and her mother is Polish American.[6] She grew up in a working-class Roman Catholic family and graduated from Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania.[7][8] She majored in political science at Villanova University. Following graduation, Bello honed her acting skills in a number of New York theater productions.[9]
Career[edit]
Bello at the Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles on March 5, 2010
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 8 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.[10] In December 2008, Bello began developing a drama for HBO. Besides starring in the new series, Bello was planned to also serve as an executive producer.[11] 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.[12] The following year, she starred in the TV series Prime Suspect,[13] 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.[14] In 2014, she starred alongside Frank Grillo in the James Wan-produced thriller Demonic.[15]
Humanitarian efforts[edit]
In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Bello founded WE ADVANCE with Aleda Frishman, Alison Thompson, and Barbara Guillaume. 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. Currently, the organization is based in a health clinic and a community outreach center in Cité Soleil.[16] Bello is also a board member of Darfur Women Action Group, an NGO that undertakes activism on behalf of genocide victims of the Darfur conflict.[17]
Personal life[edit]
Bello has a son with her former boyfriend Dan McDermott.[18] In November 2013, she wrote about having a same-sex relationship with her then-partner, Clare Munn.[18][19] She published a book, Whatever…Love Is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves (Dey Street Books, April 28, 2015).[20]
In February 2020, while attending the 92nd Academy Awards in their first public appearance as a couple, Bello announced she and chef Dominique Crenn had gotten engaged on December 29, 2019 while vacationing in Paris, France.[21]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Maintenance | Eddie | |
| 1994 | Morphosis | Boss | |
| 1998 | Permanent Midnight | Kitty | |
| 1999 | Payback | Rosie | |
| 2000 | Coyote Ugly | Lil Lovell | |
| Duets | Suzi Loomis | ||
| 2001 | China: The Panda Adventure | Ruth Harkness | |
| Sam the Man | Anastasia Powell | ||
| 2002 | Auto Focus | Patricia Olson / Patricia Crane / Sigrid Valdis | |
| 100 Mile Rule | Monica | ||
| 2003 | The Cooler | Natalie Belisario | |
| 2004 | Silver City | Nora Allardyce | |
| Secret Window | Amy Rainey | ||
| 2005 | Assault on Precinct 13 | Alex Sabian | |
| A History of Violence | Edie Stall | ||
| The Dark | Adélle | ||
| 2006 | Thank You for Smoking | Polly Bailey | |
| The Sisters | Marcia Prior Glass | ||
| Flicka | Nell McLaughlin | ||
| World Trade Center | Donna McLoughlin | ||
| 2007 | The Jane Austen Book Club | Jocelyn | |
| Towelhead | Gail Monahan | ||
| Butterfly on a Wheel | Abby Randall | AKA Shattered | |
| 2008 | The Yellow Handkerchief | May | |
| Downloading Nancy | Nancy Stockwell | ||
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | Evelyn O’Connell | Replacing Rachel Weisz | |
| 2009 | The Private Lives of Pippa Lee | Suky | |
| 2010 | The Company Men | Sally Wilcox | |
| Grown Ups | Sally Lamonsoff | ||
| 2011 | Beautiful Boy | Kate Carroll | |
| Abduction | Mara Harper | ||
| Carjacked | Lorraine | ||
| 2013 | Grown Ups 2 | Sally Lamonsoff | |
| Prisoners | Grace Dover | ||
| Third Person | Theresa | ||
| 2014 | Big Driver | Tess Thorne | |
| 2015 | McFarland, USA | Cheryl White | |
| Demonic | Dr. Elizabeth Klein | ||
| Bravetown | Martha | ||
| 2016 | The 5th Wave | Sergeant Reznik | |
| The Confirmation | Bonnie | ||
| Lights Out | Sophie | ||
| The Late Bloomer | Brenda Newmans | ||
| Max Steel | Molly McGrath | ||
| Wait Till Helen Comes | Jean | AKA Little Girl’s Secret | |
| 2017 | In Search of Fellini | Claire | |
| 2018 | Every Day | Lindsey | |
| Better Start Running | Agent McFadden | ||
| Giant Little Ones | Carly Winter | ||
| 2020 | The Water Man | Sheriff Goodwin |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Nowhere Man | Emily Noonan | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Mrs. Smith | 13 episodes |
| 1997–1998 | ER | Dr. Anna Del Amico | Season 4 |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Vivian Arliss | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2012 | Prime Suspect | Jane Timoney | 13 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Touch | Lucy Robbins | 13 episodes |
| 2016 | Goliath | Michelle McBride | 8 episodes |
| 2017–2021 | NCIS | Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane | Main Role |
| 2017 | XQ Super School Live | Herself | 1 episode |
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Won | |
| 2000 | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy/Romance | Won | |
| 2003 | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Nominated | |
| National Society of Film Critics Award | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Award | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Award | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Won | ||
| 2005 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Performance | Won | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Award | Best Actress Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | ||
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | Actress of the Year | Nominated | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle Award | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Award | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| Satellite Award | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| Village Voice Film Poll Award | Best Supporting Performance | Won | ||
| 2006 | RiverRun International Film Festival’s Jury Prize | Best Actress | Won | |
| Dixie Film Festival Prize | Outstanding Actress in a Film | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Female Lead | Nominated | |
| 2013 | National Board of Review Award | Best Cast | Won |