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 [ 4 ] where Bell was exposed to diverse influences. The family spoke Persian at home. 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".
However, when she was offered a modelling job in Japan, where advertisers value "American beauty", she dropped out during her second year. When Bell returned to the United States, she decided to try acting. She also worked as a massage therapist for eight years at the Peninsula Hotel , [ 5 ] and her clients included singer Peter Gabriel. Bell's first television acting role was one line spoken to Gabriel on the short-lived sitcom Sugar and Spice.
While filming the movie in Thailand, Bell and her co-star Trevor Goddard bonded over contracting amoebic dysentery. They remained friends until Goddard's death from a drug overdose in June , an event that the bereaved Bell described as "horrible". Bell auditioned for that role and won it. She continued in this role until the series ended in Army lieutenant colonel, [ 8 ] who endures domestic violence at the hands of her teenage son during the show's first season.
She was also a co-executive producer of all of the movies. In , it was reported that Bell would star in the movie Love Finds Its Way , which would begin filming in In , Bell starred in the Lifetime film Jailbreak Lovers as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" feature film which tells the story of how Toby Dorr snuck inmate John Manard out of prison in a dog crate which sparked a manhunt.
Bell is fluent in Persian and English. She is fond of motorcycling , skiing , snowboarding and kickboxing. Her hobbies include cross-stitching and making model cars, which she has done since age eight.
