Gil Bellows
{{Short description|Canadian actor (born 1967)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gil Bellows
| image = GilBellows08TIFF.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Bellows at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|6|28}}
| birth_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| death_date =
| death_place =
| othername =
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1988–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Rya Kihlstedt
|1994|2023|reason=divorced}}
| children = 2
}}
Gil Bellows (born June 28, 1967) https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bellows-gil-1967is 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 (1990–1992), Flaubert's Latest (1992), and his first starring role in Love and a .45 (1994). Bellows gained widespread recognition for his pivotal role as Tommy in The Shawshank Redemption (1994). The film, nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, is often regarded as one of the greatest 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 title character, the show reached a record-breaking audience of nearly 17 million viewers.
Throughout his career Bellows has continued to work in both film and television. His film credits include The Weather Man (2005), House at the End of the Street (2012), and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019). On television, he has had recurring roles in Smallville (2010), American Gods (2021), Chucky (2023–2024), and more.
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
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
= 1990–1994: rise to prominence =
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."{{Cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=1990-11-11 |title=Review/Theater; A Baroque Vision of Evil in One-Act Play Series |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/11/theater/review-theater-a-baroque-vision-of-evil-in-one-act-play-series.html |access-date=2024-07-31 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
In 1989, Bellows acted in the film The First Season.{{Cite news |date=August 30, 1989 |title=Director takes name off movie |work=Toronto Star |pages=C1}} Film critic Elizabeth Aird of The Vancouver Sun mentioned Bellows as one who stood out in the supporting cast.{{Cite news |last=Aird |first=Elizabeth |date=March 2, 1990 |title=B.C. flick authentic, wooden |work=The Vancouver Sun |pages=C1}}
In 1991, Bellows made his television debut in the Law & Order episode "The Violence of Summer".{{Cite web |last=Aberastury |first=Florencia |date=2024-06-06 |title=This Early Law & Order Episode Is Still One of Its Best |url=https://www.cbr.com/law-order-episode-is-still-one-of-its-best/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125045446/https://www.cbr.com/law-order-episode-is-still-one-of-its-best/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=CBR |language=en}}
In 1992, Bellows played a young gardener in the play Flaubert's Latest. Critic William A. Raily of The Jersey Journal applauded his performance.{{Cite news |last=Raidy |first=William A. |date=June 27, 1992 |title=Flaubert's Latest in an imaginative creation by Parnell |work=The Jersey Journal |pages=19}} Also that year Bellows continued to receive good reviews for a A Snake in the Vein, The Daily News published "over-the-top performances (Charles Cragin and Gil Bellows), make for riveting albeit shocking drama."{{Cite news |date=May 15, 1992 |title=Snake bites |work=Daily news |pages=Extra Listings: 54}} Also in that year he acted in an episode of Flying Blind.
In 1993, he acted in two episodes of Going to Extremes.
In 1994, Bellows played the pivotal role of Tommy in Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |title=Actor Gil Bellows to attend Shawshank anniversary |url=https://www.daily-jeff.com/story/entertainment/2019/08/08/actor-gil-bellows-to-attend/4525375007/ |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=The Daily Jeffersonian |language=en-US}} 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, withdrew because of a 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."{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Paula S. |date=1994-10-02 |title=UP AND COMING: Gil Bellows; Hey, Brando, Remember That Hunk at the Door? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/02/movies/up-and-coming-gil-bellows-hey-brando-remember-that-hunk-at-the-door.html |access-date=2024-07-29 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} When he was cast, Bellows was working as a doorman at The Royalton Hotel in Manhattan. Director Frank Darabont said "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." Freeman was surprised that Bellows was a fairly new actor, and said he "relaxed right into it." Bellows said "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."{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Paula S. |date=October 7, 1994 |title=Success is a new lifestyle for Bellows |work=Austin American-Statesman |pages=E5}} The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards including "Best Picture".{{Cite web |date=2014-10-05 |title=The 67th Academy Awards {{!}} 1995 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1995 |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=www.oscars.org |language=en}} It is often considered as one of greatest films of all times.{{Cite news |last=Tobias |first=Scott |date=2024-09-23 |title=The Shawshank Redemption at 30: is it really the greatest film ever made? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/23/shawshank-redemption-30th-anniversary |access-date=2024-10-19 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Also that year, he played his first lead role as 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."{{Cite news |last=Davidson |first=Neil |date=September 18, 1994 |title=In the heart of Texas |work=Red Deer Advocate |pages=8}} While the film received mixed to positive reviews, the quality of Bellows's acting was universally praised,{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Kevin |date=November 23, 1994 |title='Love and a.45': fast, violent and funny |work=Los Angeles Times |pages=F6}}{{Cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |author-link=Todd McCarthy |date=6 June 1994 |title=Love and a .45 |url=https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/love-and-a-45-1200437722/ |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Variety}}{{Cite web |last=Savlov |first=Marc |date=November 25, 1994 |title=Movie Review: Love & a .45 |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1994-11-25/138391/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=www.austinchronicle.com |language=en-US}} Neil Davidson in the Red Deer Advocate wrote that Bellows played his role "to perfection."
= 1995–2010: subsequent success =
In 1995, Bellows played one of the leads in J. S. Cardone's crime thriller Black Day Blue Night, alongside Michelle Forbes and Mia Sara. The reviews the film highlighted its strengths as a well-executed, low-budget noir with engaging performances.{{cite web |title=Black Day Blue Night — EW.com |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,293893,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011035644/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,293893,00.html |archive-date=October 11, 2008 |work=Entertainment Weekly's EW.com}}{{Cite web |title=Black Day Blue Night |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/black-day-blue-night/review/2030009192/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112010736/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/black-day-blue-night/review/2030009192/ |archive-date=November 12, 2024 |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Hurlburt |first=Roger |date=November 4, 1995 |title=Rating are the target in funny 'Open Season' |work=South Florida Sun Sentinel |pages=3D}}{{Cite news |last=Rodriguez |first=Rene |date=November 3, 1994 |title=Black Day Blue Night |work=The Miami Herald |pages=21G}} Greg Evans of Variety liked the film and of Bellows performance he said that it "outdistance the material."{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=1995-11-27 |title=Black Day Blue Night |url=https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/black-day-blue-night-1200443709/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311213655/http://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/black-day-blue-night-1200443709/ |archive-date=March 11, 2016 |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} 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."{{cite web |author=Owen Gleiberman |author-link=Owen Gleiberman |date=1995-01-27 |title=Miami Rhapsody |url=https://ew.com/article/1995/01/27/miami-rhapsody/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528034518/https://ew.com/article/1995/01/27/miami-rhapsody/ |archive-date=2023-05-28 |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=Entertainment Weekly}} Finally in 1995, he played one of the leads in the television film The Silver Strand.{{Cite news |date=November 26, 1995 |title=Sunday Highlights |work=Daily News |pages=Guide to television: 25}}
In 1996, Bellows acted in Daniel Sullivan's film adaptation of the stage play of The Substance of Fire.{{Cite web |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60585-THE-SUBSTANCE-OF-FIRE?cxt=filmography |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=catalog.afi.com}} 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 said of the cast that they were "so comfortable around one another that they breathe rich life into the often glib one-liners that are the hazard of theatrical dialogue."{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Ella |date=December 12, 1996 |title=Friendly Fire |work=LA Weekly |pages=47}} Also in 1996, Bellows appeared in Al Pacino's Looking for Richard.{{Cite web |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60479-LOOKING-FORRICHARD?sid=2d9c5133-e2cd-4737-8797-589197dea52e&sr=11.953686&cp=1&pos=0 |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=catalog.afi.com}} 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."{{Cite news |last=Zekas |first=Rita |date=October 25, 1996 |title=Like father, like son: A list in films |work=The Toronto Star |pages=C2}} Another role that year was in the television film Radiant City.{{Cite web |title=Radiant City |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/radiant-city/2030130895/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}
In 1997, Bellows played Billy Thomas, the former flame of the title character in Ally McBeal, opposite Calista Flockhart. Caryn James of The New York Times wrote of "the simmering heat” that he and Flockhart were able to generate.{{Cite news |last=James |first=Caryn |date=1997-09-08 |title=A Young Lawyer and Her Fantasies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/08/arts/a-young-lawyer-and-her-fantasies.html |access-date=2024-07-30 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Kloer |first=Phil |date=February 2, 1998 |title=The secret life of 'Ally McBeal' |work=The Atlanta Journal |pages=B1-B7}} 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 million 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.”{{Cite news |last=Petrozzello |first=Donna |date=March 1, 1999 |title=Rekindled romance sparks 'Ally' ratings |work=The Sacramento Bee |pages=C5}} 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. During his tenure on the show he reprised his role in the spin-off series Ally (1999),{{Cite web |title=Ally |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/ally/episodes-season-1/1000096058/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125044652/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/ally/episodes-season-1/1000096058/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and "Axe Murderer" a crossover episode withThe Practice (1998).{{Cite news |last=Perkins |first=Ken Parish |date=April 27, 1998 |title=Fox network none too sly |work=The Edmonton Journal |pages=C2}} Bellows announced that he would be leaving the show in season 3, but would make guest appearances moving forward.{{Cite web |date=2008-02-28 |title=Ten Beloved Characters, Ten Ignoble Deaths |url=https://www.vulture.com/2008/02/ten_other_ignominious.html |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Vulture |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Salamon |first=Julie |date=2002-05-22 |title=TELEVISION REVIEW; 'Ally McBeal' Ends, Not With a Bang but a Whimper |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/22/arts/television-review-ally-mcbeal-ends-not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper.html |access-date=2024-07-30 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Bellows explained that he felt "the show was starting to fall apart early in the third season" and that his character "started getting kooky. There were a lot of us -- and I loved working with that crew -- that found the script no longer made any sense." He spoke with the producer and the agreed that he "could leave in a way that suited the original spirit of the show, which was grounded with heart."{{Cite news |date=2002-08-05 |title=Acting for the love of it |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/acting-for-the-love-of-it/article18289151/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125044845/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/acting-for-the-love-of-it/article18289151/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-09 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}
Also in 1997 Bellows acted in several movies these are Snow White: A Tale of Terror,{{Cite web |title=Snow White: A Tale of Terror |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/snow-white-a-tale-of-terror/2030009257/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125044538/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/snow-white-a-tale-of-terror/2030009257/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Witch Way Love,{{Cite web |title=Witch Way Love |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/witch-way-love/cast/2060121803/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112011123/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/witch-way-love/cast/2060121803/ |archive-date=November 12, 2024 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} The Assistant,{{Cite web |title=The Assistant |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-assistant/cast/2000036564/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125044434/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-assistant/cast/2000036564/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} White Lies, and Dinner at Fred's.{{Cite web |title=Dinner at Fred's |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/dinner-at-freds/2030125092/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}
In 1998, Bellows acted in the films Judas Kiss,{{Cite web |title=Judas Kiss |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/judas-kiss/cast/2000107505/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125044331/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/judas-kiss/cast/2000107505/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and Say You'll Be Mine.{{Cite news |date=May 29, 1999 |title=The 25th Seattle International |work=The Rocket |pages=43}}
In 2000, Bellows also appeared in the psychological thriller Chasing Sleep. Patrick Z. McGavin of the Chicago Tribune said that "Bellows does standout work as an intrepid detective."{{Cite web |last=Tribune |first=Patrick Z. McGavin |date=April 19, 2002 |title=`Chasing Sleep’ (star)(star)(star) |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/04/19/chasing-sleep-starstarstar/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111223206/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/04/19/chasing-sleep-starstarstar/ |archive-date=November 11, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}} That year he also played roles in Beautiful Joe,{{Cite web |title=Beautiful Joe |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/beautiful-joe/cast/2030012717/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125044212/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/beautiful-joe/cast/2030012717/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and in the television film The Courage to Love.{{Cite web |title=The Courage to Love |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-courage-to-love/2030286221/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125044010/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-courage-to-love/2030286221/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}
In 2001, he portrayed CIA agent Matt Callan in the CBS primetime television series The Agency. At the end of the first season, Bellows was dissatisfied with the direction of the story,* and chose to leave the show after a mutual agreement with the producers. Without Bellows, The Agency was re-cast, but it was canceled by the end of the second season.{{Cite news |date=March 11, 2004 |title=Information, please |work=The Vancouver Sun |pages=F12}} Also in 2001, Bellows acted in one episode of Night Visions, and the made-for-TV film She Creature.{{Cite web |title=She Creature |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/she-creature/2000053277/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111222746/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/she-creature/2000053277/ |archive-date=November 11, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}
In 2002, Bellows played lead roles in the television films Whitewash: The Clarence Bradley Story,{{Cite news |date=April 27, 2002 |title=Best bets this week |work=The Daily Progress |pages=Channels: 4}} and Second String.{{Cite news |date=December 14, 2002 |title=Second Strings |work=Herald and Review |pages=Preview: 1}} On stage that year he participated to the 24-Hour Play event in which actors had 24 hours to write a play and perform it. The proceeds went to victims of the September 11 attacks.{{Cite web |last=Simpsons |first=Robert |date=January 23, 2002 |title=Gil Bellows and Ione Skye Added to 24-Hour Play in L.A., Feb. 24 |url=https://playbill.com/article/gil-bellows-and-ione-skye-added-to-24-hour-play-in-la-feb-24-com-103549 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112014655/https://playbill.com/article/gil-bellows-and-ione-skye-added-to-24-hour-play-in-la-feb-24-com-103549 |archive-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Playbill}}
In 2003, Bellows acted in the films Blind Horizon,{{Cite web |title=Blind Horizon |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/blind-horizon/cast/2030349568/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125045801/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/blind-horizon/cast/2030349568/ |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and Fast Food High.{{Cite web |title=Fast Food High |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/fast-food-high/cast/2030287612/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} On television he appeared in one episode of The Twilight Zone, and he had the lead in the television film 1st to Die.
In 2004, he appeared in the films EMR,{{Cite web |title=EMR |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/emr/cast/2000270261/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Childstar,{{Cite web |title=Childstar |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/childstar/cast/2000349262/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and Pursued.{{Cite web |title=Pursued |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/pursued/cast/2030064282/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} On television, he played roles in A Bear Named Winnie,{{Cite web |title=A Bear Named Winnie |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/a-bear-named-winnie/cast/2030132995/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Cooking Lessons, Zeyda and the Hitman,{{Cite web |title=Zeyda and the Hitman |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/zeyda-and-the-hitman/cast/2030343008/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and one episode of Karen Sisco. On stage that year, Bellows took part in the Great Writers Series where actors read literary works of the American West on stage. His assignment was Walter Van Tilburg Clark's The Ox-Bow Incident.{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Ernio |date=June 2, 2004 |title=Stars Gets Literary for Great Writers Series in Los Angeles Through June 30 |url=https://playbill.com/article/stars-gets-literary-for-great-writers-series-in-los-angeles-through-june-30-com-120066 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112013929/https://playbill.com/article/stars-gets-literary-for-great-writers-series-in-los-angeles-through-june-30-com-120066 |archive-date=November 12, 2024 |website=Playbill}}
2005 in films, Bellows played the lead in Keep Your Distance,{{Cite news |date=August 31, 2005 |title=The Big Screen |work=The Courier-Journal |pages=Velocity: 38}} co-produced Ali Selim's Sweet Land,{{Cite web |title=Sweet Land |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/643350/sweet-land#credits |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125045145/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/643350/sweet-land#credits |archive-date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}} and acted in Gore Verbinski's The Weather Man.{{Cite web |title=The Weather Man |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-weather-man/2030349880/ |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} On television he played one of the leads in the mini-series Terminal City. In it he plays the husband of a woman, played by Maria del Mar, diagnosed with breast cancer. Bellows believes that the part was "as good and complex a role as I ever had", on the part he said "it really spoke to me, I have children, I'm the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. These shows will get people to talk about the stuff that usually sits in the back of your head spinning before you go to sleep: What's going to happen if I lose you, or what happens if I go." Bellows explained that as they were shooting tragic moments "they're heavy scenes, and you're shaking, you're fighting the tears. You go outside and you'll see crew members in the same place, feeling the same way. One of them will talk about a spouse or relative."{{Cite news |last=Schaefer |first=Glen |date=February 13, 2005 |title=This Family Show's is strickly for adults |work=The Province |pages=A74}} Alison Cunninghan in her praise of the mini-series in The Ottawa Citizen wrote "Bellows is exceptional. He turns in a stunning performance as a man who manages to anchor his family while he's close to imploding. Watching Bellows play such conflicting emotions, often within the same scene, is transfixing. His scenes with del Mar are gilded with the nuances and gestures that flourish between longtime friends and lovers."{{Cite news |last=Alison |first=Cunningham |date=October 30, 2005 |title=The meaning of life |work=The Ottawa Citizen |pages=Tv Times: 5}} At the Gemini Awards, Bellows received a nomination for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role".
In 2006, he acted in the television film Final Days of Planet Earth.{{Cite news |date=October 14, 2006 |title=TV tonight |work=The South Bend Tribune |pages=D12}}
In 2008, he co-produced and played the lead in Kill Kill Faster Faster. Other films he acted in are The Promotion,{{Cite web |title=The Promotion |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-promotion/2000043715/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Black Crescent Moon,{{Cite web |title=Black Crescent Moon |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/black-crescent-moon/cast/2030351719/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Passchendaele,{{Cite web |title=Passchendaele |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/passchendaele/2030015967/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} andToronto Stories.{{Cite web |title=Toronto Stories |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/toronto-stories/cast/2000044863/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} On television, Bellows also played a State Department Officer in 24: Redemption, a television film prequel to the seventh season of 24,{{cite web|author=Nellie Andreeva |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 23, 2008 |access-date=May 23, 2008 |title='24' prequel adds cast - Eric Lively, Tony Todd, Gil Bellows join the fray |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3id08e9f14f520f15d010fb0389d8bbeb3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526031923/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3id08e9f14f520f15d010fb0389d8bbeb3 |archive-date=May 26, 2008 |url-status=dead}} he starred in the science-fiction film Infected,{{Cite web |title=Infected |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/infected/2030059467/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and one episode of The Cleaner.
In 2010, Bellows co-starred in the movie Unthinkable,{{Cite web |title=Unthinkable |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/unthinkable/cast/2000092974/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} A Night for Dying Tigers,{{Cite web |title=A Night for Dying Tigers |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/833729/a-night-for-dying-tigers/#overview |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}} and played the lead villain in Steve Austin's action film Hunt to Kill. On television that year, Bellows had a recurring role in FlashForward,{{cite news |last=Hale |first=Mike |date=March 19, 2010 |title='FlashForward' Watch: Simon Says |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/flashforward-watch-simon-says |work=The New York Times}} True Justice, and appeared as Maxwell Lord on Smallville in the Season 9 episodes "Charade" and "Hostage".[http://www.kryptonsite.com/maxwell-lord.htm #8]{{cite web |date=February 22, 2010 |title=Smallville: Maxwell Lord is Cast |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/22/smallville-maxwell-lord-is-cast |access-date=November 7, 2012 |work=IGN}} He also played roles in the television film Goblin,{{Cite web |title=Goblin |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/goblin/cast/2000144690/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and one episode of Criminal Minds,
Also that year, as an executive producer, 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.{{Cite web |title=Temple Grandin |url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/temple-grandin |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Gil Bellows |url=https://www.cbc.ca/programguide/personality/gil_bellows |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111225842/https://www.cbc.ca/programguide/personality/gil_bellows |archive-date=November 11, 2024 |website=CBC}} 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".{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Matt |date=2011-01-04 |title=Producers Guild Award Nominees Announced |url=https://collider.com/producers-guild-of-america-awards-nominees/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111230410/https://collider.com/producers-guild-of-america-awards-nominees/ |archive-date=November 11, 2024 |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Collider |language=en}}
= 2011 to present day: current work =
!n 2011, he co-starred in the films The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom,{{Cite web |title=The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-year-dolly-parton-was-my-mom/cast/2030155894/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Girl Walks into a Bar,{{Cite web |title=Girl Walks into a Bar |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/girl-walks-into-a-bar/cast/2030305398/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and The Maiden Danced to Death.{{Cite web |title=The Maiden Danced to Death |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-maiden-danced-to-death/cast/2030074753/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} On television he acted in two episodes of Sanctuary, and the television film Trading Christmas.{{Cite web |title=Debbie Macomber's Trading Christmas |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/debbie-macombers-trading-christmas/cast/2030188676/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}
In 2012, he acted in Mark Tonderai's House at the End of the Street.{{Cite web |title=House at the End of the Street |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/house-at-the-end-of-the-street/cast/2000360170/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} The film went on to gross over $44 million worldwide.{{cite web |title=House at the End of the Street |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1582507/ |website=Box Office Mojo}} He also appeared in The Samaritan.{{Cite web |title=The Samaritan |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-samaritan/2000098732/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} On television, he had recurring roles in Boss and Vegas.
In 2013, Bellows acted in two episodes of the series Delete. He appeared in several motion pictures these are Mad Ship,{{Cite web |title=Mad Ship |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/mad-ship/cast/2000178871/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Louis Cyr,{{Cite web |title=Louis Cyr |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/louis-cyr/2030305047/ |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and Parkland.{{Cite web |title=Parkland |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/parkland/2030098184/ |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} He also co-directed, co-wrote, produced, and starred in 3 Days in Havana.{{Cite web |title=Three Days in Havana |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/three-days-in-havana/cast/2030090777/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Both the film and Bellows received a Leo Awards nomination for "Best Motion Picture".
In 2014, in films, Bellows acted in Extraterrestrial,{{Cite web |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/70203-EXTRATERRESTRIAL?cxt=filmography |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=catalog.afi.com}} Leading Lady,{{Cite web |title=Leading Lady |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/leading-lady/cast/2000205487/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} The Calling,{{Cite web |title=The Calling |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-calling/cast/2030100180/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and Kill the Messenger.{{Cite web |title=Kill the Messenger |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/kill-the-messenger/cast/2030190707/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} On television, he acted in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Falling Skies, and Bones. He was part of the main cast in the miniseries Ascension, a retro space opera / murder mystery about the 600-person crew of the USS Ascension. Bellows plays a character who oversees its progress from a secret facility on Earth.
In 2015 he acted in the films Girl on the Edge,{{Cite web |title=Girl on the Edge |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/girl-on-the-edge/cast/2000138465/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Weepah Way for Now,{{Cite web |title=Weepah Way for Now |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/weepah-way-for-now/cast/2000219798/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and Life on the Line.{{Cite web |title=Life on the Line |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/life-on-the-line/cast/2030044641/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} From 2015 to 2018, he had a recurring role as Lawrence Lacroix, on Patriot, the Amazon Prime Video series of which he was also the executive producer and received story credits.{{Cite web |title=Patriot |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/patriot/cast/1000693296/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Patriot season 1 Milwaukee, America Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/patriot/season-1/episode-1-milwaukee-america/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=www.metacritic.com |language=en}} Critics praised the series as "dark, quirky, and often funny." Also filled with "moody pleasures will find themselves infiltrated by its scabrous humor and crackerjack dialogue."{{Cite web |title=Patriot: Season 1 {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/patriot/s01 |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Patriot: Season 2 {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/patriot/s02 |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}
In 2016, in films, he played roles in Dead Draw,{{Cite web |title=Dead Draw |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/dead-draw/cast/2030317118/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and She Has a Name.{{Cite web |last=unveilstudios |date=2016-12-08 |title=Review: She Has A Name marks a cinematic triumph {{!}} Unveil Studios Inc. |url=https://unveilstudios.com/review-she-has-a-name-marks-a-cinematic-triumph/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |language=en-US}} On television he acted in two episodes of 11.22.63. Also that year, Bellows acted in the 10-episode mini-series police drama, Eyewitness. He plays Gabe Caldwell, a veterinarian and the husband of Sheriff Helen Torrance played by series lead Julianne Nicholson. David Wiegand of SFGate described it as "a competent procedural with well-drawn characters", and that Bellows and Nicholson gave "solid performances."{{Cite web |last=Wiegand |first=David |date=October 13, 2016 |title=‘Eyewitness’ a competent procedural on USA |url=https://www.sfgate.com/tv/article/Eyewitness-a-competent-procedural-on-USA-9969584.php |website=SFGate}}
In 2017, Bellows acted in Blood Honey,{{Cite web |title=Blood Honey |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/blood-honey/cast/2000240256/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and ADDicted.{{Cite web |title=ADDicted |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/addicted/cast/2000048147/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}
In 2018, he acted in an episode of The Detectives.
In 2019, on television, Bellows guest-starred in episodes The Handmaid's Tale, Suits, and a recurring role in Jett. In films, he acted in Run This Town,{{Cite web |title=Run This Town |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/run-this-town/cast/2000327747/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} Nation's Fire,{{Cite web |title=Nation's Fire |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/nations-fire/cast/2030262205/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and Drowning.{{Cite web |last=Barraclough |first=Leo |date=2019-10-10 |title=‘Drowning,’ Starring Melora Walters and Mira Sorvino, Debuts Trailer (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/global/drowning-melora-walters-mira-sorvino-1203366069/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} He also had a major role in the André Øvredal's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.{{Cite web |title=Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark/cast/2030304239/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} The film got many positive reviews.{{Cite web |title=Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scary_stories_to_tell_in_the_dark |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}} Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly wrote that it was "blessed with some firm hands on the terror tiller and a winning cast, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a handsome, and deliciously horrible, horror movie."{{Cite web |title='Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' is a disgustingly good gateway horror movie |url=https://ew.com/movie-reviews/2019/08/08/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-review/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=EW.com |language=en}} It grossed $68.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $35.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $104.5 million.{{Cite web |title=Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2852554241/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Box Office Mojo}} For the film Business Ethics starring Larenz Tate, he played a role and served as an executive producer. The film won the Audience Choice Film Award at the 2019 Newark International Film Festival.{{Cite web |last=Salvary |first=Eric Boom |date=September 18, 2019 |title=Recap. Newark International Film Festival 2019 @newarkiff |url=https://respect-mag.com/2019/09/recap-newark-international-film-festival-2019/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111223704/https://respect-mag.com/2019/09/recap-newark-international-film-festival-2019/ |archive-date=November 11, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=RESPECT. {{!}} The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture |language=en-US}}
In 2020, he acted in episodes of The Twilight Zone, and Cherish the Day. He was in the main cast of the mini-series Love in the Time of Corona. Bellows also played the title role in Two Deaths of Henry Baker.{{Cite web |title=Two Deaths of Henry Baker |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/two-deaths-of-henry-baker/cast/2060055172/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111224833/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/two-deaths-of-henry-baker/cast/2060055172/ |archive-date=November 11, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} At the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards he was nominated for "Best Lead Performer, TV Movie".
In 2021, Bellows appeared in several episodes of the series American Gods,{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Kevin EG |date=2021-02-16 |title=American Gods season 3 episode 5 recap: Bilquis breaks out |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-recaps/american-gods-season-3-episode-5-recap-2-2881755 |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}{{Additional citation needed|date=October 2024}}, was part of the main cast of the mini-series V.C. Andrews' Landry Family,{{Cite web |title=Watch the Trailer for Lifetime's New Landry Family Movie Series Based on V.C. Andrews' Books |url=https://people.com/tv/watch-the-trailer-for-lifetimes-new-landry-family-movie-series-based-on-v-c-andrews-books/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=People.com |language=en}} and the film Awake.{{Cite web |title=Awake |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/awake/cast/2000450483/ |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}
In 2022, Bellows played Gerald Chatham in the critically acclaimed mini-series Women of the Movement, based on the true story of Emmett Till.{{Cite web |title=Women of the Movement: Limited Series {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/women_of_the_movement/s01 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}
In 2023, Bellows played a recurring character in season 3 of Chucky, a role he maintained until the 2024 season finale.{{Cite web |last=Hamman |first=Cody |date=2023-10-03 |title=Chucky season 3 featurette tours Oval Office with Devon Sawa |url=https://www.joblo.com/chucky-season-3-oval-office/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=JoBlo |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-05-01 |title=CHUCKY Season 3 Finale: "Final Destination" Recap |url=https://www.fangoria.com/chucky-season-3-finale-final-destination/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |language=en-US}}
In 2024, Bellows started playing a recurring character in season 2 of Alert: Missing Persons Unit.{{Cite web |last=Mitovich |first=Matt Webb |date=2024-01-12 |title=Alert: Missing Persons Unit: Gil Bellows, Alisha-Marie Ahamed Join Season 2 of Fox Drama |url=https://tvline.com/casting-news/alert-missing-persons-unit-season-2-casting-news-1235112201/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=TVLine |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Bellows was married to American actress Rya Kihlstedt, whom he met in the early 1990s. The couple have two adult children. The couple separated in 2021.{{cite web |date=August 2, 2022 |title='Shawshank Redemption' Star Gil Bellows' Wife Files for Divorce After 26 Years of Marriage |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/shawshank-redemption-star-gil-bellows-220644598.html}}
Screen and stage credits
{{Main|Gil Bellows on screen and stage}}
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0004743}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellows, Gil}}
Category:Canadian male film actors
Category:Canadian male television actors
Category:Male actors from Vancouver
Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
Category:20th-century Canadian male actors