Catherine Bell (actress)

Catherine Lisa Bell (born 14 August 1968) is a British-American<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> actress and model known for her roles as Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie in the television series JAG from 1997 to 2005, Denise Sherwood in the series Army Wives from 2007 to 2013, and Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale in Hallmark's The Good Witch films and television series from 2008 to 2021.

Early life

Catherine Lisa Bell<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> was born on 14 August 1968<ref name=Hollywood.com>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=IranTimes>"Catherine Bell now acting less, playing mom more" Iran Times International 27 September 2013.</ref> in London to a Scottish father, Peter Bell, and an Iranian mother, Mina Ezzati.<ref name=IranTimes></ref> Peter was working as an architect under contract to an oil company in Iran; Mina had travelled to London to study nursing. Bell's parents divorced when Catherine was two years old. She was raised by her mother and maternal grandparents. The family eventually moved to California's San Fernando Valley<ref name="IranTimes"/> where Bell was exposed to diverse influences. The family spoke Farsi at home. In her teenage years, Catherine came under the influence of her California surroundings: "I am definitely a Valley Girl. I was a tomboy. I liked to skateboard, play football, and push the envelope a little bit".<ref name="IranTimes"/> Bell enrolled at UCLA, where she considered a career in medicine or research. However, when she was offered a modelling job in Japan, where advertisers value "American beauty", she dropped out during her second year.<ref name="IranTimes"/>

Career

Bell at The Pentagon in 2008

When Bell returned to the United States, she decided to try acting.<ref name=IranTimes/> She studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse with Milton Katselas. She also worked as a massage therapist for eight years at the Peninsula Hotel,<ref name=mediavillage>Template:Cite web</ref> and her clients included singer Peter Gabriel. Bell's first television acting role was one line spoken to Gabriel on the short-lived 1990 sitcom Sugar and Spice.<ref name=BendWeekly>Template:Cite news</ref>

Among her first parts was Isabella Rossellini's body double for the 1992 film Death Becomes Her.<ref name=IranTimes/>

In 1994, Bell starred in the Dolph Lundgren film Men of War. While filming the movie in Thailand, Bell and her co-star Trevor Goddard bonded over contracting amoebic dysentery. Goddard would play Bell's off-and-on love interest Mic Brumby the following year on JAG. They remained friends until Goddard's death from a drug overdose in June 2003, an event that the bereaved Bell described as "horrible".<ref name=BendWeekly/>

In 1995, she obtained a three-line role in one episode of the NBC TV series JAG, which centers on the work of the United States Department of the Navy's Judge Advocate General office. NBC canceled the show after which it was picked up by CBS, which restructured the series, incorporating a female Marine Corps lawyer character, Sarah MacKenzie. Bell auditioned for that role and won it. She continued in this role until the series ended in 2005.<ref>"Season 10, Episode 22: Fair Winds and Following Seas" TV Guide Retrieved 30 April 2017</ref>

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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> who endures domestic violence at the hands of her teenage son during the show's first season.<ref>Newman, Emily L.; Witsell, Emily (28 March 2016) The Lifetime Network: Essays on 'Television for Women' in the 21st Century McFarland & Company. p. 86. Archived at Google Books Retrieved 30 April 2017</ref>

Bell 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), The Good Witch's Charm (2012), The Good Witch's Destiny (2013), and The Good Witch's Wonder (2014). She was also a co-executive producer of all of the movies.<ref>"Catherine Bell Credits" TV Guide Retrieved 30 April 2017</ref> She also starred in the Lifetime movie titled Last Man Standing (2011).<ref>Radish, Christina (6 June 2011) "Catherine Bell Exclusive Interview LAST MAN STANDING and ARMY WIVES" Collider</ref>

In 2015, it was reported that Bell would star in the movie Love Finds Its Way, which would begin filming in 2016.<ref>"Jennifer Aspen Segues From Screen to Hallmark Exec Producer". Deadline Hollywood. 12 August 2015</ref> Production began on the film in March 2017, with Vancouver as the filming location, and 9 July 2017 as the date for the film's premiere on the Hallmark Channel.<ref>"Catherine Bell and Victor Webster Begin Production on "Love Finds Its Way" A Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Original World Premiere July 9" The Futon Critic, 20 March 2017</ref>

On 2 April 2019, CBS announced that Bell would be reprising her JAG role of Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie alongside former co-star David James Elliott for a multi-episode arc in the tenth season of NCIS: Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2022, Bell starred in the Lifetime film Jailbreak Lovers as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" feature film which tells the story of how Toby Dorr snuck inmate John Manard out of prison in a dog crate which sparked a manhunt.<ref name="Ripped from the Headlines 2022">Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

File:Catherine Bell by Kozaryn.jpg

Bell at military concert at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California in 2000

Bell is fluent in Farsi and English. She is fond of motorcycling, skiing, snowboarding and kickboxing. Her hobbies include cross-stitching and making model cars, which she has done since age eight.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, Bell took flying lessons in a Cirrus SR22.<ref>"Lifetime's 'Army Wives' star Catherine Bell takes flying lessons during writers' strike" The Goshen News</ref>

Bell met actor-production assistant Adam Beason on the set of the 1992 film Death Becomes Her. They were married on 8 May 1994. They are the parents of two children.<ref>Wihlborg, Ulrica; Michaud, Sarah (22 August 2010) "Catherine Bell Welcomes a Son" People</ref><ref>"Catherine Bell" TV Guide Retrieved 28 March 2014</ref> They lived in a nearly Template:Convert faux-Tuscan-style mini-mansion in Calabasas, California.<ref name="Variety">David, Mark (23 January 2015) "Catherine Bells Settles in Hidden Hills" Variety</ref> The couple sold the house in 2010<ref name="Variety"/> and publicly confirmed that they had separated sometime before September 2011.<ref>Jordan, Julie (23 September 2016). "Catherine Bell and Husband Separate" People</ref> They eventually divorced in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since 2012, Bell has lived with fellow Scientologist, photographer and party planner Brooke Daniells, together with their children, in Los Angeles.<ref>"SCIENTOLOGY’S TOP 20 CELEBRITIES — in order of those most likely to defect" (26 September 2016) Retrieved 14 September 2017</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2014, Bell paid US$2.05 million for a single-story ranch house on a Template:Convert lot in the gated Hidden Hills community in the western suburbs of Los Angeles.<ref name=Variety/> She later moved to Clearwater Beach, Florida.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Scientology

Bell was raised Roman Catholic and attended an all-girls Catholic school (Our Lady of Corvallis High School in Los Angeles). She is a practicing Scientologist.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Bell has attested to attaining the Scientology state of Clear.<ref>Interview with Catherine Bell, Celebrity (Magazine of the Scientology Celebrity Centre Los Angeles), Issue 347 (April 2003)</ref> She has supported Scientology's Hollywood Education and Literacy Project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In December 2005, Bell helped promote the gala opening of the "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (a Scientology supported group).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2006, Bell appeared in a Scientology music video called "United".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Death Becomes Her	Lisle's Body Double
1994	Men of War	Grace Lashield
1996	Crash Dive	Lt. Cmdr. Lisa Stark
1998	Black Thunder	Lisa
2003	Bruce Almighty	Susan Ortega
2005	Babak and Friends: A First Norooz	Layla (voice)
2007	Evan Almighty	Susan Ortega	Uncredited
2016	The Bandit Hound	Joanne
	The Do-Over	Dawn DiFazio

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1991	True Colors	Donna	Episode: "Brotherly Love"
1993	Mother of the Bride	Chastity	Television film
1994	Dream On	Kay Meadows	Episode: "Those Who Can't, Edit"
1995	Vanishing Son	Kelly / Rachel	Episodes "Miracle Under 34th Street" and "Long Ago and Far Away"
	Alien Nation: Body and Soul	Cop	Television film
	Friends	Robin	Episode: "The One with the Baby on the Bus"
	The Naked Truth	Dylan's Mistress	Episode: "Comet Nails Star and Vice Versa!"
1996	JAG	LTJG Diane Schonke	Season 1/Episode 22: "Skeleton Crew" "We the People" (1997) (archive footage) "Death Watch" (1998) (archive footage)
1996–2005	JAG	Maj./Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie	Main role (season 2–10) As Jenny Lake, episode: "Ghosts of Christmas Past" (1999) As Mrs. Alexander Mackenzie, episode: "Mutiny" (2001) As Ensign Beverly Tromatore, episode: "Each of Us Angels" (2003)
1996	Hot Line	Cat	Episode: "The Brunch Club"
1997	Hercules: The Legendary Journeys	Cynea	Episode: "The Lady and the Dragon"
1998–1999	Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular	Herself	2 episodes
1998	Cab to Canada	Sandy	Television film
1999	Thrill Seekers	Elizabeth Wintern	Television film
2003	Waking the Dead	Sam James	Episode: "Final Cut"
2005	The Triangle	Emily Patterson	Miniseries
2006	Company Town	Maggie Shaunessy	Unaired pilot
	Threshold	Dr. Daphne Larson	Episode: "Outbreak"
	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Naomi Cheales	Episode: "Choreographed"
2007	Still Small Voices	Michael Summer	Television film
2007–2013	Army Wives	Denise Sherwood	Main role
2008	The Good Witch	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Television film; leading role and co-executive producer
2009	The Good Witch's Garden	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Television film; leading role and co-executive producer
2010	The Good Witch's Gift	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Television film; leading role and co-executive producer
2011	Last Man Standing	Abby Collins	Television film; leading role and producer
	The Good Witch's Family	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Television film; leading role and co-executive producer
	Good Morning, Killer	FBI Special Agent Ana Gray	Television film; leading role; shown as part of TNT's Mystery Movie Night series
2012	The Good Witch's Charm	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Television film; leading role and co-executive producer
2013	King & Maxwell	Joan Dillinger	2 episodes
	The Good Witch's Destiny	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Television film; leading role and co-executive producer
2014	The Good Witch's Wonder	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Television film; leading role and co-executive producer
2015–2021	Good Witch	Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale	Leading role and co-executive producer
2017	Home for Christmas Day	Jane McKendrick	Television film; leading role and executive producer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	High-Rise Rescue	Beth Davis	Television film; leading role and executive producer
	Christmas in the Air	Lydia Evans	Television film; leading role and co-executive producer
2018	A Summer to Remember	Jessica Tucker	Television film; leading role and executive producer
2019–2020	NCIS: Los Angeles	Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie	Recurring role; 3 episodes; original main character from JAG
2020	Meet Me at Christmas	Joan	Television film
2022	Jailbreak Lovers	Toby	Television film<ref name="Ripped from the Headlines 2022"/>
2023	Christmas on Cherry Lane	Regina	Television film
2024	Happy Holidays From Cherry Lane	Regina	Television film<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Agra catbellae – A species of beetle named after Catherine Bell

External links

• Template:Official website
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