---
name: "Mary Lou Belli"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/mary-lou-belli"
fi1m_id: "mary-lou-belli"
imdb_id: "nm0068953"
tmdb_id: 1214575
wikidata_id: "Q6780118"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "1 January 1901"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "director"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-23T11:35:28.064989+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Mary Lou Belli

## Identity

Mary Lou Belli

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/mary-lou-belli
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** mary-lou-belli
- **IMDb ID:** nm0068953
- **TMDB ID:** 1214575
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6780118
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lou_Belli, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6780118, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068953/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1214575

Director. Born 1 January 1901.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 1 January 1901
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lou_Belli, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6780118, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068953/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1214575

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Sweet Magnolias*](https://film.one/tv/sweet-magnolias.md) (71)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Mary Lou Belli is an American television director and author. She attended Penn State University and began her career as an actor in musical theatre and soap operas in New York before moving to Los Angeles, where she produced and directed more than 75 stage productions.

Belli made her television directing debut on an episode of *Charles in Charge* in 1988. Her credits include *Monk* (2002), *Wizards of Waverly Place* (2007), *Hart of Dixie* (2011), *NCIS: New Orleans* (2014), *Bull* (2016), *Black Lightning* (2018), *Station 19* (2018), *Legacies* (2018), *Dynasty* (2017) and four episodes of *Sweet Magnolias* (2020). She has received two Los Angeles Emmy Awards and Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for *The Ms. Pat Show*.

Belli has co-authored books including *The Sitcom Career Book* and *Directors Tell the Story*. She has held leadership roles with the Directors Guild of America and taught directing while mentoring through diversity programmes.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, dga.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Sweet Magnolias* (2020), Fi1m 71, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/sweet-magnolias.md)

## Complete filmography (26)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Elsbeth* (2024), series, Director
- *The Ms. Pat Show* (2021), series, Director
- *Sweet Magnolias* (2020), series, Director — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/sweet-magnolias.md)
- *Legacies* (2018), series, Director
- *Station 19* (2018), series, Director
- *Black Lightning* (2018), series, Director
- *Dynasty* (2017), series, Director
- *Raven's Home* (2017), series, Director
- *Bull* (2016), series, Director
- *NCIS: New Orleans* (2014), series, Director
- *Jenifer Lewis and Shangela* (2012), series, Director
- *Hart of Dixie* (2011), series, Director
- *3Way* (2008), series, Director
- *Wizards of Waverly Place* (2007), series, Director
- *The Game* (2006), series, Director
- *Living with Fran* (2005), series, Director
- *Eve* (2003), series, Director
- *Abby* (2003), series, Director
- *Monk* (2002), series, Director
- *Girlfriends* (2000), series, Director
- *The Hughleys* (1998), series, Director
- *One World* (1998), series, Director
- *Sister, Sister* (1994), series, Director
- *Major Dad* (1989), series, Director
- *Mother, Mother* (1989), Producer's Assistant
- *Charles in Charge* (1984), series, Director

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/mary-lou-belli