Maria Bello had therapy to overcome her fear of snakes.
The 49-year-old American actress has admitted she was left "terrified" of snakes after she had a nightmare about the animal, but when a trip to Africa was fast arising she had to take drastic action to overcome her phobia, which saw her carry around a rubber snake in her bag.
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper about what scared her the most, she said: "I used to be terrified of snakes when I was a kid. I had a nightmare about a snake. It came out of my wall in the bathroom. After that, if I saw a snake, even if someone was holding one on the street, I would get down on my back and start screaming bloody murder and go into shock.
"So, when I was 28, I was going to Africa alone for the first time, I did snake therapy. For two months, I had to carry around a rubber snake in my bag. And I had to go to the zoo, and every time I had to walk a foot closer to the cages of the snakes. So I finally go to Africa; I don’t see one goddamn snake!"
However, the blonde beauty has revealed she is fearless when it comes to supernatural beings and is desperate to be visited by a spiritual being ever since she was a child.
She explained: "Since I was a little girl, I’ve been asking ghosts to come and visit me, and I still haven’t seen a damn ghost!"
The ‘Lights Out’ star even took a trip to a haunted house in a bid to make her dream come true, although it was unsuccessful.
She said: "There’s this hotel in Bakersfield, California that I was staying in, and these two little girls were supposed to haunt the halls. Even the people who work there say they’ve seen them. So i sat up for almost two nights and put my alarm on for every hour, just so I could wake up and see the kids. And I was, like, praying: ‘Please come out! I’m not afraid.’ Nothing. So if you know anything supernatural, please send it my way."
Maria Bello has therapy to overcome her fear of snakes
