Maria Bello

Maria Bello in The Cooler

Maria Bello in “The Cooler”

The beautiful and incredibly sexy Maria Bello has caught Hollywood by storm with her sudden rise to stardom, though you don’t need us to tell you how she’s done it. After just one look at Maria you’ll be dreaming good dreams for the next month. Born in small town in Pennsylvania in 1967, Maria studied at Villanova University with intention of becoming a lawyer until she opted to take an elective drama class at the suggestion of her friend. That was all she needed for inspiration, and shortly following graduation at the end of the 80’s, Maria moved to New York to try her hand at acting. And like most aspiring actors, the first years for Maria only offered small parts in TV commercials and television guest spots in series like “The Commish.”

Maria landed her first big role in the short-lived TV adaptation of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” before being cast in a recurring role as Dr. Anna Del Amico on NBC’s “ER” for one year. Following her work on the series, Maria attempted the jump to film with a few small roles alongside big name actors like Ben Stiller (“Permanent Midnight”) and Mel Gibson (“Payback”), as well as her most recognizable role as the bartender/owner of “Coyote Ugly.” None of these roles ever really amounted to much success, but in 2003, after appearing in the small indie hit “The Cooler,” Maria began popping up all over the film scene. And we expect Maria to continue her rise to the top as one of the more talented upcoming actresses now that she’s become a hot commodity for some of the bigger director’s in the industry.

Maria Bello on the Screen

Maria is probably best known for her recurring role on the television series “ER” in 1997, but she’s more recognizable as the sexy bartender from “Coyote Ugly.” Recently it seems like she’s got Hollywood wrapped around her finger, with star-making performances in “The Cooler,” “Secret Window” and “Assault on Precinct 13.”

Maria Says

On her life:
“I like a fine scotch. That’s where I am in my life right now—no tutti-frutti anything. Just a fine single-single malt scotch. In fact, I’d like one right now.”

On foreign films:
“I’m a big fan of European films and the way they portray lovemaking. In Hollywood it’s ridiculously safe and enormously trite.”