Photograph by Jennifer Cooper

Maria Bello
Edie Stall, A History of Violence
Age: 38
Birthplace: Norristown, Pennsylvania
Essential Filmography: Permanent Midnight (1998), Payback (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), Auto Focus (2002), The Cooler (2003), Secret Window (2004), Silver City (2004), Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)

“I think we all have a shadow self, and I’ve certainly explored that in my work,” says Maria Bello. Nowhere has the actress explored that side more deeply than in A History of Violence. Her character faces an existential crisis when husband Tom (Viggo Mortensen)’s violent past comes calling on their quaint small-town existence. “When she finds out who he really is, after twenty years of marriage, she has to face all these hidden aspects of herself, her animal desire and her darker nature. I found that really intriguing,” she says.

In the film, Bello’s path of self-discovery reaches its pitch in an unforgettable, violently charged sex scene between Edie and Tom on a staircase. “In a way I was playing with gender roles,” she says of the scene. “I think we all were. In the beginning, Edie really wears the pants in the family. She’s the lawyer and the type-A personality and the protector. But in a way she doesn’t want to be that person. I think it’s a very innate female desire to want to surrender and be submissive. I realize that’s not a safe thing to say in this society right now, but I think it’s a true thing.”

While her performance has drawn critical praise, Bello says she doesn’t see it in such terms. “Over the years I’ve come to understand that it’s not the end result that matters,” she says. “I feel like I was really committed and interested in this character’s journey, and I did everything I could do. The rest of it is out of my control.” —Ryan Devlin