Maria Bello

Maria Bello is an internationally renowned actor, women's rights activist, and the co-founder of We Advance, an NGO based in Cité Soleil, Haiti, advocating for full political, economic, and social participation of Haitian women. Having starred in over 40 movies, including "Coyote Ugly," "A History of Violence," and "The Cooler," Bello has won a New York Film Critics Circle Award and received Golden Globe nominations.

Bello was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Her father is Italian American and her mother is Polish American. She grew up in a working-class Roman Catholic family and attended Villanova University, where she studied international law before discovering her passion for acting. During her time at university, she also worked at the Women's Law Project in Philadelphia.

Throughout her career, Bello has been deeply involved in various causes focusing on the empowerment of women worldwide. She has worked with organizations such as Save the Children, The Feminist Majority, Vital Voices, and Save Darfur. Her activism extends to advocating for LGBT and human rights, and she is actively involved in social impact investing. In 2012, she received the Starkey Foundation's So the World May Hear Award.

In 2015, Bello published the book "Whatever… Love is Love," where she explores themes of personal identity and modern family dynamics. This book followed her influential article in The New York Times' "Modern Love" column, which ranks as the fifth most popular article ever published in the column.