Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Lou Belli
Hi Mary Lou, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started as a triple-threat performer- I sang, I danced, I acted- in NY. Then, I came to LA and gladly gave it all up when I realized I liked rehearsing more than performing. I went back to my theatre routes to practice the craft of directing mostly at two theatre companies: Theatre West and Company of Angels where I directed and/or produced over 75 (mostly original one-act plays). I had a bunch of great reviews especially for one called The Balcony Scene by Wil Calhoun. With a producing partner and friend, Ian Praiser, that play got developed at Tristar as a film and opened in NY starring Cynthia Nixon. I directed over a hundred episodes of sitcoms mentored by many but most generously Peter Engel, Michael Lembeck, Nancylee Myatt and Phil Ramuno. Next I pursued my next passion which was directing episodic procedurals. Mentored by many directors who allowed me to observe them, I found out I loved directing drama. I also found that I loved teaching which I do still with one of my generous single camera mentors, Bethany Rooney. After being established in the action world, I like to say folks in the biz knew I liked a lot of blood, crashing things, and blowing things up (SAFELY!), I went back to my sitcom roots with The Ms Pat Show. I try to maintain a balance between drama and comedy now but my two new passions are development and advocacy work.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a great road. As Ian Praiser told me when I started, “There are no roadblocks, only detours.”
I have enjoyed both and relish learning. Sure there were times when I lamented that there were two few women landing the jobs, but instead of whining about that, I saw an opportunity to change things, especially with my forward thinking guild, the DGA, and the like minded folks there like our past and present presidents (Lesli Linka Glatter, Paris Barclay, and Thomas Schlamme) as well as my some of my favorite teaching cohorts there (Bethany Rooney, Andy Wolk and Rachel Raimist).
I also had to balance my work and life. I did that with help of nannies who I hired (and with sometimes took home more $ than I did!) Those wonderful women along with my husband and mother-in-law who lived with our family for the last ten years of her life added stability to my two kids’ home-life. Also the nature of episodic directing allowed me long stretches of quality time to be with them both at home and while volunteering at their schools.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am known as a teacher and advocate. This has been augmented by the 4 books I have written and the many boards on which I sit as well as the instructing I did at USC for nearly a decade on the directing faculty and for the US Performing Arts camps where I taught conservatory type classes every summer on college campuses (mostly with my husband, Charles Dougherty -who did the heavy lifting of shooting and editing.) During those summers I was also lucky enough to work with Rick Hawkins who had been the showrunner on two of my earlier gigs: Major Dad and Sister Sister. It was great fun and I love that some of those students are now thriving as young professionals in TV and film.
My work with Women in Media, the Alliance of Women Directors, Film Fatales, The Road Theatre, InterAct Theatre, the Television Academy where I am currently a Governor and the DGA are vital to who I am now. They all give me opportunities to give back and mentor talent which I find truly rewarding. My books have also been wonderful collaborations. The Sitcom Career Book (two editions) with Phil Ramuno, Acting for Young Actors with Dinah Lenney, Directors Tell the Story (three editions) with Bethany Rooney, Acting for the Screen, part of a wonderfully conceived and executed PERFORM series, the brain child of Anna Weinstein!
It was a great joy to rediscover one of my earliest loves: writing. Doing it, gives me endless joy…and accompanies my other favorite thing: reading!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
LA is my adopted home…I LOVE it here. And moving here was accompanied by a real discovery about how much I adore (and need) light! Also you can’t beat the weather for someone like me who loves to get on a bike and garden!
I also relish the cultural offerings especially in the art and music world here. I really take advantage of going to The Broad, LACMA (can’t beat jazz there during the summer), the Music Center, Disney Hall, The Getty (both of them!) The Hammer, MOCA.
And I adore the gardens that you can visit here: The Japanese Garden at the Water Reclamation Plant, the Huntington, Descanso, the Aboretum, The Rose Garden at USC, the Japanese gardens in LA’s downtown and BelAir. (UCLA curates the latter.)
and finally the sushi…the best outside of Japan in my opinion!!!! (and I’ve been to Japan three times) Too many to name …but I have favorites on the Westside, the Valley, Midtown, and Koreatown.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maryloubelli.com
- Instagram: @maryloubelli
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marylou.belli
- Other: https://womennmedia.com/profile/mary-lou-belli/
