Rachel Weisz

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Lore & Background

Rachel Hannah Weisz, born in Westminster, London, and raised in Hampstead Garden Suburb, is a British actress whose appearance has often been described with the phrase "English rose." She began modeling at fourteen and gained early public notice in 1984 by declining a role opposite Richard Gere. Weisz studied English at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she co-founded the all-female drama group Cambridge Talking Tongues, which won a Guardian Student Drama Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a piece she wrote. She later trained under master clown Philippe Gaulier. Her stage breakthrough came in 1994 with a revival of Noël Coward’s *Design for Living*, earning her the London Critics’ Circle Award for most promising newcomer. Her film career began with a minor role in *Death Machine* (1994), with her first major role in *Chain Reaction* (1996). She was first labeled an "English rose" for her role in *Stealing Beauty*. Her international breakthrough was the 1999 adventure film *The Mummy*, playing English Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan opposite Brendan Fraser. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as an activist in *The Constant Gardener* (2005) and a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for playing Blanche DuBois in a 2009 revival of *A Streetcar Named Desire*. Her portrayal of Sarah Churchill in *The Favourite* (2018) won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and earned a second Oscar nomination. Weisz has starred in a wide range of films, from blockbusters like *The Mummy Returns*, *The Bourne Legacy*, and *Oz the Great and Powerful* to independent films such as *The Deep Blue Sea*, *Denial*, and the thriller miniseries *Dead Ringers* (2023), where she played twin obstetricians.

Reader's Guide

Bello's early TV appearances include episodes of The Commish (1991), Due South (1994), Nowhere Man (1995), Misery Loves Company (1995), and ER (1997–98). Her breakthrough came when she was cast as Mrs. Smith in the TV series spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith, though the show was cancelled after eight weeks. She then appeared in the final three episodes of the third season of ER as pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico and was a regular cast member during the medical drama's fourth season. Bello moved on to films, landing a role in Coyote Ugly (2000). She was nominated for the Golden Globe award twice: for Best Supporting Actress in The Cooler (2003) and for Best Actress in A History of Violence (2005). She starred in The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) as Jocelyn and as Dr. Alex Sabian in the 2005 film, Assault on Precinct 13, a remake of the original 1976 movie made by John Carpenter. In 2008, she starred in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as Evelyn O'Connell, replacing Rachel Weisz. In December 2008, Bello began developing a drama for HBO. Besides starring in the new series, Bello planned to also serve as an executive producer. She starred in the 2009 drama film The Yellow Handkerchief, which was released in theatres on February 26, 2010, by Samuel Goldwyn Films. In 2010, Bello guest starred in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The following year, she starred in the TV series Prime Suspect, which was cancelled after 13 episodes. In 2011, she became a founding board member of the CQ Matrix Company, a company created by her then-partner, Clare Munn, to help clients achieve "transformative living and the power of intelligent exchange" by enhancing their communication quotient. In 2014, she starred alongside Frank Grillo in the James Wan-produced thriller Demonic. Bello began producing short films in 2010. In 2022, she was a producer on the film The Woman King.

Did You Know?

• Bello was born April 18, 1967, in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
• She majored in political science at Villanova University before pursuing acting.
• Bello was nominated for the Golden Globe twice: for Best Supporting Actress in The Cooler (2003) and for Best Actress in A History of Violence (2005).
• In 2008, she replaced Rachel Weisz as Evelyn O'Connell in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
• Bello and chef Dominique Crenn married in a ceremony in Mexico on May 12, 2024.

From Small Town to Silver Screen

Bello was born April 18, 1967, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Kathy, a school nurse and teacher, and Joe Bello, a contractor. Her father is of Italian ancestry, with roots in Montella, Italy, and her mother is of Polish ancestry. She grew up in a working-class, Catholic family and graduated from Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania. She majored in political science at Villanova University. Following graduation, Bello honed her acting skills in a number of New York theater productions.

Small Screen Storytelling and Critical Recognition

Bello's early TV appearances include episodes of The Commish (1991), Due South (1994), Nowhere Man (1995), Misery Loves Company (1995), and ER (1997–98). Her breakthrough came when she was cast as Mrs. Smith in the TV series spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith, though the show was cancelled after eight weeks. She then appeared in the final three episodes of the third season of ER as pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico and was a regular cast member during the medical drama's fourth season. Outside of film, Bello is best known for playing Anna Del Amico in the medical drama ER (1997–1998) and Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane in the police procedural drama NCIS (2017–2021). She received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and won a Critics' Choice Award for her performance in the limited series Beef (2023).

Love, Identity, and Personal Expression

Bello has a son, Jackson, with her former boyfriend Dan McDermott. In November 2013, she wrote about having a same-sex relationship with her best friend, Clare Munn. Bello's book, Whatever...Love Is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves, was published in 2015. Bello and Munn split the same year and the actress was rumoured to be dating Elijah Allan-Blitz. Bello and chef Dominique Crenn became engaged on December 29, 2019, while holidaying in Paris. They were married in a ceremony in Mexico on May 12, 2024. Bello filed for divorce in May 2025, citing irreconcilable differences.

Advocacy and Humanitarian Work

In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Bello founded WE ADVANCE with Aleda Frishman, Barbara Guillaume, and Alison Thompson. It is an organization that encourages Haitian women to collaborate in making healthcare a priority, and putting an end to domestic violence within their communities. As of 2011, the organization is based in a health clinic and a community outreach center in Cité Soleil. Bello led fundraising efforts in Philadelphia and donated to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. She is also a board member of Darfur Women Action Group, an NGO that undertakes activism on behalf of genocide victims of the Darfur conflict.