Catherine Bell

Catherine Lisa Bell was born on August 14, 1968, in London, England. She moved to California with her Iranian mother at the age of two and was raised in the San Fernando Valley, where she became fluent in Farsi. Originally pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering at UCLA, Bell left during her second year to pursue a modeling career in Japan. Upon returning to the United States, she shifted her focus to acting, studying at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Bell’s early career included working as a massage therapist and a stint as Isabella Rossellini’s nude body double in the 1992 film “Death Becomes Her.” She secured a role in the 1994 film “Men of War” alongside Dolph Lundgren.

Bell’s career saw significant progression in 1995 when she was cast in a minor role on the NBC series “JAG.” After NBC canceled the show, it was picked up by CBS and restructured to include a female Marine Corps lawyer character, Sarah MacKenzie, a role Bell successfully auditioned for. She maintained this leading role from 1996 until the series concluded in 2005. Following “JAG,” Bell starred in Lifetime’s ensemble drama series “Army Wives” as Denise Sherwood from 2007 to 2013, portraying a character who navigates personal challenges within a military family setting. Her work on “Army Wives” further established her in television dramas.

Demonstrating career diversity, Bell took on the role of Cassandra “Cassie” Nightingale in Hallmark’s “The Good Witch” film series, beginning in 2008. She starred in seven TV movies within this franchise, also serving as a co-executive producer for all of them. The success of these films led to a television series adaptation, “Good Witch,” where she reprised her role as Cassie Nightingale from 2015 to 2021. In 2019, Bell reconnected with her “JAG” co-star David James Elliott for a multi-episode arc on “NCIS: Los Angeles,” revisiting her iconic character Sarah MacKenzie.