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Gil Bellows

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Gil Bellows
Bellows at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
Born (1967-06-28) June 28, 1967 (age 57)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
OccupationActor
Years active1988–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1994; div. 2023)​
Children2

Gil Bellows (born June 28, 1967) is a Canadian actor, producer, screenwriter, and director. Upon graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he began acting in films and television. Bellows also earned critical acclaim for his stage performances in The Snake and the Vein (1990) and Flaubert's Latest (1992). For his first starring role in Love and a .45 (1994), his acting received positive reviews. Bellows gained wide attention for his performance as Tommy a pivotal role in The Shawshank Redemption (1994). The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards including “Best Picture” and is considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made.

On television, Bellows is best known for playing Billy Thomas, the romantic lead in the popular Fox ’s legal dramedy series Ally McBeal (1997–2002). His performance earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award, and when his character finally united with the lead, the show reached a record-breaking 17 million viewers.

As a producer, Bellows has several notable accomplishments, including Mick Jackson’s HBO biographical drama Temple Grandin (2010), which earned him both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. He produced, starred in, co-wrote, and co-directed the film 3 Days in Havana (2013), and also produced the Amazon Prime Video series Patriot (2015–2017), where he received story credits as well.

Early life

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Bellows was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and attended Magee Secondary School with fellow future actor Carrie-Anne Moss. After graduation, he pursued a career in acting, studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, California.

Career

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1990-1994: rise to prominence

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Bellows moved to New York after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. Six months later, after many rejections, he was considering returning to Vancouver, British Columbia, when things picked up. In 1990, he earned notice for his performance in a one-act play by Alan Bowne, A Snake in the Vein, with The New York Times writing: "Mr. Bellows is physically magnetic as the boy who believes he is tougher than he is and whose sense of bravado is so pathetically susceptible to manipulation."[1][2]

In 1989, Bellows acted in the film The First Season.[3] Film critic Elizabeth Aird of The Vancouver Sun, found the supporting cast very good and pointed out Bellows among those who stood out.[4]

In 1991, Bellows made his television debut in the Law & Order episode "The Violence of Summer".[5]

In 1992, Bellows played a young gardener in the play Flaubert's Latest. Critic William A. Raily said that he played his role very well.[6]

In 1994, Bellows played the pivotal role of Tommy in Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.[7] After a long cross-country search, casting director Deborah Aquino chose Bellows, then 27, to play the role of Tommy, after Brad Pitt who had been initially cast couldn't commit due to scheduling conflict. Aquino explained"We must have seen every young man in that age range in Chicago, New York and L.A. -- name actors and no-name actors."[2] When he was cast, Bellows was working as a doorman at The Royalton Hotel in Manhattan.[2] Frank Darabont, who directed The Shawshank Redemption, based on his own script adapted from Stephen King's original story, told The New York Times that: "Gil brought this quality of ingenuousness to Tommy that I find quite believable. Even though Tommy's kind of a hardened kid, there's a naïveté to him, and Gil's got a sweetness that comes through."[2] Freeman was surprised that Bellows was fairly new actor, and said he "relaxed right into it." Bellows saidd "I really wanted to play Tommy, and I was really hoping the audition wouldn't come down to a name criterion, or l wouldn't have had a hope."[8] The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards including "Best Picture".[9] It is often considered as one of greatest films of all times.[10]

That same year, he played the lead role Watty Watt, a holdup artist on the run in the indie crime drama Love and a .45 with Renée Zellweger. Of his character, Bellows said "I loved him from the moment I read the first page of the script, in spite of his profession, he is really a noble character. "I think he does know the difference between good and bad, right and wrong. By and large his justifications are those I would embrace in my own life - other than armed robbery."[11] While the film received mixed to positive reviews, they were all unanimous on the quality of Bellows's acting.[12][13][14] Neil Davidson in his article published in the Red Deer Advocate explained he liked the film and that Watty is "played to perfection by Bellows."[11]

1995 - 2010: subsequent success

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In 1995, he played one of the leads in J. S. Cardone's crime thriller Black Day Blue Night, alongside Michelle Forbes and Mia Sara. The reviews for Black Day Blue Night were positive. Without breaking new ground and clunky elements, they highlighted its strengths as a well-executed, low-budget noir with engaging performances.[15][16][17][18] Greg Evans of Variety liked the film and of Bellows performance he said that it "outdistance the material."[19]

Also that year, he co-starred opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in the romantic comedy Miami Rhapsody directed by David Frankel. In his review of the film, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave it an A- and wrote that "the cast is uniformly fetching."[20]

Finally in 1995, he played one of the lead in the television film The Silver Strand.[21]

In 1996, Bellows acted in Daniel Sullivan's film adaptation of stage play of The Substance of Fire.[22] The film had an ensemble cast which included Ron Rifkin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Timothy Hutton, Tony Goldwyn, and more. Ella Taylor in her review for LA Weekly liked the film and of the actors she said that they are "so comfortable around one another that they breathe rich life into the often glib one-liners that are the hazard of theatrical dialogue."[23]

Also in 1996, Bellows appeared in Al Pacino's Looking for Richard.[24] Of his appearance Bellows said "I have probably the smallest part, I was cast before Shawshank and I was a spearholder. But I got to sit in the loft and watch Al Pacino."[25]

In 1997, Bellows played as Billy Thomas, the title character's former flame and new co-worker at a law firm, who she's still attracted to, in the television series Ally McBeal opposite Calista Flockhart. Caryn James of The New York Times explains that it is "a central plot is the simmering heat that still exists between her and her old flame, Billy (Gil Bellows). That exists despite the presence of Billy's lawyer-wife, Georgia, played by Courtney Thorne-Smith."[26] Of his character Bellows said "he's probably the most stable-acting of all the characters, but underneath I think he's the most tormented." The series was success for Fox Network.[27] After two years, for the episode when the character of McBeal and Thomas finally unite the show reached a record number of viewership according to the Nielsen rating system of nearly 17 millions viewers. On the success of the episode Bellows said "the relationship between Billy and Ally is a major component in the show. There are a lot of other characters on the show who can be considered flashier or more funny but I don’t think there’s a story line that’s more compelling than Billy and Ally. I think their relationship anchors Ally as a human being as opposed to her character as a wacky figment of (producer David E.) Kelley’s imagination. Billy allows her to explore human emotions that she probably wouldn’t be exploring otherwise and I think everybody responds to romance in one way or another.”[28] With the rest of the cast, he won and was nominated twice for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series" at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.[29][30][31] Bellows announced that he would be leaving the show in season 3, but would make guest appearances moving forward.[32][33]

He portrayed CIA agent Matt Callan in the CBS primetime television series The Agency.[26] It was one of three new series, including Alias, and 24, to highlight the CIA. All three premiered following the September 11 attacks Alias and 24 continued for more seasons, but CBS cancelled The Agency after the second season.[2]

Bellows also appeared in the psychological thriller Chasing Sleep as Detective Derm, opposite star Jeff Daniels. He appeared in The Weather Man as a perverted rehabilitation counsellor. He was in the film Snow White: A Tale of Terror, as Will, and Un amour de sorcière, a French film, as Michael Firth (1997). He has appeared on the Hallmark Channel original film Final Days of Planet Earth and the Canadian television series Terminal City.

In 2007, he completed filming for Kill Kill Faster Faster, which is a contemporary film noir inspired by the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Joel Rose.

Bellows also played a State Department Officer in 24: Redemption, a television film prequel to the seventh season of 24.[34]

In 2008, he starred in the Canadian Super Channel science-fiction adventure thriller film Infected.

Bellows has also appeared as Maxwell Lord on Smallville in the Season 9 episodes "Charade" and "Hostage".[35][36]

In 2010, Bellows had a recurring role in FlashForward as Timothy, a window-washer who becomes a born-again Christian and evangelist after a near-death experience.[37] That year Bellows also co-starred in the movie Unthinkable, and played the lead villain in Steve Austin's action film Hunt to Kill.

Also that year, as an executive producer that year, he released Mick Jackson’s HBO biographical drama Temple Grandin, which earned him both a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Made for Television Movie" and a Peabody Award.[38][39] Bellows also received a nomination at the Producers Guild of America Awards for the "David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television".[40]

2011 to present day: current work

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!n 2011 co-starred with Macha Grenon and Julia Stone in The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom. He starred in the 2012 feature film Fury. In some second-season episodes (2012) of Boss he appeared as a casino investor.

In 2014, Bellows starred with Tricia Helfer in the Syfy miniseries Ascension, a retro space opera / murder mystery about the 600-person crew of the USS Ascension, an Orion-class nuclear pulse propulsion spaceship, on its secret 100-year journey to Proxima Centauri, having been launched in 1963 by President Kennedy. Bellows played Harris Enzmann, the son of the founder of the Ascension project, who oversees its progress from a secret facility on Earth.

On October 16, 2016, Bellows debuted as a cast regular in USA Network's new, 10-episode, straight-to-series police drama, Eyewitness. He plays Gabe Caldwell, a veterinarian and the husband of Sheriff Helen Torrance (series lead Julianne Nicholson). The series, although set in mainly in the Hudson River Valley, was actually filmed in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada.

From 2015 to 2018, he had a recurring role as Lawrence Lacroix, on Patriot, the Amazon Prime Video series which he also executive produced.

In 2019, Bellows guest-starred as the unnamed maternity doctor in season 3, episode 9, of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale.

Personal life

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Bellows was married to American actress Rya Kihlstedt, whom he met in the early 1990’s. The couple have two adult children. The couple separated in 2021 and divorced in 2023.[41]

Screen and stage credits

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Main article: Gil Bellows on screen and stage

Awards and nominations

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Awards and nominations received by Ally McBeal
Award Year Category Result Ref.
Screen Actors Guild Awards 1998 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominee [29]
1999 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Winner [30]
2000 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominee [31]
Peabody Award 2010 Winner [39]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2010 Outstanding Made for Television Movie Winner [38]
Producers Guild of America Awards 2011 David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television Nominee [40]

References

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  1. ^ Holden, Stephen (November 11, 1990). "Review/Theater; A Baroque Vision of Evil in One-Act Play Series". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bernstein, Paula S. (October 2, 1994). "UP AND COMING: Gil Bellows; Hey, Brando, Remember That Hunk at the Door?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Director takes name off movie". Toronto Star. August 30, 1989. pp. C1.
  4. ^ Aird, Elizabeth (March 2, 1990). "B.C. flick authentic, wooden". The Vancouver Sun. pp. C1.
  5. ^ Aberastury, Florencia (June 6, 2024). "This Early Law & Order Episode Is Still One of Its Best". CBR. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  6. ^ Raidy, William A. (June 27, 1992). "Flaubert's Latest in an imaginative creation by Parnell". The Jersey Journal. p. 19.
  7. ^ Writer, Staff. "Actor Gil Bellows to attend Shawshank anniversary". The Daily Jeffersonian. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Bernstein, Paula S. (October 7, 1994). "Success is a new lifestyle for Bellows". Austin American-Statesman. pp. E5.
  9. ^ "The 67th Academy Awards | 1995". www.oscars.org. October 5, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  10. ^ Tobias, Scott (September 23, 2024). "The Shawshank Redemption at 30: is it really the greatest film ever made?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Davidson, Neil (September 18, 1994). "In the heart of Texas". Red Deer Advocate. p. 8.
  12. ^ Thomas, Kevin (November 23, 1994). "'Love and a.45': fast, violent and funny". Los Angeles Times. pp. F6.
  13. ^ McCarthy, Todd (June 6, 1994). "Love and a .45". Variety. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  14. ^ Savlov, Marc (November 25, 1994). "Movie Review: Love & a .45". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  15. ^ "Black Day Blue Night — EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008.
  16. ^ "Black Day Blue Night". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  17. ^ Hurlburt, Roger (November 4, 1995). "Rating are the target in funny 'Open Season'". South Florida Sun Sentinel. pp. 3D.
  18. ^ Rodriguez, Rene (November 3, 1994). "Black Day Blue Night". The Miami Herald. pp. 21G.
  19. ^ Evans, Greg (November 27, 1995). "Black Day Blue Night". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  20. ^ Owen Gleiberman (January 27, 1995). "Miami Rhapsody". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  21. ^ "Sunday Highlights". Daily News. November 26, 1995. pp. Guide to television: 25.
  22. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  23. ^ Taylor, Ella (December 12, 1996). "Friendly Fire". LA Weekly. p. 47.
  24. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  25. ^ Zekas, Rita (October 25, 1996). "Like father, like son: A list in films". The Toronto Star. pp. C2.
  26. ^ a b James, Caryn (September 8, 1997). "A Young Lawyer and Her Fantasies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Kloer, Phil (February 2, 1998). "The secret life of 'Ally McBeal'". The Atlanta Journal. pp. B1–B7.
  28. ^ Petrozzello, Donna (March 1, 1999). "Rekindled romance sparks 'Ally' ratings". The Sacramento Bee. pp. C5.
  29. ^ a b "The 4th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards.
  30. ^ a b "The 5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards.
  31. ^ a b "The 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards.
  32. ^ "Ten Beloved Characters, Ten Ignoble Deaths". Vulture. February 28, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  33. ^ Salamon, Julie (May 22, 2002). "TELEVISION REVIEW; 'Ally McBeal' Ends, Not With a Bang but a Whimper". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  34. ^ Nellie Andreeva (May 23, 2008). "'24' prequel adds cast - Eric Lively, Tony Todd, Gil Bellows join the fray". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
  35. ^ #8
  36. ^ "Smallville: Maxwell Lord is Cast". IGN. February 22, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  37. ^ Hale, Mike (March 19, 2010). "'FlashForward' Watch: Simon Says". The New York Times.
  38. ^ a b "Temple Grandin". Television Academy. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  39. ^ a b "Gil Bellows". CBC.
  40. ^ a b Goldberg, Matt (January 4, 2011). "Producers Guild Award Nominees Announced". Collider. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  41. ^ "'Shawshank Redemption' Star Gil Bellows' Wife Files for Divorce After 26 Years of Marriage". August 2, 2022.
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