RADNOR — Maria Bello said she was on her way to becoming a women’s rights lawyer when she opted to fill an elective with an acting class.
“I realized right after that, that art was transformational, that art could be used to further social justice,” said Bello, a 1989 graduate of Villanova University.
Bello, an actress who has appeared in more than 30 movies, returned to Villanova on Tuesday to speak about her path to acting and activism.
In addition to starring in movies such as “Coyote Ugly,” “A History of Violence” and “The Cooler,” Bello is the co-founder of WE ADVANCE, a movement to improve the health, safety and well-being of Haitian women.
Bello also was named one of the most powerful women in Hollywood by Variety magazine in 2009 for her efforts with women in Darfur.
Her road to such heights began at Villanova after the Norristown native graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School.
At Villanova, Bello met the late Rev. Ray Jackson, an Augustinian priest and co-founder of the university’s Center for Peace and Justice Foundation, which sponsored Tuesday’s event. Jackson mentored Bello, encouraging her to pursue acting.
“The thing that Father Ray told me changed my life,” Bello said. “That is, ‘You serve best by doing the things you love.’ And he was right.”
Bello focused much of her presentation around that notion. She offered 10 main points of advice, including the idea that not knowing exactly what one wants from life is acceptable.
“A lot of kids and adults say, ‘I don’t know what I want to do,'” Bello said. “My answer to that is, ‘Who does?’ … I like to say that ‘I don’t know’ is the greatest adventure — and I still don’t know.”
Bello also encouraged students who want to bring social change, but don’t want to live a dependent life of servitude, to think creatively.
She pointed to a friend who founded TOMS Shoes, a business that donates one pair of shoes for every pair purchased. It’s now a multimillion dollar business that also helps those in need, Bello said.
“He found a way to turn something that he was passionate about into a business,” Bello said. “I find that is the new way of aid, the new sustainable aid. You don’t have to be poor to be a servant, either.”
Bello left the audience with a challenge. She asked students to develop a product WE ADVANCE could sell to raise funding.
“Remember the Livestrong bracelets?” Bello said. “Do you know how much money they made for that charity? Create a product that is really inexpensive that college kids all over the country will want.”
The reward for the winner, Bello said, is the benefit of having one’s own business.
