Isabella Hofmann

A doe-eyed actor with an attractive apple-cheeked face, Hofmann was a prolific guest star and series regular in TV beginning in the mid-1980s. Conveying an approachable beauty and smooth maturity, Hofmann began getting attention with prominent roles in the TV-movies, "Independence" (NBC, 1987) and "The Town Bully" (ABC, 1988). Wide exposure came with a first TV series, "Dear John" (1988-92). This NBC sitcom coasted its way through four modest but amiable seasons, with Hofmann as one of the less eccentric members of a therapy support group. Small roles in several features including "Renaissance Man" (1994) did little but keep her busy, and a second sitcom, "The Boys" (CBS, 1993), only lasted five episodes, but Hofmann found a rewarding assignment on her next series, "Homicide: Life on the Street." Joining the acclaimed NBC police drama in 1994 for its third season, she played Lieutenant (later Captain) Megan Russert, handling hostage situations and boisterous male colleagues alike.