Maria Bello

Making the difficult transition from television to film, actress Maria Bello gained widespread acclaim for her convincing portrayals of complex, smart, often damaged female characters. As a fresh new face on television in 1997, she more than held her own amidst the strong cast of "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009), so much so, that film work soon beckoned, prompting her departure after one full season. Gritty roles in "Permanent Midnight" (1998) and "Payback" (1999), followed by a turn as a sexy bartender in "Coyote Ugly" (2000) made Bello an actress to watch. It was, however, performance as Bob Crane's girlfriend in "Auto Focus" (2002) and her daring performance as an emotionally-torn Vegas cocktail waitress in the lauded independent drama "The Cooler" (2003) that established Bello as a premiere talent. She cemented her growing reputation with her award-winning supporting role in director David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" (2005). She balanced out work in smaller films with mass appeal projects as "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" (2008) and the Adam Sandler comedy "Grown Ups" (2010), followed by a return to television as the star of the police drama "Prime Suspect" (NBC, 2011-12). A rare combination of beauty, brains, strength and talent, Bello shone consistently in each new endeavor she undertook.