Catherine Bell Biography

Catherine Lisa Bell (born August 14, 1968) is a British-American actress known for her role of Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the television series JAG from 1997 to 2005 and as Denise Sherwood of the series Army Wives from 2007 to 2013.

Early life

Bell was born in London, England, the daughter of Mina, a personal assistant and nurse, and Peter Bell, an architect. Her mother is Iranian and her father Scottish. She moved with her mother to the United States when she was two years old. She originally wanted to become a doctor and studied biology at UCLA. Explaining her journey to become an actress, she said: "I had a creative side, as well as a scientific/mathematical side and the arts won out. I started doing some modeling and went to Japan and when I came back, I took an acting class, fell in love with that and never went back to school."

Career

One of Bell's first modeling jobs was an extended assignment in Japan. When she returned to California, she studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse with Milton Katselas. She was a freelance masseuse whose clientele included singer Peter Gabriel. As a member of one of the teams of challengers on an edition of the game show To Tell the Truth in 1990, she mentioned that she was a massage therapist. Her first television acting role was one line on the sitcom Sugar and Spice (1990).

In 1996, Bell began her role as Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the United States Marine Corps Judge Advocate General's Office in the series JAG. She continued in this role until 2005. Prior to being cast as Sarah, Bell had appeared as a murder victim in a season 1 episode titled "Skeleton Crew", which was never aired (or, as it was intended as the first part of a two-part episode, properly concluded) during the original run due to the show's cancellation by NBC (it was shown in the US by the USA Network in 1999, and the season 3 episode "Death Watch" used much footage from the episode).

Beginning in 2007, Bell starred in Lifetime's ensemble drama series Army Wives as Denise Sherwood, the wife of a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, who endured domestic violence at the hands of her teenage son during the show's first season.

Bell also recently played the role of Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale, the main character of Hallmark's The Good Witch (2008), and its sequels The Good Witch's Garden (2009), The Good Witch's Gift (2010),The Good Witch's Family (2011), and The Good Witch's Charm (2012); she was also an executive producer of all of the movies. She also starred in another Hallmark movie titled Last Man Standing.

Personal life

Bell is fluent in Persian and English. She is fond of motorcycling, skiing, snowboarding and kick-boxing, which she has been practicing for over 10 years. Her hobbies include cross-stitching and making model cars, which she has done since age 8.

When she was in her 20s, she had thyroid cancer and had to have her thyroid removed. She does not cover the scar on her neck because she "thinks it's kind of cool".

In a survey of 70 celebrities by The Sporting News just before the 2002 Super Bowl, she correctly predicted that the New England Patriots would beat the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI 20 to 17. In actuality the article was written after the NFC and AFC championship games; Bell correctly guessed the score, but the teams were already decided.

She met actor/production assistant, Adam Beason, on the set of Death Becomes Her in 1992 (where she was the body-double for Isabella Rossellini), and they were married on May 8, 1994. They have a daughter, Gemma, who was born on April 16, 2003, and a son, Ronan, born on August 21, 2010. The couple separated in October 2011 and later divorced.

Bell was the grand marshal of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on June 3, 2007.

During the Hollywood writers strike, Bell took flying lessons in a Cirrus SR22.

Scientology

Although Bell was raised Roman Catholic and attended an all-girls Catholic school (Our Lady of Corvallis High School in Los Angeles), she is now a practicing Scientologist. Bell has attested to attaining the Scientology state of Clear. She has supported Scientology's Hollywood Education and Literacy Project. In December 2005 Bell helped promote the gala opening of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum.

In February 2006 Bell appeared in a Scientology music video called "United". The film includes cameo performances by Isaac Hayes, Erika Christensen, Jenna Elfman, and Lynsey Bartilson, and promotes human rights with a rap song.

Filmography

Actress

Title	Date	Role	Notes
The Good Witch's Wonder	2014	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Leading Role
The Good Witch's Destiny	2013	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Leading Role
King and Maxwell	2013	Joan Dillinger	Episodes #1.04 and #1.10
The Good Witch's Charm	2012	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Leading Role
Good Morning, Killer	2011	FBI Special Agent Ana Gray	Leading role; shown as part of the TNT Mystery Movie Night series
The Last Man Standing	2011	Abby Collins	Leading role
The Good Witch's Family	2011	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	co-executive producer
The Good Witch's Gift	2010	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	co-executive producer
The Good Witch's Garden	2009	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	co-executive producer
The Good Witch	2008	Cassandra Nightingale	co-executive producer
Army Wives	2007"2013	Denise Sherwood	series regular
Evan Almighty	2007	Susan Ortega (Uncredited)
Still Small Voices	2007	Michael Summer
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	2006	Naomi Cheales	Episode #8.09 - "Choreographed"
Company Town	2006	Maggie Shaunessy
Threshold	2006	Dr. Daphne Larson	Episode #1.11 - "Outbreak"
The Triangle	2005	Emily Patterson
Babak and Friends A First Norooz	2005	Layla	Voice
JAG	1996"2005	Maj./Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie	Leading Role Episode #1.22 - "Skeleton Crew" (1996) as Lieutenant Junior Grade Diane Schonke, Episode #3.19 - "Death Watch" (1998) as Lieutenant Junior Grade Diane Schonke (archive footage), Episode #5.11 - "Ghosts of Christmas Past" (1999) as Jenny Lake, Episode #6.23 - "Mutiny" (2001) as Mrs. Alexander MacKenzie, Episode #8.14 - "Each of Us Angels" (2003) as Ensign Beverly Tromatore
Waking the Dead	2003	Sam James	Episode #3.4 - "Final Cut"
Bruce Almighty	2003	Susan Ortega
Thrill Seekers	1999	Elizabeth Wintern
Cab to Canada	1998	Sandy
Black Thunder	1998	Lisa
Sin City Spectacular	1998"1999		Episode #1.10 and #1.16
Crash Dive	1997	Lt. Cmdr. Lisa Stark
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys	1997	Cynea	Episode #3.10 - "The Lady and the Dragon"
Hot Line	1996	Cat	Episode "The Brunch Club" aka Hotline Volume 3 (VHS release title)
The Naked Truth	1995		Episode #1.11 - "Comet Nails Star and Vice Versa!"
Friends	1995	Robin	Episode #2.06 - "The One with the Baby on the Bus"
Alien Nation: Body and Soul	1995	Cop
Vanishing Son	1995		Episode #2.06 - "Miracle Under 34th Street" as Kelly, Episode #2.12 - "Long Ago and Far Away" as Rachel
Men of War	1994	Grace Lashield
Dream On	1994	Kay Meadows	Episode #5.09 - "Those Who Can't, Edit"
Mother of the Bride	1993	Chastity
Death Becomes Her	1992	Lisle's Body Double	Isabella Rossellini

Self

Title	Date	Notes
Rachael Ray	23 April 2010
Jimmy Kimmel Live!	1 August 2008
The View	16 June 2008
Live with Regis and Kelly	2 June 2008
Martha	17 January 2008
Live with Regis and Kelly	16 January 2008
Jimmy Kimmel Live!	8 August 2007
The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet	1 August 2007
Live with Regis and Kelly	31 July 2007
Late Show with David Letterman	30 July 2007
Sci Fi Inside: The Triangle	2005
United	2005
Jimmy Kimmel Live!	23 May 2003
The View	13 May 2003
DVD Exclusive Awards	2003	Presenter
CBS at 75	2003
Yes, Dear	2003	Episode #3.14 - "Let's Get Jaggy with It"
Sidewalks Entertainment	2002	Episode #13.1 - "Wedding Planner (Special Edition)"
The Howard Stern Show	24 July 2002
Hollywood Squares	24 September 2001
The Rosie O'Donnell Show	15 January 2001
Celebrity Jeopardy!	May 1999

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Film	Result
2006	Saturn Award	Best Supporting Actress on Television	The Triangle