Catherine Bell (actress)
South Carolina (2012)
Born Catherine Lisa Bell
August 14, 1968
London, England, UK
Nationality Iranian-American
Catherine Lisa Bell (born August 14, 1968) is a British-born Iranian-American actress and producer, 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 film and television series (2008–present).
Catherine Lisa Bell was born August 14, 1968 in London to Scotsman Peter Bell and Iranian Mina Ezzati. Peter was an architect who signed a contract with the oil company in Iran, while Mina had emigrated to London to study nursing. Bell’s parents divorced when she was two years old, and she was raised by her Iranian mother, grandmother and grandfather, with the family eventually moving to California’s San Fernando Valley.
Bell was exposed to diverse influences growing up. She and her family spoke Persian in their home. Regarding religion, her grandparents were Muslim, but she was also raised with Catholicism and attended a Baptist summer camp. In her teenage years, she came under the influence of her California surroundings, explaining, “I am definitely a Valley Girl. I was a tomboy. I liked to skateboard, play football, and push the envelope a little bit.” Bell enrolled at UCLA, where she considered a career in medicine or research. However, when she was offered a modeling job in Japan, where advertisers value “American beauty,” she dropped out during her sophomore year.
When Bell returned to the United States, she decided to try acting. She studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse with Milton Katselas. She also worked as a massage therapist, and her clients included singer Peter Gabriel. Her first television acting role was one line spoken to Gabriel on the short-lived 1990 sitcom Sugar and Spice.
Among her first parts was serving as Isabella Rossellini’s nude body double for the 1992 film Death Becomes Her.
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 mutually contracting amoebic dysentery. Goddard would later 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”.
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 endures domestic violence at the hands of her teenage son during the show’s first season.
Bell was the Grand Marshal of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on June 3, 2007.
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. 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. Her hobbies include cross-stitching and making model cars, which she has done since age 8.
In 2002, The Sporting News falsely reported that Bell correctly predicted that the New England Patriots would beat the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, 20 to 17 in a celebrity survey conducted just before the game. In actuality, the article was written after the NFC and AFC championship games. Bell correctly guessed the score, but the teams were already decided.
Bell met actor-production assistant Adam Beason on the set of the 1992 film Death Becomes Her. They were married on May 8, 1994. Together, they have a daughter and a son. They lived in a nearly 5,700-square-foot faux-Tuscan-style mini-mansion in Calabasas. The couple separated in September 2011, selling their Calabasas home in the process. Their divorce was completed sometime prior to September 2015.
In 2014, Bell paid $2.05 million for a recently remodeled, 3,380-square-foot, single-story ranch house on a 1.2 acre lot in the gated Hidden Hills community in the western suburbs of Los Angeles.
Filmography
Actress
Title Date Role Notes
Home for Christmas Day 2017 Jane McKendrick Leading Role & Executive Producer [26]
12 Days 2017 Lydia Leading role
High-Rise Rescue 2017 Beth Davis Leading role[27]
The Do-Over 2016 Dawn Difazio
The Bandit Hound 2015 Joanne
Good Witch 2015–present Cassandra “Cassie” Nightingale Leading Role & Co-Executive Producer
The Good Witch’s Wonder 2014 Cassandra “Cassie” Nightingale Leading Role & Co-Executive Producer
Los Angeles, RIGHT NOW 2014 K-PUB’s station manager Episode #5 The Bully
The Good Witch’s Destiny 2013 Cassandra “Cassie” Nightingale Leading Role & Co-Executive Producer
King & Maxwell 2013 Joan Dillinger Episodes #1.05 and #1.10
The Good Witch’s Charm 2012 Cassandra “Cassie” Nightingale Leading Role & Co-Executive Producer
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 Leading Role & Co-Executive Producer
The Good Witch’s Gift 2010 Cassandra “Cassie” Nightingale Leading Role & Co-Executive Producer
The Good Witch’s Garden 2009 Cassandra “Cassie” Nightingale Leading Role & Co-Executive Producer
The Good Witch 2008 Cassandra Nightingale Leading Role & 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 unaired pilot
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
“Hot Line: Seductive Tales (cable series)” 1996 Cat
The Brunch Club
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
True Colors 1991 Donna Episode No. 2.08: “Brotherly Love”