Maria Bello World Trade Centre

She may be blond and beautiful but Maria Bello has never been content to play ?the girlfriend? or ?the wife?. She?s consistently sought out smart edgier roles in films such as Coyote Ugly, Auto Focus and Payback. But it was her mesmerising performance as a world-weary cocktail waitress in the gritty Vegas romance The Cooler in 2003 that brought her to the industry?s attention. She received a swag of award nominations but far more important to Bello was the fact that director David Cronenberg saw that film and instantly wanted her for A History of Violence. She earned her second Golden Globe nomination and since then Bello has been on a career high. 2005 also saw her put in an impressive turn as an ambitious alcohol lobbyist in the critically acclaimed Thank You For Smoking and her latest film World Trade Centre is another stand out performance. Gaynor Flynn caught up with the actress recently at the Venice International Film Festival, where the 39-year-old chatted about herlatest film, single life and why she needs to be more than just an actress.

Gaynor Flynn: I understand you have first hand experience of September 11th?

Maria Bello: I was in New York that day, down at StVincent Hospital. My parents and I had been at ahotel on the Upper West Side when it all happened andthey asked for any nurses and doctors in the city tocome to the hospital. My mother?s a nurse and I wentwith her, we waited the whole day for people who nevercame. We later realised that was because there wereso few survivors. I walked back uptown and there wereno taxis, no subways, no buses. I went up 6th Avenuein this sea of people covered by grey dust and it wascompletely silent but sometimes someone would reachout a hand, pat someone?s back or ask if you were OK. I never felt so peaceful in a crowd of people or somuch unity.


Gaynor Flynn: Were you at all worried about taking on this project given it was directed by Oliver Stone, who?s no stranger to controversy?

Maria Bello: Well if you know anything about me I?mnot much for political correctness. Not interested init at all, so I don?t even question stuff like that. Ijust think am I moved by this story? Is itchallenging? Is it a good filmmaker? Does it havegreat actors attached? And all of those things were Aplus, A plus, A plus where I just went I need to tellthis story.


Gaynor Flynn: Has this movie changed you?

Maria Bello: Definitely. When History of Violencefinished I was in bed for about three months because Iwas so anxious after it. I tend to hang on tocharacters long after its healthy (laughs). Afterthis one I felt softer, peaceful. Something hadchanged I noticed I was just different with my son,with my family and friends. All the stuff thatusually sends me crazy wasn?t important anymore.


Gaynor Flynn: What was Oliver Stone like to work with?

Maria Bello: Every movie he?s ever made has such astrong point of view, and I didn?t know what to expectbut I found him to be very open and generous andcollaborative. He is so much more connected tosomething bigger than most of us.


Gaynor Flynn: You?ve primarily chosen independent files so far in your career, is that a conscious decision?

Maria Bello: I don?t choose a movie because they?reindependent or a studio film. I never think like that. It?s always about the script and it?s unfortunatethat a lot of bigger Hollywood films are really malecentric and so the women characters are the wife, thegirlfriend and that?s not interesting for me to playunless it?s a whole fleshed out woman. And then thereare the lead roles in Hollywood for women but thereare so few of them that they want Charlize to do it orJulia Roberts or someone really bankable they can makemoney on. So I tend to be more attracted toindependent roles where I can play really fleshed outgreat women but it?s changing now. Hopefully I?ll getto do both.


Gaynor Flynn: Do you have a career plan?

Maria Bello: Well I?m starting to produce now and Ilike the idea of creating roles for women, fordifferent women not for myself necessarily, they?rejust great women roles that I love. And I?ve been inthe process of writing a novel which I?ll finish bythe end of the year which I?m really excited about andmaybe I?ll do something else, I don?t know its kind ofup in the air and I have a five year old boy so we?rejust rock and rolling and seeing where life takes us.


Gaynor Flynn: Are these other outlets because acting doesn?t satisfy you?

Maria Bello: It?s true, when you act you use 5% ofyourself in a way and there?s so much more in me thatI?d like to use creatively.


Gaynor Flynn: Is it true that you work in a book shop sometimes in LA?

Maria Bello: (laughs) I?d like to own a bookstore oneday, that?s another ambition because I?m obsessed withbooks but right now I already feel like I own one inthat my dearest friends in Los Angeles have a bookstore called Equator Books. It?s a used bookstore withthe most beautiful first editions and I?m just in lovewith it so I work there some times, not really workthere but if people come in and ask for a book I helpthem out.


Gaynor Flynn: When did the obsession begin?

Maria Bello: I started reading when I was four andI?ve just been a novel whore ever since. I don?twatch TV, I don?t go to the movies, I read, that?s mypassion


Gaynor Flynn: Do you think TV is a bad influence on our lives?

Maria Bello: Yes and no. I?ve been on a mountain topin Bhutan in the middle of nowhere where I was thefirst American they?d ever met and everybody had atelevision and the same in Central America where I?veworked everybody has a television but I think its goodin one way in that it?s creating a world culture. Ithink it?s bad in another way that people are sittingbehind their TV?s and not moving around anymore, soI?m not sure.


Gaynor Flynn: What were you doing on a mountain top in Bhutan?

Maria Bello: Well I work with Save the Children andthey work in refugee camps and poor communities in 48countries doing health and education programs forwomen and children and I got turned on to them becausethey?re the only charity where most of the money goesright to the communities. And they train people inthe communities to work for the communities so Savethe Children isn?t flying people in to save thepeople, they?re training people how to save themselvesso I love that concept. So I started travelling withthem about nine years ago and now its become a thingthat I do.


Gaynor Flynn: Did you always want to be an actor?

Maria Bello: No I was actually on my way to law schooland someone said I could take an acting class as anelective and I had no idea I could do that. I?d comefrom a construction family from Philadelphia I thoughtyou had to be born in Hollywood to be an actor, and Itook this class and I fell in love with it. I justknew it was my destiny and I had this mentor at schoolcalled Father Ray Jackson and I was so afraid to tellhim that I didn?t want to do human rights law anymoreand I finally told him one day over lunch and hesmiled and he said ?you serve best by doing the thingthat you love most? and it changed my life.


Gaynor Flynn: How do you handle the celebrity side of the business?

Maria Bello: I sort of don?t have the celebrity life.When somebody notices me on the street with my son andthey say ?oh aren?t you Maria Bello? my son goes ?nothat?s my mom? and I go yeah he?s right. But I thinkthere?s a way to stay out of all that Hollywood stuff,and I?ve learned how to do that and I?m so gratefulfor that.


Gaynor Flynn: A lot of actresses talk about how its difficult to age in Hollywood. Is that something you worry about?

Maria Bello: No. Your career is the choices that youmake and I feel like I?ve never made choices to playthe pretty girl so my career has just gotten betterand better and I?ve gotten better and better roles. Ijust think that?s how my career will continue to goand I?m also really artistic in other areas and can domany things if I choose. Not that I?ll ever stopacting. I need to do it for my own sanity.


Gaynor Flynn: Do you still have to fight to get the roles that you want?

Maria Bello: I don?t fight anymore. I?m just sort ofsurrendering to the flow of things. Once I learnedhow to surrender things are coming so much more easilyto me. It?s funny. I use to be a fighter. But I don?tdo that now and I don?t look for validation outside ofmyself. It?s about finding the validation inside.


Gaynor Flynn: Do you read reviews then?

Maria Bello: No I don?t do it because if someone saidI was a piece of shit I?d believe them and if someonesaid I?m great I would believe them too (laughs). Iknow my own insecurities.


Gaynor Flynn: You said you use to be a fighter. When did that change?

Maria Bello: When I had my son. It really changesthings. I mean I?ve never felt so much love in oneminute as when I gave birth to my son and I?m justsofter, I?m more balanced, more in touch with myfeelings and more possessed of myself than I?ve everbeen since I had my child. I couldn?t imagine that Icould have been successful before I had Jack. I didn?tknow who I was.


Gaynor Flynn: Has it changed how you handle the business as well?

Maria Bello: Yeah, because it feeds on yourinsecurities and it can take you over and you makechoices that you don?t want to necessarily makebecause of that.


Gaynor Flynn: You made some interesting comments on marriage not too long ago. What were they?

Maria Bello: Well actually it was very tongue in cheekthe way I said it but it came off very seriously. What I was saying is that in my own experiences Icouldn?t understand how the definition of desire is towant something that you don?t have and how can youwork on a marriage desiring something that you alreadyhave? I can?t quite understand the concept ofmarriage. I can understand the idea of a partner, andsomebody you want to go through life with but the ideaof only having sex with one person for the rest ofyour life,.. I think when people only lived till 40that was one thing but now we?re living till 100 Idon?t know about that.


Gaynor Flynn: What was the reaction to your boyfriend when you said that?

Maria Bello: Oh I?m not with anyone. I?m single. But Inever wanted to get married. I?m sort of like a guy inthat way I guess (laughs)


Gaynor Flynn: What we expect guys to be?

Maria Bello: Exactly. But aren?t so many women likethat as well?

Gaynor Flynn: Are you dating then?

Maria Bello: I am kind of. (laughs) I don?t know howto do it. And people try to set me up but I?m notinto it because I feel if you meet someone you meetsomeone. I have so many friends I need to see whywould I sit there with a guy I don?t even know? Tofigure out if I want to sleep with him potentially? Idon?t want to have to put myself through that.


Gaynor Flynn: What?s next for you?

Maria Bello: I?m doing a romantic comedy finallycalled The Jane Austen Book Club which I can?t wait tostart. It?s got Ellen Burstyn whose one of myfavourite actresses of all time.


Gaynor Flynn: Why do you say finally?

Maria Bello: Because I?ve been dying to do one foryears and people don?t see me as that, people see meas this dramatic actress but the truth is that I livea romantic comedy in my head everyday, and in my life.