Catherine Hicks, born Catherine Mary Hicks on August 6, 1951, in New York City, is an American retired actress known for her versatile roles in both television and film. She grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, where her parents, Jackie, a homemaker, and Walter Hicks, an electronics salesman, raised her.

Catherine Hicks is of Irish and English ancestry. She attended Gerard Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona, and later studied English literature at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, graduating in 1973.

She then won a prestigious acting fellowship to Cornell University, where she honed her craft at the Ithaca Repertory Theater Company.

She began her career in 1976 with a major role as Dr. Faith Coleridge on the ABC soap opera "Ryan's Hope." Her performance earned her recognition and led to her Broadway debut in Bernard Slade's play "Tribute" alongside Jack Lemmon.

She continued to build her career with roles in various TV movies and series, including "The Bad News Bears" and "Marilyn: The Untold Story," for which she received an Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe.

In 1986, she starred as Dr. Gillian Taylor in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and as Karen Barclay in the horror film "Child's Play." Her most notable role came in 1996 when she played Annie Camden on the long-running television series "7th Heaven," which ran for 11 seasons and solidified her place in television history.

Catherine Hicks married makeup artist Kevin Yagher in 1990, and they have a daughter named Caitlin, born in 1992. The family enjoys traveling and spending time together. She has also been involved in charitable work, serving as a spokesperson for Catholic Relief Services and the Children's Advertising Review Unit.

Catherine Hicks received several awards and nominations, including the Emmy nomination for "Marilyn: The Untold Story" and various accolades for her work on "7th Heaven."