Catherine Bell was born on August 14, 1968 in London, England. She moved to Los Angeles when she was three years old, after her parents divorced; by age 12, she became a naturalized United States citizen. She began appearing on television since her childhood, appearing initially in television commercials while maintaining good grades in school. She eventually entered the University of California, Los Angeles, intending to pursue a career as an engineer or a physicist, but she dropped out to pursue a modeling career.
Bell went around the world modeling, but she eventually returned to Los Angeles to train as an actress under Milton Katselas. She started acting in 1990, with a one-liner in the television comedy Sugar and Spice. Her first film was in 1992, when she became a body double for Isabella Rossellini in the dark comedy Death Becomes Her. Her initial credits revolved around television guest roles and roles in late night adult programming.
In 1996, Bell broke out to the mainstream with her role in the legal drama JAG. She played one of the main characters, Sarah MacKenzie, a Marine officer who works as a lawyer. She first appeared in the final episode of the first season as a guest, and only became a regular in the second season; she would stay in the program until its conclusion in 2005. That same year, she joined the cast of the science fiction miniseries The Triangle, where she played smart and strong-willed yet beleaguered ocean engineer Emily Patterson.
In 2007, Bell signed on to play a main role in the drama Army Wives. Unlike in JAG, where she played a soldier, this time she played a soldier’s wife: Denise Sherwood, the wife of Major Frank Sherwood (Terry Serpico) who is dealing with her son’s (Richard Bryant) anger management issues.
The Good Witch (2008)
Evan Almighty (2007)
Army Wives (2007-present)
Still Small Voices (2006)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2006) Episode #8.09
Company Town (2006)
Threshold (2006) Episode #1.11 - Outbreak
The Triangle (2005)
Babak & Friends: A First Norooz (2005)
JAG (1997-2005)
Waking the Dead (2003) Episode #3.4 - Final Cut
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Thrill Seekers (1999)
Cab to Canada (1998)
Black Thunder (1998)
Sin City Spectacular (1998-1999) Episode #1.10 and #1.16
Crash Dive (1997)
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1997) Episode #3.10 - The Lady and the Dragon
Friends (1995) Episode #2.06 - The One with the Baby on the Bus
Alien Nation: Body and Soul (1995)
Vanishing Son (1995) Episode #2.06 - Miracle Under 34th Street
Episode #2.12 - Long Ago and Far Away
Men of War (1994)
Dream On (1994)
Episode #5.09 - Those Who Can't, Edit
Mother of the Bride (1993)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
