If you’re a fan of TV crime dramas, you’re sure to recognise British actress Caroline Catz, who has worked in many of our favourite shows, from DCI Banks to The Bill. She's perhaps most famous for her role on Doc Martin as Louisa.
Is Caroline Catz her real name?
Actually no, her real name is Caroline Caplan, but when she registered as an actor with Equity her name was already taken, so she became Catz.
How old is Caroline Catz?
Caroline was born October 19, 1970 and is currently aged 51. She was born in Manchester
Who is Caroline Catz’s husband?
The actor Michael Higgs married Caroline back in 1997 and they have two children, Honor and Sonny.
Caroline Catz and DCI Banks
Caroline starred in DCI Banks from 2012 until its cancellation in 2016.
Yours writer Alison James interviewed her about her role in DCI Banks back in 2015:
There’s something rather intimidating about Caroline Catz when she’s dressed as her DCI Banks character, the formidable Detective Inspector Helen Morton
“It’s the hairdo,” explained Caroline “It’s rather severe, as you can see – pulled tightly back into a bun. I do find it hard to shake Helen off when I still have her hair.
"But that can be very useful when you want to get things done. When I am racing for a train at the end of the week and I’ve still got my hairdo on, I sometimes forget I’m not her. That’s quite useful because it gets you a ticket faster in the queue and certainly gets you through the barriers.”
DCI Banks was known for its gritty realism and authenticity. Nevertheless, it comes as a surprise to learn that the mortuary scenes were filmed in a real mortuary rather than mocked up in a studio.
“It’s really not pleasant,” Caroline commented. “I always tell myself that I won’t let it freak me out being there, but it always does. I’m like, ‘Get me out of here.’ I literally run out once we’ve finished filming.
Caroline Catz and Stephen Tompkinson
Caroline says her co-star, Stephen Tompkinson, who played DCI Banks in the series, is wonderful at lightening the mood during the dreaded mortuary scenes.
“Stephen has the most amazing brain and memory for identifying the theme tunes of old children’s TV programmes and he distracts me with those.
“He also remembers all the characters’ names and those of the actors. It’s impossible to catch him out. I check out what he’s said online and he’s always right.
“It’s very impressive and a great distraction. We also laugh a lot together – in fact the grimmer the scenes, the sillier we are. It’s a kind of release.”
Caroline Catz in Doc Martin
In the popular series Doc Martin which is set in the fictional seaside village of Portwenn and filmed in the village of Port Isaac in Cornwall, Caroline has played primary school headmistress Louisa Glasson in Doc Martin since 2004 and her character is married to and has a child with co-star Martin Clunes.
So who is Caroline more like – Helen or the very personable Louisa from Doc Martin? “That’s hard to say,” she told us. “They are very different and there are parts of me in both characters – it’s inevitable that you draw on your own personality when you’re playing someone.”
Caroline Catz on This Morning
Caroline Catz in The Bill
Caroline played Rosie Fox in The Bill for two years, which was one of four long-term roles as a policewoman in a drama, as well as where she met her husband!
What else has Caroline Catz been in?
Caroline has also been in The Vice, Murder in Suburbia, In Denial of Murder, Hotel Babylon, All Quiet on the Preston Front, I Want My Wife Back, The Caterville Ghost and TV movie The Guilty.
Caroline Catz’s band
A young Caroline was once in an Indie band called Monoland!
Caroline Catz and Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And The Legendary Tapes
Adding another string to her bow, Caroline made her directorial debut in 2017 with the short film Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And The Legendary Tapes which screened at the BFI London Film Festival
Is Caroline Catz on social media?
Follow what Caroline gets up to on her Twitter account. Caroline does not have Instagram.