Caroline Catz (born Caroline Caplan; 19 October 1969) is a British film, television, and theatre actress and narrator. She is best known for her role as Louisa Glasson in Doc Martin (2004–2022). Her other major roles have included Auguste van Pels in A Small Light, Detective Inspector Kate Ashurst in Murder in Suburbia, Detective Inspector Helen Morton in DCI Banks, and PC Cheryl Hutchins in The Vice.

Early life Catz was born on 19 October 1969 in Manchester to Jewish parents Caroline Catz: 'Juggling work and family life is difficult', The Daily Express, 15 February 2015 Bernard and Rosemary Caplan.

Career She played opposite Michael Kitchen in the TV movie The Guilty in June 1992. In 1994, she took a lead role in the BBC's All Quiet on the Preston Front, which ran for three series. She followed this with a spell in The Bill as Rosie Fox, during which she met Michael Higgs, who later became her husband. Her part in The Bill was the first of four long-term roles in which she played police officers: in The Vice she was a PC; in Murder in Suburbia and DCI Banks she was a Detective Inspector.

From 2004 to 2022, Catz starred in ITV's Doc Martin, in which she played primary school headmistress Louisa Ellingham (née Glasson).

Catz continued to appear in one-off roles, including In Denial of Murder, in which she played real-life murder victim Wendy Sewell, and in an episode of Hotel Babylon. She also appeared in a two-part episode of Single Handed, entitled The Stolen Child, as Dr Maggie Hunter. Originally shown in Ireland in January 2008, the episode was broadcast by ITV on 9 August 2009.

From 2012 until 2016, she played Detective Inspector Helen Morton in DCI Banks. In November 2016, ITV cancelled the programme.

In 2014, Catz directed the documentary titled A Message to the World...Whatever Happened to Jesse Hector? Also in 2014, she narrated the BBC's television documentary Ebola – The Search for a Cure.

Catz starred in the 2016 BBC One sitcom series I Want My Wife Back, playing the role of Bex.

In 2017, Catz wrote, directed, and starred in a short documentary on Delia Derbyshire, Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And The Legendary Tapes, (2017), which was screened at the BFI London Film Festival. She expanded it into a feature-length film that debuted in October 2020.

In 2018, she was the narrator on Britain's Biggest Warship, a documentary series about the aircraft carrier .

Radio She co-starred in Déjà Vu, a radio play broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on 4 February 2009.

Stage In November 2008, she played Anna, the puppet maker, in the stage production On Emotion.On Emotion at Soho Theatre The Telegraph, 18 November 2008 She has previously appeared in the West End in the Out of Joint/Royal Court Theatre production of Mark Ravenhill's Shopping and Fucking in 1997, which earned controversy for its subject matter, while Catz herself appeared topless in one scene. However, she gained notice for her performance by critics, as well as for being the only woman in the production.

In 2012, she played Marlene in Caryl Churchill's play Top Girls directed by Max Stafford-Clark. In 2018, Catz played Susan in Curtains at the Rose Theatre in Kingston. Other theatre roles include Haunted (West End), The Recruiting Officer (Chichester Festival Theatre), Dogs Barking (Bush Theatre) and Six Degrees of Separation at the Royal Court Theatre.

Music During the early 1990s she was the vocalist of the indie rock band Monolond which went on to become the folk orientated group Sapphire, an EP was released and an album recorded which was not released.

Personal life Since 2007, Catz has been married to actor Michael Higgs, whom she met on the set of The Bill in the late 1990s. They have a son born in 2001 and a daughter born in 2006.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1994 The Curious (unknown) Short films 1996 Litter Ann China China 2004 Girl Afraid (unknown) 2009 A Postcard from Brighton Amanda Penrose Radio Mania: An Abandoned Work Mary 2012 I, Anna Louise 2014 A Message to the World...Whatever Happened to Jesse Hector? – Short film. Director & co-producer 2016 ChickLit Jen 2017 Cupidity Carol Short film 2018 In Fabric Pam 2020 Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary Tapes Delia Derbyshire Also writer & director. Was also a 2018 short film 2023 Scala!!! Herself - Actor / Filmmaker 2024 The Extraordinary Miss Flower Miss Flower

Television Acting Year Title Role Notes 1991 The Upper Hand Receptionist Episode: "Older Than Springtime" 1992 The English Programme Linda 2 episodes: "Have Fun: Parts 1 & 2" The Guilty Nicky Lennon Mini-series; 2 episodes Under the Sun Linda Television film 1994 Peak Practice Carol Dart Episode: "Act of Remembrance" 1994–1997 All Quiet on the Preston Front Dawn Lomax 19 episodes 1995 Moving Story Caroline Episode: "Canterbury Tales" 1996 Screen Two Ruth Wallace / Sian Episode: "Look Me in the Eye" The Merchant of Venice Jessica Television film 1998–2000 The Bill Rosie Fox 8 episodes 1999–2003 The Vice PC Cheryl Hutchins 28 episodes 2003 Real Men Liz Fenton Television films 2004 In Denial of Murder Wendy Sewell 2004–2005 Murder in Suburbia DI Kate 'Ash' Ashurst 12 episodes 2004–2022 Doc Martin Louisa Glasson/Ellingham 79 episodes 2008–2009 Single-Handed Dr. Maggie Hunter 2 episodes: "The Stolen Child: Parts 1 & 2" 2009 Hotel Babylon Erin Martyn 2 episodes 2010 Agatha Christie's Marple Hazel Episode: "The Blue Geranium" Conversations with My Wife Trish Unknown episodes 2012–2016 DCI Banks DI Helen Morton 24 episodes 2015 Valentine's Kiss Helen Mini-series; 2 episodes 2016 I Want My Wife Back Bex 6 episodes 2020 McDonald & Dodds Alison Speirs Episode: "A Wilderness of MIrrors" 2021 The Canterville Ghost Lucy Otis 4 episodes: "Spring", "Summer", Autumn" & "Winter" 2023 A Small Light Auguste Van Pels Mini-series; 7 episodes

Narration In addition to her acting work, Catz has provided voice-overs for numerous TV documentaries, including:

Windscale: Britain's Biggest Nuclear Disaster (2007) Cutting Edge (1 episode; 2009) Horizon (1 episode; 2014) Countdown to Murder (13 episodes; 2013–2015) The Conspiracy Files (7 episodes; 2006–2016) The Big Think: Should We Go to Mars? (2017) Exposure (4 episodes; 2017–2021) Britain's Biggest Warship (3 episodes; 2018) Panorama (1 episode; 2018) Inside Europe: 10 Years of Turmoil (1 episode; 2019) Cuba: Castro vs the World (1 episode; 2019) My Grandparents' War (3 episodes; 2019–2022) Dispatches (1 episode; 2020) The Queen and the Coup (2020) Suzy Lamplugh: The Unsolved Mystery (2020) Outbreak: The Virus That Shook the World (2021) Trump Takes on the World (3 episodes; 2021) Savile: Portrait of a Predator (2021) Farewell Doc Martin (2022) The Billionaires Who Made Our World (4 episodes; 2023) Putin vs the West (3 episodes; 2023–2024) Inside China: The Battle for Tibet (2025)

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2018 Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales Rayla (voice)

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