Maria Bello

Maria Bello was born on 18 April, 1967 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Kathy, a nurse and teacher, and Joe Bello, a contractor. She is of Italian and Polish descent. Maria 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 ofThe Commish (1991),Nowhere Man (1995),Misery Loves Company (1995),andDue South (1994).She got her big break when producersKenny LenhartandJohn J. Sakmarcast her in the spy showMr. & Mrs. Smith (1996)as "Mrs. Smith" (they remembered her from her performance in a failed pilot that was a remake of the classic TV series77 Sunset Strip (1958)). The show was canceled after eight weeks on the air. Then came a spot onER (1994)as "Dr. Anna Del Amico", 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.