MARIA BELLO

Maria Bello has established herself as a formidable presence on the television screen in a remarkably short period of time. She segued effortlessly from the spy adventure series "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" to NBC’s Emmy Award-winning drama "ER," on which she stars as the passionate and strong-willed pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico. Introduced during last season’s final three episodes, Bello’s character will join the regular "ER" team this fall.

Bello made her debut as a series regular opposite Scott Bakula in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" last season. The series required Bello to do some of her own stunts and learn Moi Thai, a Taiwanese form of street fighting. Her other television credits include guest-starring roles on the series "Nowhere Man," "Due South," "Misery Loves Company" and" Simon," as well as the movie "The Commish: Shadow of the Gallow."

Bello’s extensive New York theater credits include the world premiere of "The Killer Inside Me." She also appeared in "Small Town Gals With," "Urban Planning," "Big Problems," "After the Fact," "Young Frankenstein," "A Lie of the Mind," "His Pillow," "Out of Gas on Lovers’ Leap," "Big Talk" and "Talked Away."

She recently signed to star opposite Ben Stiller and Elizabeth Hurley in the feature film "Permanent Midnight" for LIVE Entertainment.

Eager to share the artistic experience with children, Bello co-founded the Dream Yard Drama Project for Kids, a not-for-profit arts and education program for children in Harlem. As part of her commitment to children’s causes, she recently traveled to Africa, where she spoke to children and gathered material for a book that will examine the values of children from different cultures.

Bello resides in Los Angeles. Her birthday is April 18.