# Maria Bello

Maria Bello (born April 18, 1967) is an American actress and producer. Her first major film role was in 1998's Permanent Midnight. She followed this with a range of supporting and leading parts in films such as Payback (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), The Cooler (2003), Secret Window (2004), Assault on Precinct 13, A History of Violence, Thank You for Smoking (all 2005), World Trade Center (2006), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Grown Ups (2010), Prisoners (2013), and Lights Out (2016).
Outside of film, Bello is best known for playing Anna Del Amico in the medical drama ER (1997–1998) and Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane in the police procedural drama NCIS (2017–2021). She received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and won a Critics' Choice Award for her performance in the limited series Beef (2023). In 2009, The Guardian named her one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.

## 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 Italian American, with roots in Montella, Italy, and her mother is Polish American. 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 partner, Clare Munn. Her book, Whatever...Love Is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves, was published in 2015.
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 become engaged on December 29, 2019, while holidaying in Paris, France. They got married in a ceremony in Mexico on May 12, 2024.

### 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. As of 2011, 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

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Maintenance | Eddie | |
| 1994 | Morphosis | Boss | |
| 1998 | Permanent Midnight | Kitty | |
| 1999 | Payback | Rosie | |
| 2000 | Coyote Ugly | Lil Lovell | |
| 2000 | Duets | Suzi Loomis | |
| 2001 | China: The Panda Adventure | Ruth Harkness | |
| 2001 | Sam the Man | Anastasia Powell | |
| 2002 | Auto Focus | Patricia Olson / Patricia Crane / Sigrid Valdis | |
| 2002 | 100 Mile Rule | Monica | |
| 2003 | The Cooler | Natalie Belisario | |
| 2004 | Silver City | Nora Allardyce | |
| 2004 | Secret Window | Amy Rainey | |
| 2005 | Assault on Precinct 13 | Alex Sabian | |
| 2005 | A History of Violence | Edie Stall | |
| 2005 | The Dark | Adélle | |
| 2006 | Thank You for Smoking | Polly Bailey | |
| 2006 | The Sisters | Marcia Prior Glass | |
| 2006 | Flicka | Nell McLaughlin | |
| 2006 | World Trade Center | Donna McLoughlin | |
| 2007 | The Jane Austen Book Club | Jocelyn | |
| 2007 | Towelhead | Gail Monahan | |
| 2007 | Butterfly on a Wheel | Abby Randall | a.k.a. Shattered |
| 2008 | The Yellow Handkerchief | May | |
| 2008 | Downloading Nancy | Nancy Stockwell | |
| 2008 | The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | Evelyn O'Connell | Replaces Rachel Weisz |
| 2009 | The Private Lives of Pippa Lee | Suky | |
| 2010 | The Company Men | Sally Wilcox | |
| 2010 | Grown Ups | Sally Lamonsoff | |
| 2011 | Beautiful Boy | Kate Carroll | |
| 2011 | Abduction | Mara Harper | |
| 2011 | Carjacked | Lorraine | |
| 2013 | Grown Ups 2 | Sally Lamonsoff | |
| 2013 | Prisoners | Grace Dover | |
| 2013 | Third Person | Theresa | |
| 2015 | McFarland, USA | Cheryl White | |
| 2015 | Demonic | Dr. Elizabeth Klein | |
| 2015 | Bravetown | Martha | |
| 2016 | The 5th Wave | Sergeant Reznik | |
| 2016 | The Confirmation | Bonnie | |
| 2016 | Lights Out | Sophie | |
| 2016 | The Late Bloomer | Brenda Newmans | |
| 2016 | Max Steel | Molly McGrath | |
| 2016 | Wait Till Helen Comes | Jean | a.k.a. Little Girl's Secret |
| 2016 | The Journey Is the Destination | Kathy Eldon | Also executive producer |
| 2017 | In Search of Fellini | Claire | Also executive producer |
| 2018 | Every Day | Lindsey | |
| 2018 | Better Start Running | Agent McFadden | |
| 2018 | Giant Little Ones | Carly Winter | Also executive producer |
| 2020 | The Water Man | Sheriff Goodwin | |
| 2022 | The Woman King | — | Producer and story writer |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Misery Loves Company | Joe's Former Film Student | Episode: "That Book by Nabokov" |
| 1995 | Nowhere Man | Emily Noonan | Episode: "The Enemy Within" |
| 1995 | The Commish | Betsy | Episode: "In the Shadows of the Gallows" |
| 1996 | Due South | Mackenzie King | Episode: "One Good Man" |
| 1996–1997 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Mrs. Smith | 13 episodes |
| 1997–1998 | ER | Dr. Anna Del Amico | Recurring role (season 3); main role (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 |
| 2014 | Big Driver | Tess Thorne | Television film |
| 2016 | Goliath | Michelle McBride | 8 episodes |
| 2017–2021 | NCIS | Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane | Main role (season 15–18); 73 episodes |
| 2017 | XQ Super School Live | Herself | Television special |
| 2023 | Beef | Jordan Forster | Recurring role; 6 episodes |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1997 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | ER | Won |
| 2000 | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy/Romance | Coyote Ugly | Won |
| 2003 | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | The Cooler | Nominated |
| 2003 | National Society of Film Critics Award | Best Supporting Actress | The Cooler | Nominated |
| 2003 | Online Film Critics Society Award | Best Supporting Actress | The Cooler | Nominated |
| 2003 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | The Cooler | Nominated |
| 2003 | Satellite Award | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | The Cooler | Won |
| 2005 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actress | A History of Violence | Nominated |
| 2005 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Performance | A History of Violence | Won |
| 2005 | Chicago Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actress | A History of Violence | Won |
| 2005 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress Motion Picture – Drama | A History of Violence | Nominated |
| 2005 | Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award | Best Supporting Actress | A History of Violence | Won |
| 2005 | London Film Critics Circle Awards | Actress of the Year | A History of Violence | Nominated |
| 2005 | New York Film Critics Circle Award | Best Supporting Actress | A History of Violence | Won |
| 2005 | Online Film Critics Society Award | Best Supporting Actress | A History of Violence | Won |
| 2005 | Satellite Award | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | A History of Violence | Nominated |
| 2005 | Village Voice Film Poll Award | Best Supporting Performance | A History of Violence | Won |
| 2006 | RiverRun International Film Festival's Jury Prize | Best Actress | The Sisters | Won |
| 2006 | Dixie Film Festival Prize | Outstanding Actress in a Film | The Sisters | Nominated |
| 2009 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Female Lead | Downloading Nancy | Nominated |
| 2013 | National Board of Review Award | Best Cast | Prisoners | Won |
| 2022 | Women Film Critics Circle Award | Best Woman Storyteller | The Woman King | Nominated |
| 2023 | Black Reel Award | Outstanding Film | The Woman King | Won |
| 2023 | AACTA International Award | Best Screenplay | The Woman King | Nominated |
| 2023 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture | The Woman King | Nominated |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Beef | Nominated |
| 2024 | Critics' Choice Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television | Beef | Won |