# Catherine Dent
**Catherine Dent** is an American film and television actress best known for playing patrol officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer for the full run of the FX police drama *The Shield* (2002–2008). She was born in [Baton Rouge, Louisiana](https://www.edgepedia.org/baton-rouge-louisiana), in 1965[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/) and trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts before starting a career that spans soap opera, feature film, television guest roles, and theater[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1965; full name Catherine Grace Dent[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/) |
| Training | North Carolina School of the Arts; graduated in 1993[3](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/catherine-dent) |
| Signature role | Officer/Sergeant Danielle "Danny" Sofer on *The Shield* (FX, 2002–2008), 89 episodes across all seven seasons[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10146/catherine-dent) |
| Film debut | *Nobody's Fool* (1994), playing Paul Newman's daughter-in-law in Robert Benton's film[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/) |
| Other notable TV | Sally Clarke in Spielberg's *Taken* (2002); FBI Agent Susan Darcy in *The Mentalist*; General Hale in *Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.*[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10146/catherine-dent) |
| Film work | *21 Grams* (2003), *The Majestic* (2001), *Replicant* (2001), *Someone Like You* (2001)[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/) |
| Spouse | Peter Eliasberg (married March 23, 2002); one son born in 2005[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/) |
## Early life and training
Dent was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1965 and was raised by her father, Fred, a politician, and her mother, Eleanor[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/). Her father, Fred Columbus Dent, was an unsuccessful Louisiana gubernatorial candidate[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/). She attended St. Joseph's Academy in Baton Rouge, graduating in 1983, and then studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts, graduating in 1993[3](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/catherine-dent).
## Early career
Immediately after graduating, Dent appeared in a small role in *Nobody's Fool* (1994), the Robert Benton film starring [Paul Newman](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-newman), in which she played his daughter-in-law[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/). She then landed a recurring role as Janice Talbert on the daytime soap opera *One Life to Live*[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/).
When based in New York, she appeared frequently on East Coast series including *The Sopranos*, *Third Watch*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, and *New York Undercover*; after moving to Los Angeles she guest-starred on *Dharma & Greg*, *The X-Files*, *Frasier*, *The Pretender*, *Chicago Hope*, and *The Invisible Man*[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/).
Her feature work in the late 1990s and early 2000s included independent films such as *Jaded* (1998) and *Dangerous Proposition* (1998)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/), followed by more prominent roles: the action thriller *Replicant* (2001) opposite [Jean-Claude Van Damme](https://www.edgepedia.org/jean-claude-van-damme) and [Michael Rooker](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-rooker), the romantic comedy *Someone Like You* (2001) as [Ashley Judd](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashley-judd)'s sister, and a supporting turn in Frank Darabont's *The Majestic* (2001)[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/).
## The Shield
In 2002 Dent was cast in the leading role of Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer on FX's police drama *The Shield*, one of her first major roles[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/). She played the character for the entire seven-season run, appearing in 89 episodes[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10146/catherine-dent). Danny Sofer is a patrol officer with ambitions to become a detective who begins the series in an on-again, off-again affair with Strike Team leader Vic Mackey ([Michael Chiklis](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-chiklis))[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/). Partnered with rookie Julien Lowe ([Michael Jace](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jace)), she acts as a mentor despite their differing views of policing. Over the series, Danny faces the personal and professional consequences of shooting an Arab man, takes maternity leave, and later has a son fathered by Mackey; after returning to the field she clashes with a new partner ([Paula Garcés](https://www.edgepedia.org/paula-garces)) while growing closer to Dutch (Jay Karnes)[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/). FX's cast page lists her among the show's principal ensemble[5](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-shield/cast).
During *The Shield* run Dent kept working elsewhere: she played Sally Clarke in three episodes of [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg)'s alien-invasion miniseries *Taken* on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2002, then took a small role in [Alejandro González Iñárritu](https://www.edgepedia.org/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu)'s drama *21 Grams* (2003), starring [Sean Penn](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-penn), Naomi Watts, and Benicio del Toro[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/). She appeared in *Auto Focus* (2002) opposite Greg Kinnear in Paul Schrader's film[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/). In 2005 she played a Navy officer, Lieutenant Claire Trifoli, in the straight-to-DVD *Tides of War*[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/).
## Later television work
After *The Shield* concluded in 2008, Dent moved through a steady stream of guest and recurring roles. She appeared in episodes of *Criminal Minds*, *Lie to Me*, and *Breakout Kings*, then took recurring parts as former special agent Whitney Sharp on *NCIS* and as [Kiefer Sutherland](https://www.edgepedia.org/kiefer-sutherland)'s character's sister-in-law in four episodes of *Touch* (2012)[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10146/catherine-dent). In 2011 and 2012 she played FBI Agent Susan Darcy across five episodes of *The Mentalist*, a character who believed the serial killer [Red John](https://www.edgepedia.org/red-john) was still alive and that [Patrick Jane](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrick-jane) (Simon Baker) was lying about his death[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/). She also guest-starred on *Chuck* and *Leverage*[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/).
From 2017 to 2018 she played General Hale in ten episodes of *Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.*[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10146/catherine-dent). Her later guest credits include *Fear the Walking Dead*, *Longmire*, *Magnum P.I.*, *9-1-1*, and *Lucifer*[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10146/catherine-dent), and recent film work includes *Candy Cane Lane* (2023)[6](https://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/catherine-dent/2022106/filmography/). [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) lists more than 80 acting credits overall, along with producer credits on *Stars in Shorts: No Ordinary Love* and *Election Night*[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/catherine-dent/credits/3000029345/).
## Theater
Dent's stage work includes the title role in *Baby Doll* and roles in *Bang the Drum Slowly* and *The Street of the Sun* at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and Maggie in *Cat on a Hot Tin Roof*[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/). In New York she starred off-Broadway in *Amoeba Concerto* and understudied the Sofia and Yelena roles in *Uncle Vanya* on Broadway[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/).
## Personal life
Dent married Peter Eliasberg on March 23, 2002, and the couple has one child, a son born in Los Angeles in 2005[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/). She lives in Los Angeles[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/).
## References
1. [Catherine Dent – Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/catherine-dent/)
2. [Catherine Dent – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219748/bio/)
3. [Catherine Dent, VALÉORINE reference](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/catherine-dent)
4. [Catherine Dent, TVmaze credits](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10146/catherine-dent)
5. [Meet the Cast of FX's The Shield, FX Networks](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-shield/cast)
6. [Catherine Dent Movies, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/catherine-dent/2022106/filmography/)
7. [Catherine Dent List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/catherine-dent/credits/3000029345/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames D to Di*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license