 Maria Bello (L) and Chad Michael Murray present the award for best young actor during the 10th Annual Critics' Choice Awards at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles January 10, 2005.
From: contactmusic.com BELLO BONDS WITH HER DAD AT TATTOO PARLOUR THE COOLER star MARIA BELLO recently had a bonding experience with her 62-year-old dad - they had their very first tattoos together. The actress opted for something "tiny and secret" on her bottom, while her father chose to pay honour to his favourite American football team, the SUPER BOWL-bound PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. She says, "We went to the corner bar, had a couple of beers, some shots of JACK DANIELS, went across the street to the tattoo parlour. "My dad said, 'I'm going to get something that I'd love to die with'... the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES and a big emblem of the eagle on his arm."
Congratulations to Maria on her Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Cooler.
“You think I’m tryin’ to compete with that?” Diana Krall, N’Sync’s Joey Fatone, Bobby Caldwell and more headline the Commotion Records soundtrack to The Cooler with extended selections from the score by composer and trumpeter Mark Isham. (New York/October 8, 2003) The Shangri-La is the last of the old-school Las Vegas casinos, where hopes and dreams ride on a roll of the dice, and love is the only saving grace for desperate people who've been dealt a hand from the bottom of the deck... Wayne Kramer's directorial debut The Cooler, due out on November 19th in New York and Los Angeles (and on December 19th nationwide) through Lions Gate Films, stars William H. Macy, Maria Bello, and Alec Baldwin. The Cooler is a cool, gritty, tense and at times even hilarious drama set against the backdrop of Sin City and the Shangri-La. The film's soundtrack will be the rollout release for Commotion Records, a brand new label co-founded by legendary music industry veteran Walter Yetnikoff and music supervisor and powerhouse label executive Tracy McKnight. “I saw this film at the Sundance Producers Conference in August,” McKnight recalls, “and I loved the movie. I mean, from the opening cue, I thought, this music is spot on—it's smart, it's well placed, and Mark Isham's score is fantastic. It's the perfect soundtrack to launch our label, and I'm really proud to be associated with it.” “I am very excited to be working with Tracy and Commotion Records,” says Joel C. High, Vice President of Music for Lions Gate. “Their enthusiasm and experience in the film music world make them a great home for this soundtrack.” Mark Isham is the Academy Award®-nominated and Grammy Award®-winning composer behind the music of such acclaimed films as A River Runs Through It; Romeo Is Bleeding, Quiz Show and Moonlight Mile. One of the first pictures for which he wrote and performed the score was The Times of Harvey Milk, winner of the 1984 Academy Award® for Best Feature Documentary. For The Cooler, Isham had several distinctively romantic moods in mind for the music. “This is a score that embraces the classic sound of swing that personified old world Vegas,” he says, “and I wanted to mix that with musical themes that reflect the warm and intimate relationship between the main characters.” An intimate, Vegas-style lounge feel courses through the vocal performances on the soundtrack, mirroring the classy sophistication and style of the film. Diana Krall renders a steamy rendition of the jazz standard “I'll String Along With You,” while Bobby Caldwell channels the spirit of Frank Sinatra on the casino classic “Luck Be A Lady.” Actor Paul Sorvino hits an ironic vein, so to speak, in “Getting To Be A Habit With Me”—in the film, he plays Buddy Stafford, a strung-out lounge singer whose addiction to heroin puts him at Shelly's mercy. Joey Fatone (from 'N Sync) plays Johnny Capella, the young upstart who steals Buddy's gig with his performance of “Can I Steal A Little Love.” And no story of the Vegas nightclub and casino scene would be complete without “My Funny Valentine,” delivered with smoldering cool by up-and-coming jazz siren Tierney Sutton. The Cooler soundtrack CD will be released on November 11, 2003 on Commotion Records in partnership with KOCH Entertainment. For more information contact: cinemediapromo@yahoo.com.
Maria will be a guest on The Sharon Osbourne Show on Thursday, November 27th. Check your local listing for airtime in your area.
 THE COOLER, the much anticipated Oscar contender starring William Macy in perhaps his finest performance, Maria Bello in a breakout role as a struggling cocktail waitress, Alec Baldwin in his sharpest, most vicious role since Glengarry Glen Ross, and Paul Sorvino and Ron Livingston in key supporting roles. The film hits New York and Los Angeles on November 26th and in theaters December 19th. Official THE COOLER Website – http://www.thecoolermovie.com Listen to the amazing THE COOLER soundtrack – http://www.thecoolermovie.com/cooler_sndtrk.html
THE COOLER Trailer Links – Windows Media
THE COOLER Trailer Links – Real Media
9/19/03...
New movie project for Maria in pre-production...click HERE for the details.
Source: Independent Film @ IMDb.com - http://indie.imdb.com/
Sundance Sortas There's been a number of quite-nice-but-not-quite movies here at the Sundance festival this year. Lion's Gate snapped up the crowd-pleasing The Cooler, which stars William H. Macy as Bernie Lootz, a man so unlucky he's employed by a ruthless casino owner, played by Alec Baldwin, to alter the fortunes of any gambler on a winning streak, merely by his presence. Though the leads, including Maria Bello, are all superb there's a few missteps, including Bernie's errant son appearing then disappearing without explanation, that lead to a lot of stumbling. Dopamine, about a computer programmer who creates an artificially intelligent creature, then falls in love with the schoolteacher who has to product test his program, shuts down in a blur of talk. Amidst the Philosophy 101 blather, however, lead John Livingston (the younger brother of a personal favorite, Ron Livingston) appears to have the charisma to play both funny and romantic, a rarity these days. Oddly enough, Ron Livingston has a supporting role in The Cooler. - Keith Simanton
Source: imdb.com
Dream Foundation - Le Cabaret des Reves - Fundraiser
Source: Yahoo! News
Cast members of the new film "Auto Focus" pose for photographers as they arrive at the New York Film Festival for the premiere, October 4, 2002. Actor Greg Kinnear poses with co-stars Maria Bello (L) and Rita Wilson. The film will open in the U.S. on November 1. REUTERS/Jeff Christensen
Source: Fansites.com
Actress MARIA BELLO at the world premiere, in Los Angeles, of The Four Feathers.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/autofocus/
In a remarkably short time, MARIA BELLO (Patricia Crane) established herself as a new leading actress with a formidable and beautiful presence. Bello segued effortlessly from the spy-adventure series, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (opposite Scott Bakula) into not only a leading role on NBC's award-winning drama "ER" but as a leading lady on the big screen. Maria, best known for her Screen Actors Guild Award winning, leading role on "ER" as the passionate and headstrong pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico, has quickly emerged as one of Hollywood's up and coming film stars. She co-starred in "Permanent Midnight" with Ben Stiller and Elizabeth Hurley, and she also co-starred with Mel Gibson in Paramount's "Payback." Shot simultaneously during production of "ER," Bello played the female lead to Gibson's past and present encounters. In 2000 she appeared in the film "Duets" with Gwyneth Paltrow, Huey Lewis and Scott Speedman. She also starred in Jerry Bruckheimer's highly anticipated "Coyote Ugly," portraying Lil, a tough talking entrepreneur who owns a Western style bar in New York City called Coyote Ugly. In the fall of 2000 Bello returned from China where she was filming a special project, which was presented on the IMAX® screen called "China: The Panda Adventure." It is the true story of one woman's incredible struggle to survive in the mysterious Chinese jungle, her determination to fulfill her late husband's destiny and her efforts to protect one of the world's rarest animals. Based upon Ruth Harkness' autobiography Lady and the Panda, "China: The Panda Adventure" combines spectacular images of a foreign land and breathtaking scenes with Giant Pandas, with this incredible true story of hope, courage and triumph of the human spirit. It was released on the giant IMAX screen in the spring of 2001. Prior to "Auto Focus," Bello filmed the dark comedy "100 Mile Rule," a story, which revolves around three salesmen from Detroit who come to Los Angeles for a seminar and become entrenched in far more than they ever imagined. "100 Mile Rule" is set to hit theatres later this year. Bello's extensive theatre credits include the world premiere of "The Killer Inside Me," as well as "Smart Town Gals" at the Currican Theatre, "Big Problems" at the Theatre for New City, "Urban Planning" at the Theatre del Barrio, "A Lie of the Mind" at Columbia University, "His Pillow" and "Out of Gas on Lover's Leap" at T. Schreiber Studios, "Big Talk" at the Double Image Theatre, "Talked Away" at the West End Gate. Bello also co-founded the Dream Yard Drama Project for Kids, a not-for-profit arts and education program for children in Harlem. Maria has toured Africa and Asia while continuing her studies in conjunction with her arts and education program for children.
Maria's show " The Governor" apparently was not picked up as a fall series, but we still have her three movies to look forward to: "The Cooler", "Auto Focus", and "100 Mile Rule".
Source: Yahoo! News Former "ER" thesp Maria Bello is set to star opposite William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin and Shawn Hatosy in Content Film's "The Cooler," written and directed by Wayne Kramer. Bello plays a cocktail waitress at a Las Vegas casino who falls for Macy's character. Shooting begins this week. Bello, who last starred in "Duets" and "Coyote Ugly," next shows up in Paul Schrader's "Auto Focus" for Sony Pictures Classics. |
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From: ET Online Newsletter February 1, 2002 Greg Kinnear has a history of choosing interesting -- and sometimes risky -- roles, including his Oscar-nominated turn as the homosexual artist in 'As Good As It Gets.' Now, he's taken on the difficult task of portraying the double life of Bob Crane. To millions of "Hogan's Heroes" fans, Crane was the suave and clever Colonel Hogan during the sitcom's six-year run. But there was far more to Crane than what met the eye. "If you look at some of the things he was involved in, it was a little disturbing," Greg told me. Before his 1978 murder, Crane was involved in pornography and videotaping his numerous one-night stands. The movie 'Auto Focus' has elements of Crane's proclivities, Greg says. "It's rated "R," no question about that. But within the context of that, there are elements that are going to be sensitive for some people." On the flip side, Crane lived a publicly respectable life. His first marriage lasted 21 years and produced two children. Rita Wilson plays wife #1 in the film. His second wife, Sigrid Valdis, best known as Hilda on "Hogan's Heroes," is portrayed by MARIA BELLO. Their union was less traditional, and both agreed to an open marriage. Greg confessed that Crane is probably the most complex role he has ever played. "I think any actor is interested in finding a character that isn't what they appear to be, and nobody fits that bill better than our boy Bob." For a glimpse into the dark world of Bob Crane, watch my interview with Greg tonight. |
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From: Yahoo! News
Tuesday December 4 12:46 AM ET
Wilson, Bello join Crane pic "Autofocus''By Dana Harris HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Rita Wilson and Maria Bello will play the long suffering wives of Bob Crane in ``Autofocus,'' a biopic about the twisted and tragic life of the late ``Hogan's Heroes'' star. Greg Kinnear will play Crane, who had a secret and obsessive life videotaping his sexual conquests with the help of his companion, Johnny Carpenter (Willem Dafoe). In 1978, when Crane was found slain in an Arizona apartment, Carpenter was considered the chief suspect. He was acquitted at trial. Paul Schrader will direct the Sony Pictures Classics project from a script by rookie scribe Michael Gerbosi. Production will begin Dec. 12 in Los Angeles. Reuters/Variety REUTERS |
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From: www.IMDb.com
100 Mile Rule (2002)Production Notes/StatusStatus: UnknownStatus Updated: 15 November 2001 Note: Since this project is categorized as being in production, the data is subject to change or could be removed completely.
Cast (in alphabetical order)Maria Bello .... MonicaDavid Dorfman (I) .... Andrew Davis Shawn Huff .... Katherine Davis Abigail Mavity .... Kaitlin Davis Jake Weber .... Bobby Davis |
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From: Yahoo! News Monday October 29 12:31 AM ET
DreamWorks TV boss set to join scribe tribeBy Josef Adalian HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The president of DreamWorks Television, the production company behind hit sitcom ``Spin City'' is quitting his job to follow his dream as a screenwriter. Dan McDermott -- who's run the day-to-day operations of the indie studio's small-screen arm since it opened for business in 1995 -- will leave by Thanksgiving. The move comes less than a month after he sold a spec script to Fox 2000 for the supernatural thriller ``Selling Time.'' Along with longtime girlfriend actress Maria Bello (''ER''), he recently set up a half-hour comedy project at ABC. McDermott said it was always his intention to be a writer, but instead he got sidetracked, landing executive gigs at USA Network and Fox Broadcasting before ending up at DreamWorks. ``I put my dream aside,'' McDermott said. ``Now it's become an itch I have to scratch.'' McDermott approached DreamWorks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg several months ago about the idea of quitting. ``The only question was when was I going to make the leap, and under what circumstances,'' he said, adding that he devoted ``a lot of middle of the night energy'' to ``Selling Time'' and the ABC pilot while continuing to fulfill his responsibilities at DreamWorks. In addition to its biggest hit, ``Spin City,'' DreamWorks currently produces the critically hailed Fox comedy ``Undeclared,'' which was just given a full-season order; the Denis Leary starrer ``The Job'' for ABC; and the WB comedy ``Off Centre'' (a co-production with Warner Bros. TV). During McDermott's six-year run at DreamWorks TV, the studio produced one monster hit (''Spin''), several short-lived critical darlings (''Freaks and Geeks,'' ``It's Like, You Know...'') -- and the usual assortment of duds (''Arsenio,'' ''Ink''). McDermott will likely be replaced by his top lieutenants, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, though no final deal has yet been inked. Reuters/Variety REUTERS |
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From: Yahoo! News October 10, 2001
 Actress Maria Bello, one of the stars of the television drama series "ER" poses with artwork she created as she attends the Art Heals benefit October 9, 2001 in Santa Monica. Bello knew eleven of the firefighters killed in the attack in New York, from her days working as a waitress in New York. All money raised from the event, with artwork created by celebrities in response to the recent attacks, will go to the September 11th fund which will aid victims of the attacks in New York and Washington. REUTERS/Rose Prouser |
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From: US Weekly magazine - October 8, 2001
Where We Were, What We Did
September 11, 2001 After hours of waiting at the hospital for the survivors to arrive, a doctor, Andrew Feldman, turned to me and said, "The scariest part is they might not be bringing anyone."
September 13, 2001
September 14, 2001 |
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From: Yahoo! News
Wednesday October 10 4:28 AM ET
Latest Hollywood script dealsHOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Fox 2000 has snagged ``Selling Time,'' the first feature script sold by DreamWorks Television president Dan McDermott. A supernatural thriller, ``Selling Time'' centers on a man who experiences the worst day of his life. When given a chance to relive it, he is met with unexpected consequences. The purchase could be worth in the low seven figures if the project is produced. McDermott recently developed and wrote the ABC pilot ``The Governor'' with girlfriend Maria Bello (``Coyote Ugly''), who is attached to star. Both will serve as executive producers, should ABC pick up the half-hour comedy as a series. |
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From: www.calendarlive.com
Thursday, September 13, 2001
A Challenge EmbracedActress Maria Bello found that working on the Imax-format movie "China: The Panda Adventure," demanded a new dimension in acting.By RAY ZONE, Special to The Times
"I wanted to work in a new format to experiment with how a narrative would translate to the large-format film," the actress says of the film, which opens Friday. Based on Harkness' 1938 autobiography, "The Lady and the Panda," the screenplay by Jeanne Rosenberg ("The Black Stallion," "The Journey of Natty Gann") tells the dramatic story of Harkness' 1,500-mile trek up the Yangtze River to the Min Valley in a race with an English hunter (Xander Berkeley) who is determined to hunt down a giant panda. "I loved the strength of Ruth Harkness," says Bello. "I loved the book. But Ruth was quite different from the character I portrayed in the film. She was already pretty tough at the start of her adventure in the book. The screenplay for the film showed more of a progression of her character, and I chose to play her as more vulnerable at first. Then she finds herself, her freedom, and a new reason to live." Harkness initially traveled to China to retrieve the ashes of her late husband, Bill. Bill Harkness believed that the giant panda, one of the few wild animals not held anywhere in captivity by 1936, was not the terrifically fierce creature that game hunters said it was. The nighttime interior scene in which Harkness retrieves the urn containing her late husband's ashes was the first to be shot during production and presented quite a surprise to the actress. "We're filming the most intimate scene in the movie the first night we get there," says Bello. "I do my preparation outside the house of the dead; I walk in and I hear what sounds like a vacuum cleaner! I had to yell 'Cut!' I said, 'What is that? Is there a problem?' 'No,' they said. 'That's the noise the camera makes.' No one told me beforehand the large-format camera makes so much noise." In fact, dialogue for this film, as with most Imax features, was recorded in post-production. Synchronized sound captured during filming was used as a guide track only. Working with director Bob Young, Bello had to raise the level of her delivery. "We had to talk really loud," recalls Bello. "But after a few days, I found a rhythm that worked and focused to prepare myself before the camera started rolling." Bello has had considerable acting experience in the theater and on television, where she is most recognized as the passionate and headstrong pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico on the series "ER." Her feature films include "Duets." But working for the large-format camera required Bello to make some changes to her conventional acting style. "I wanted to keep everything really simple," she says. "That's what making this film was about for me, because every tiny little action would show up on the big screen." She notes that the large-format screen also gives actors more freedom of movement and gesture, and in expression. "With the story and text, I couldn't help but to be more physically expansive," she notes. "You'll notice that I'm constantly trekking someplace, over falling streams or running. There is constant movement, and I think the large format lends itself to that." In portraying Harkness' arduous journey, the actress had to journey down rushing rivers, traverse canyons and climb steep mountains on foot during three months of production in China. Sometimes, just getting to the location was exhausting. "At one location, we lived on a boat," says Bello. "We would have to take a boat to the shore in the morning, get in a car and drive two hours through the hills of China to a place near the Yangtze River, get on another boat and river raft 45 minutes down to our location. We could only shoot for six hours because it took so long to get there. Then, at the end of the day, we would take the river raft back again." After her grueling trek to the Min Valley, Harkness rescued a baby giant panda. Today, as few as a thousand giant pandas survive in the forests of south-central China. For Bello, the giant panda is a special creature, not only because of its endangered status. "My favorite part of making this film was working with the pandas," she says. "They are like human babies, with such a spirit that you forget they are animals. "I feel privileged to be one of the only people in the world to be able to hold them." * * * "China: The Panda Adventure" opens today exclusively at Universal Studios Imax at Universal CityWalk, Lankershim and the 101 Freeway, (818) 760-8828. Copyright 2001 Los Angeles Times |
The new Imax film "China: The Panda Adventure," tells the
true-life story of Ruth McCombs Harkness, a widowed New
York socialite who journeyed deep into the mysterious
forests of China in 1936 and brought back to civilization the
first live giant panda. Actress Maria Bello ("Coyote Ugly,"
"Payback"), who plays Harkness, says that working on the
film was something of an adventure in itself.
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From: Yahoo! News
Friday August 24 4:39 AM ET
ABC Votes Maria Bello for 'Governor'By Josef Adalian HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - ABC is close to inking a deal with former ``ER'' regular Maria Bello to star in ``The Governor,'' a half-hour, single-camera comedy targeted for the networks 2002-03 schedule. Bello -- who also starred in last summer's ``Coyote Ugly'' -- wrote the pilot script for the project with Dan McDermott, the president of DreamWorks Television and Bello's longtime boyfriend and partner. Both will serve as executive producers of the show should it become a series. ABC is readying a premium script commitment to ``The Governor,'' in which Bello would play a blue-collar woman who, through a series of events, ends up running a state. While McDermott helped write the script, DreamWorks is not currently attached to the deal -- nor is any individual studio. The reason: The project is still in search of a showrunner, and the parties involved didn't want to limit the potential pool of producer candidates by automatically signing with DreamWorks. DreamWorks could still end up associated with ``The Governor,'' however. And if the project does end up as a series for another studio, DreamWorks is expected to have a small, passive stake in the show's backend -- recognition of the fact that McDermott is a DreamWorks employee. McDermott, however, is not expected to have any day-to-day involvement in producing ``The Governor,'' allowing Bello and any future executive producers to do most of the heavy lifting. Bello most recently starred in the pilot ``Born in Brooklyn,'' a half-hour comedy that failed to make the ABC fall lineup. From 1996-98, the actress starred as Dr. Anna Del Amico on ``ER.'' On the feature side, Bello's recent credits include ''Payback,'' ``Duets'' and ``Permanent Midnight.'' Bello began her career on the now-canceled ABC soap opera ''Ryan's Hope.'' |
| Congratulations to Maria Bello on winning Favorite Supporting Actress, Comedy/Romance for her role in "Coyote Ugly" at the Seventh Annual Blockbuster Awards, which were held on April 10, 2001. |
New pictures from: China: The Panda Adventure
Click on pictures to view full-size images
Photos from www.businesswire.com
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March 30, 2001 From: Yahoo! Entertainment News By Nellie Andreeva and Cynthia Littleton . . .fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi has been cast in ABC's comedy pilot "Born in Brooklyn." The Studios USA single-camera pilot "Brooklyn," written by Becky Mode, focuses on a young couple -- a busy book publisher (Maria Bello) and her lawyer husband -- who are preparing for the birth of their first child. Mizrahi will play the head of public relations for a New York book publisher who is Bello's character's gay best friend and "work husband" of many years. Also cast in the pilot is Tamara Taylor (HBO's "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge"), who will play a young, upcoming book editor. Mizrahi's credits include "Fame" and the Woody Allen films "Small Time Crooks" and "Celebrity." He is repped by CAA. |
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Added 10/18/00...
The following description of Maria comes from a fan who prefers to remain anonymous. She worked for Warner Bros. at the time Maria was appearing on ER , was on the set frequently and described her as being friendly with a great sense of humor. She is much more attractive in person and has a natural, girl-next-door look that doesn't come across on the screen. "I worked at Warner Bros. (before moving back east) when she was on ER and used to see her pretty often as I was on the set frequently with my job. She was always so nice...I was sad to see her leave the show. We actually had a pretty funny conversation one day when I was on the set. I was wearing a t-shirt from a rowing event in Philadelphia (I'm a rower...) and happened to have a Philadelphia Flyers scrunchy pulling my hair back by coincidence. Maria said something, I didn't hear her very well and answered something to the effect of "no, I'm not from Philadelphia," she said something like "yes, I am" and I answered "no, I'm not..." In other words, total confusion! We finally deciphered that she was telling me she was from Philly, she thought I was....etc. We got a pretty good laugh out of it! She has a great sense of humor, was pretty proud of being from Philly!" |
 September 15, 2000
Quick Hits |
| Actress Maria Bello is photographed as she attends the premiere of the movie "The Crew" on Miami Beach, August 21, 2000. The movie, which was filmed on Miami Beach, stars Burt Reynolds, Richard Dreyfuss, Dan Hedaya and Seymour Cassel. REUTERS/Colin Braley |
| The cast of the film "Duets," (from left) Bruce and Gwyneth Paltrow, Andre Braugher, Maria Bello, and Paul Giamitti pose for pictures at the end of a press conference for the Toronto Film Festival in Toronto, Saturday Sept. 9, 2000. (AP Photo/Canadian Press, Tannis Toohey) |
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Added 9/5/00
Source: http://www.moviefanonline.com/
DUETS
Directed By: Bruce Paltrow
Cast:
Duets is a road-trip comedy about six strangers from all walks of life who have one thing in common -- a passion for karaoke. They are: a small-town singer (Maria Bello) with dreams of stardom, a down-on-his-luck young cab driver (Scott Speedman) searching for the meaning of life, an ex-con (André Braugher) with the past of a killer but the voice of an angel, a salesman (Paul Giamatti) burned out by his hamster-like existence on the treadmill of suburbia, and an innocent Vegas showgirl (Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow) who discovers a remarkable connection to a seasoned karaoke hustler (Huey Lewis). As they converge on the $5,000 Grand Prize Karaoke Contest in Omaha, Nebraska, they collide and combust and ultimately enrich each other, in the funny, raucous world of the karaoke bars and chain hotels that link the interstates of Middle America. |
The Story:
