Maria Elana Bello (born April 18, 1967 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA) is an American actress.
Bello is, among other roles, known as she co-starred with Scott Bakula in the short-lived tv series Mr. & Mrs. Smith, later she played Dr. Anna DelAmico on ER . Bello also had a lead part in the movie Coyote Ugly. She went to Villanova University, majoring in political science. She had every intention of becoming a lawyer, but she took an acting class during her senior year, just for fun. She discovered she was very good at it, and 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) and "Due South" (1994).
Bello got her breaktrough when producers Kenny Lenhart and John J. Sakmar cast her in the spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1996) as Mrs. Smith (they remembered her from her performance in a failed pilot that was a remake of the classic TV series "77 Sunset Strip" (1958/I)). The show was canceled after just eight weeks on the air. Then came a spot on ER as Dr. Anna DelAmico, in which she guest-starred on the final three episodes of the third season. The show's producers were so impressed with her that they asked her back as a regular on the series. In 2004 she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in The Cooler.
Maria Bello: Trivia
Practices Muay Thai (lethal) kickboxing.
Comes from a Polish and Italian family.
Bello and her TV exec boyfriend, Dan McDermott, welcomed on 5 March 2001 their first child, Jackson Blue McDermott.
Was a bridesmaid at Andrea Bendewald's wedding, the same one in which Jennifer Aniston was the matron of honor.
Became good friends with Mariska Hargitay when Hargitay had a recurring role as Cynthia Hooper on "ER" from 1997-1998.
Best friends with Carrie-Anne Moss, Bello is the godmother of Carrie-Anne Moss' first son, Moss is the godmother of Bello's son Jack.
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