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Catherine Bell
Bell speaking at the second annual National Capital Region Joint Services motorcycle safety event at the Pentagon, May 2, 2008
Born	Catherine Lisa Bell August 14, 1968 (1968-08-14) (age 41) London, England, United Kingdom
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Adam Beason (1994–present)
Official website

Catherine Lisa Bell (born August 14, 1968) is an British-born American actress known for her role of Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the television show JAG from 1997 to 2004. Currently she stars in the Lifetime Television hit series Army Wives as Denise Sherwood.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Personal life 2.1 Scientology 3 Career 4 Filmography 4.1 Actress 4.2 Self 5 Awards 6 Videos 7 References 8 External links

Early life

Bell was born in London, United Kingdom, the daughter of Mina, a personal assistant and nurse, and Peter Bell, an architect.¹ Her mother is Iranian² and her father Scottish.³⁴⁵ Her parents divorced and she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, California when she was three years old. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States at the age of twelve.^{citation needed} A self-described geek, Bell thrived in math and biology classes in school, and in junior high school once programmed a computer video game.

She acted in various television advertisements as a child. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with an interest in becoming either a biomedical engineer or a physician but dropped out to become a full-time model.

Personal life

Bell is fluent in Persian and English. She is fond of 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 8.⁶ 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, 1994⁷ They have a daughter, Gemma, who was born on April 16, 2003. Bell and Beason are currently expecting their second child, a boy in late Summer 2010.⁸

Bell was the grand marshal of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on June 3, 2007.⁹

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 17.¹⁰

In August 2007, Bell and her husband put their Calabasas, California, home on the market for $3.25 million and moved to South Carolina.¹¹

During the Hollywood writers strike, Bell took flying lessons in a Cirrus SR22.¹²

When she was in her 20s, she had thyroid cancer and had to have her thyroid removed. She doesn't cover the scar on her neck because she "thinks it's kind of cool".¹³

Scientology

Although Bell was raised Roman Catholic and attended an all-girls’ Catholic school, she has since become a Scientologist.¹⁴ Bell has attested to attaining the Scientology state of Clear¹⁵ She has supported Scientology's Hollywood Education and Literacy Project.¹⁶ In December 2005, Bell helped promote the gala opening of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum.¹⁷

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.¹⁸

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. She was on the game show To Tell the Truth in 1990 where she mentioned that she was a massage therapist (she was one of the imposters on the show, she was playing an imposter of a body double named Shelly Michelle). Her first television acting role was one line on the sitcom Sugar and Spice (1990).¹⁹ Her first appearance in a film was as a body double for Isabella Rossellini in Death Becomes Her (1992). One of her first TV roles was on the HBO sitcom Dream On in 1994.

From 1997 to 2004, Bell starred as U.S. Marine Corps Major Sarah MacKenzie on the hit television series JAG as a practicing attorney in the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps. Her earlier TV work also included an appearance in a late night adult series called Hot Line. Bell was featured in "The Brunch Club" episode.

In 2003, she had a supporting role as a television news anchor, Susan Ortega, in the comedy Bruce Almighty, starring Jim Carrey. She reprised the role with a cameo in the 2007 sequel Evan Almighty, starring Steve Carell.

Bell appeared in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries The Triangle, presented in December 2005, playing an ocean engineer. In 2006, she was nominated for a Saturn Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for Best Supporting Actress on Television (The Triangle).

In 2007, Bell starred in Lifetime's ensemble drama series Army Wives as Denise Sherwood, the wife of a US Army major, who is enduring domestic violence at the hands of her teenage son.²⁰

Bell has also recently played the main role in Hallmark's The Good Witch (2008) and its sequel, The Good Witch's Garden (2009). She co-executive produced both movies.²¹

Filmography

Actress

Title	Date	Role	Notes
The Good Witch's Garden	2009	Cassandra Nightingale	co-executive producer
The Good Witch	2008	Cassandra Nightingale
Evan Almighty	2007	Susan Ortega	cameo
Army Wives	2007-present	Denise Sherwood	series regular
Still Small Voices	2006	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	Episode #1.22 - Skeleton Crew(1996) as Lieutenant Junior Grade Diane Schonke, Episode #3.19 - Death Watch 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
Hotline Volume 3	1996
Hot Line: The Brunch Club	1996	Cat
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
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
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)
Howard Stern	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	Nominated

Videos

Title	Date	Link
CBS4	22 January 2008	YouTube
Martha	17 January 2008	YouTube, Part 1 YouTube, Part 2
Live with Regis and Kelly	16 January 2008	YouTube
CW11	17 January 2008	YouTube
Jimmy Kimmel Live!	8 August, 2007	YouTube
The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet	1 August 2007	YouTube
Live with Regis and Kelly	31 July 2007	YouTube
Late Show with David Letterman	30 July 2007	YouTube
United	2005	YouTube
Howie Mandel Show		YouTube
Howard Stern Show	24 July 2002	YouTube

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Catherine Bell

• Catherine Bell at the Internet Movie Database
• Catherine Bell at Allmovie
• Catherine Bell on NNDB
• Catherine Bell at TV.com
• Official Homepage
• Only Catherine Bell - French Website