Detailed Biography

Katherine Evelyn Anita "Katie" Cassidy-Benedon is an American actress best known for her role on the The CW TV series Melrose Place, and for starring in the feature length films Black Christmas, Taken and the upcoming A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Early life and family

Katie was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actor David Cassidy and model Sherry Benedon . Sherry and David separated but remained close friends. Cassidy's paternal grandparents were actors Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward. She grew up in Calabasas, California with her mother and stepfather, Richard Benedon, an ER physician. She has two older sisters, Jenna and Jamie. She also has a younger brother Beau Cassidy. As a child, Cassidy took to tumbling and eventually became a cheerleader for the California Flyers, a competitive team. She cheered as a freshman for Calabasas High School where she attended high school and graduated in 2005.

Career

While in elementary school, Cassidy became interested in show business and participated in community theatre, and later studied with an acting coach. She did some modeling which culminated in a campaign ad for Abercrombie and Fitch in 2004. Her mother, Sherry, would not allow Katie to act professionally until completing her high school education. After high school, Cassidy moved to Los Angeles and appeared in several television shows, which included a recurring role as Zoe on 7th Heaven. She then guest-starred in the drama Sex, Love & Secrets. She also played a small part in Eminem's music video 'Just Lose It' in 2004.

In 2006 she appeared in supporting roles in films such as Click and When A Stranger Calls. It was announced she has signed on as the protanagist in Dimension Films remake of the 1974 film Black Christmas as Kelli Pressley. The film was released throughout late December 2006 worldwide to negative reviews and little success at the box office.

In 2007 she filmed numerous scenes in the film remake Revenge of the Nerds alongside Adam Brody and Jenna Dewan. Production was halted and the movie was eventually cancelled. In 2008 she appeared as Amanda in Taken and had a recurring role on The CW's Supernatural.

In 2009 Katie appeared as Patricia 'Trish' Wellington in the Horror Thriller Mystery CBS series Harper's Island. The series had moderate success with ratings but was cancelled after one season.

In 2009 it was announced Katie had signed on as a series regular on The CW's reboot Melrose Place of the 1990's successful Drama series of the same name. The series premeired September 8 , with 2.27 million viewers and ratings quickly slipping thereafter.

Personal life

Katie currently has four tattoos; one on her hip, one on her foot, one on her ankle, and one in the middle of her back. The first tattoo Katie had done, located on her hip, is "1922", the year of her maternal grandmother's birth. The tattoo on her foot is of three stars depicting Katie and her two sisters Jaime and Jenna, who also have the same tattoo. Their mother Sherry has a tattoo with three shooting stars coming from a center star . Each woman wears it in a different location. Katie also has a tattoo word-ring going around her left ankle, which reads Love Thyself, Know Thyself, Be Thyself. The tattoo she has in the middle of her back is a Latin phrase: Alis Volat Propiis. In English it means, "She Flies with Her Own Wings." Katie chose this phrase because it's a very apropos statement reflecting her independence and confirming that regardless of her family ties, she is making her way on her own merit and talent. In her spare time, Katie says she enjoys reading, yoga, taking acting classes, and seeing movies with her friends.

Katie dated Jesse McCartney from 2004-2007.