Background
Catherine is the daughter of Mina, a personal assistant and nurse, and Peter Bell, an architect. Her mother is Iranian and her father Scottish.
Catherine is the daughter of Mina, a personal assistant and nurse, and Peter Bell, an architect. Her mother is Iranian and her father Scottish.
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, 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).
In 1996 Bell began her role as Marine Lieutenant Colonel, Sarah MacKenzie, in the series JAG. She continued in this role until 2005, and it became the role for which she is most well-known.
Since 2007 Bell has starred in Lifetime's ensemble drama series Army Wives as Denise Sherwood, the wife of a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, who endured domestic violence at the hands of her teenage son during the show's first season.
Bell also has recently played the main role in Hallmark's The Good Witch (2008), and its sequels The Good Witch's Garden (2009), The Good Witch's Gift (2010), and The Good Witch's Family (2011); she co-executive-produced all of the movies.
Although Bell was raised Roman Catholic and attended an "all-girls" Catholic school (Our Lady of Corvallis High School in Los Angeles), she is now a practicing Scientologist. Bell has attested to attaining the Scientology state of Clear. She has supported Scientology's Hollywood Education and Literacy Project. In December 2005 Bell helped promote the gala opening of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum.
Motorcycling, skiing, snowboarding, kick-boxing.
Bell was the grand marshal of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on June 3, 2007.
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. In actuality the article was written after the NFC and AFC championship games; Bell correctly guessed the score, but the teams were already decided.