Catherine Lisa Bell (born 14 August 1968) is an American actress, 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 films and television series since 2008.
Catherine Lisa Bell was born on 14 August 1968 in London to a Scottish father, Peter Bell, and an Iranian mother, Mina Ezzati. Peter was an architect under contract to an oil company in Iran; Mina had traveled to London to study nursing. Bell's parents divorced when Catherine was two years old. She was raised by her mother and maternal grandparents. The family eventually moved to California's San Fernando Valley. where Bell was exposed to diverse influences. The family spoke Persian at home. The grandparents were Muslim, but Catherine was also exposed to Catholicism and attended a Baptist summer camp. In her teenage years, Catherine came under the influence of her California surroundings: "I am definitely a Valley Girl. I was a tomboy. I liked to skateboard, play football, and push the envelope a little bit." Catherine 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.