Maria Bello takes some time for horror in ‘Lights Out'
Maria Bello caught the attention of TV viewers during her late-90s run as Dr. Anna Del Amico on "ER." That gig was followed by a slinky performance as a hooker pal of Mel Gibson's world-weary hoodlum in the film "Payback." And then it was on to all sorts of movie roles — some serious, some not — ranging from "A History of Violence" and "Thank You for Smoking" to "The Company Men" and "Prisoners." With six more films already completed and scheduled to be released between now and 2017, Bello has also found time to write a bestselling memoir — "Whatever ... Love Is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves," about her own coming out and her struggles with bipolar disorder — cofounded We Advance, the organization that provides aid and education to poor women in Haiti, and has been involved as an activist in issues of gender equity and pay equity in Hollywood, along with equal representation for women in front of and behind the camera. She's also been testing the waters of producing and writing, and is in the early stages of creating a new television show. Before she has a chance to do any more, she'll be seen as a mom suffering from depression and from delusions of a possibly demonic entity in the new psychological scare fest "Lights Out." She spoke about the film and her career earlier this week in Los Angeles.
Q: This is really a dramatic movie with a horror layer on top. What attracted you to it?
A: When I read the script I realized that if you took the horror out of it, it's a stand-alone drama about this family and these complicated relationships due to mental illness. I was certainly drawn to that. She was a wonderful character to play — a mother suffering from depression, off of her medication, on the verge of a psychotic breakdown, who also has this shadow self that we're not sure is real. SHE doesn't even know if it's real.
Q: How did you prepare for the part?
A: I prepared through a life of living. In my book last year I talked about having to deal with bipolar disorder. I was able to use my experience from that and put it on the screen for the first time, remembering what it was to be that person who couldn't get out of bed for three months, to try to understand what it was like to be in that kind of space, not understanding what reality was.
Q: Did you have any second thoughts about taking a lead role in a horror film?
A: I don't really like horror films. I love thrillers, and I can't wait to see "The Girl on the Train." I've been offered these particular genre films, in this budget range before. But I've never done them because the character didn't interest me. But when I read this character, I said, yes, this is a part I really want to do.
Q: You're still young, yet you play a role here where you're the mother of an adult woman (Teresa Palmer). Would you be willing to take on any kind of role if the role were juicy enough?
A: Yeah. If I love the role, I don't think about what it's going to look like or how old or ugly I'm going to look. On this one I wore ugly makeup. That doesn't bother me at all.
Q: The story in "Lights Out" has you being friends or at least having conversations with Diana, a woman who might be dead. One of the cool things about the script is that it doesn't completely tell you who or what Diana is. What do you think she is?
A: Well, that's the question that I still carry around with me. I see her as part of my psychology. But in terms of being a mutant, a real spirit, a person, I'm not sure. But I love the ending. It's something you don't usually see in a horror film.
Q: You're still doing a lot of acting, but when you're not acting, you're involved with an amazing number of other projects. Where do you get the energy?
A: I like being busy. I like to work with a group, and to inspire people and bring people with like-values and hearts and minds together, and create something from the ground up. It's just another level of my career.
Q: With all of those extracurricular activities, is acting still fun?
A: Oh, yeah. Acting is like a break from my life. It's like my playground.
— Ed Symkus covers movies for More Content Now.