Robert Bella


Robert Bella is an American filmmaker, best known for his work as a television Writer & Producer on shows such as The Rookie, Castle and The Following. Bella produced and directed the indie comedy Colin Fitz Lives! He has also worked on over 100 plays as an actor, director, producer and writer. He is a co-author of Training of the American Actor and he wrote the stage adaptation of the film Stand and Deliver.

Early life

Bella was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where he studied acting with Stella Adler, David Mamet and William H. Macy.

Career

When he was 23 years old, Bella became an NYU adjunct faculty member. By the time he was 25, he was teaching Master Classes around the world, on subjects such as directing, script analysis, performance technique, on-camera acting and audition skills. Former acting students include: Jessica Alba, Rose Byrne, Heather Burns, Justin Chatwin, Abbie Cornish, Peter Facinelli, Matthew Fox, Bryan Greenberg, Diane Neal, Jason Ritter and Skeet Ulrich.
Bella became one of the founding members the Atlantic Theater Company, where he served as the Managing Director, Associate Artistic Director and Executive Director of the Atlantic Acting School. His experience producing and directing numerous Off-Broadway plays ultimately led him to try his hand at filmmaking.
In 1996, Bella produced and directed the independent film Colin Fitz Lives!. It was shot on 35mm in New York City. The budget was $150,000 and the film was shot in 14 days. It had its World Premiere in Dramatic Competition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. The film won awards at numerous film festivals, including the Austin Film Festival, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival and the Long Island Film Festival, but it did not receive distribution until IFC Films released the movie on-demand in 2010.
Bella has also produced, written and directed the independent features Revengers, Inc. and Night Windows, as well as the short film Road Kill: A Day in the Life of Henry David Road.
Bella has worked as an ADR Director with numerous actors, including: Chevy Chase, Judi Dench, Jimmy Fallon, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Hader, Freddie Highmore, Harvey Keitel, William H. Macy, Catherine O'Hara, Christina Ricci and Jon Stewart.
Bella also worked as a Post Production Supervisor for various film studios, including DreamWorks Pictures. His credits include: Delivery Man, Lincoln, War Horse, Real Steel, The Help and I Am Number Four.
He is currently working as a TV Writer/Producer on shows such as The Rookie, Castle and The Following.

Personal life

Bella is currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Filmography

Theater

Awards and nominations