Josie Bissett is recognized internationally for her popular role as Jane Mancini on FOX-TV's “Melrose Place,” which ended its successful seven-year run in May 1999. To date, she has graced over 50 magazine covers, including such publications as TV Guide, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Shape's Fit Pregnancy and New Woman.
She appeared for five seasons on ABC Family Channel’s hit breakout teen-pregnancy drama series “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” Created and executive produced by Brenda Hampton (“7th Heaven”), Bissett played Kathleen Bowman, mother to good girl Grace (Megan Park).
She most recently starred in “Pregnant at 17,” an original telefilm which debuted on Lifetime on February 20, 2016. She stars as Sonia Clifton, a veterinarian who discovers her husband is having an affair. She becomes obsessed with finding out more about the woman and soon learns that she is 17 and pregnant. Sonia empathizes with the soon-to-be teen mother and becomes her unlikely champion.
Bissett previously starred opposite James Brolin in Hallmark Movie Channels’ first-ever original holiday movie, “Christmas with Tucker,” which premiered in late 2013 as part of their “Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas” holiday initiative. At the time, “Christmas with Tucker” was the most watched Hallmark Movie Channel Original premiere among HH’s and W25-54 in network history. She also starred opposite Matthew Settle in the original Christmas film “Paper Angels,” which premiered on UP TV in November 2014, as well as the thriller “A Mother’s Instinct,” for Lifetime. Her first children’s book, Tickle Monster, became a national sensation that got kids and parents to laugh, laugh, laugh! An inspiring and beautifully illustrated storybook for kids, Tickle Monster is based on a treasured family tradition that Bissett has continued with her own kids. Fuzzy “Tickle Monster” mitts, an interactive companion piece to the book, are available and packaged in an adorable gift set. Parents can wear the gloves to tickle their children while reading along to the clever text.
Tickle Monster and publisher Compendium, Inc. were awarded the PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) Media Inc.’s Seal of Approval for excellence in parenting products and the book earned the Publisher's Choice Award from the Family Magazine Group. Bissett was named “Celebrity Mom of the Year” by the Mom’s Choice Awards (MCA), an annual awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies and parents for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services. Bissett and her children were also featured on the cover of MCA’s Entro magazine.
As a follow-up, Bissett’s wrote her second children’s book, Boogie Monster. With a lovable new character from Planet Boogie whose only mission is to inspire kids to dance, dance, dance, Boogie Monster teaches kids that there’s no right or wrong way to dance. In the process, kids build confidence and have fun exercising. Also available is the complete dance kit, which includes a Boogie Monster book, a pair of Boogie Monster Legs Leggings and a full-length Boogie Monster music CD by Recess Monkey and received the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award as well as the Moonbeam Gold Medal at the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.
Her first book, Little Bits Of Wisdom, was inspired by the birth of her first child in 2001 and is now in its third printing. It is a heart-warming collection of parenting wisdom and child-rearing “tricks of the trade” gathered from more than 1,000 parents and grandparents throughout the world. Two years later, she completed a second book, Making Memories, which featured over 200 ways for parents to create rich family memories with their children that last a lifetime.
The Seattle native began her career in front of the camera at the age of 12 as a model in print advertisements and television commercials. At 16, she left home and moved to Japan to further her career and at 17 headed to Hollywood to make her mark.
Bissett soon landed the role of Cara on “The Hogan Family,” where she spent two seasons. Within two years arriving in Los Angeles, she was cast in “Melrose Place” and quickly became one of television’s most recognizable actors. Other projects in recent years include the ABC movies “The Fire Above” and “Dare to Love,” the FOX telefilm “Deadly Vows” and the USA cable film “Baby Monitor: Sound of Fear.” She starred in the ABC Family Channel original film “I Do, They Don't,” a romantic comedy about two widowed parents whose spontaneous marriage thrusts them into the position of having to blend two families into one. In addition, Bissett starred in the Lifetime Television original film “The Other Woman,” based on the best-selling novel by Joy Fielding and directed by Jason Priestley. She has also made numerous guest- starring appearances including NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
On the big screen, she made her feature film debut in Oliver Stone's “The Doors,” in which she played the wife of Doors’ guitarist Robbie Krieger. Her subsequent films include the coming-of- age comedy “Book of Love” and the psychological thriller “Mikey.”
In addition to acting, Bissett has hosted numerous shows. She most recently co-hosted Lifetime Television’s morning talk show, “The Balancing Act” and previously hosted “Parenting & Beyond,” a show that offered parents creative solutions to everyday problems so that they can have more quality time to enjoy their family and watch their children grow up. She also hosted the PBS educational special, “Teach More, Love More,” which followed four families, each with a child in one of the four critical stages of early childhood development -- newborn, infancy, toddlerhood and preschool. As host, Josie guided viewers through the program which explores the joys, fears and a myriad of questions that accompany the beginning of life. “Teach More, Love More” included interviews with nationally renowned experts such as Dr. T. Berry Brazelton.
Bissett has been the face of several national commercial campaigns, including Neutrogena’s skin care line and Dr. Scholl’s Pedicure Essentials. Additionally, she was a spokesperson for Murad Skin Care’s Resurgence® Regimen, the first comprehensive line of products formulated exclusively to help revitalize and rebuild hormonally aging skin.
Bissett resides in Seattle with her children, 16-year-old son Mason and 13-year-old daughter Maya. She is currently working on her next children’s book. For more information, please visit www.JosieBissett.com.
