Josie Bissett is recognized internationally for her role as the popular 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.
Bissett starred opposite Jack Wagner in the highly-rated Hallmark Channel franchise movie “The Wedding March,” as well as in “The Wedding March 2: Resorting to Love,” which debuted June 17, 2017 and marks the network’s highest-rated and most-watched original June movie premiere among HH ratings and Total Viewer delivery. A third movie “Wedding March 3: Valentine’s Wedding” premiered in February 2018. Bissett also recently had a recurring role opposite Jack Wagner in the Hallmark television series “When Calls The Heart.” She previously starred opposite James Brolin in Hallmark Movie Channels’ first-ever original holiday movie, “Christmas with Tucker,” which premiered as part of their “Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas” holiday initiative. “Christmas with Tucker” was the Most Watched Hallmark Movie Channel Original Premiere among HH’s and W25-54 in network history! Bissett also starred opposite Matthew Settle in the original Christmas film “Paper Angels,” which premiered on UP TV. Additionally, she starred in the Lifetime original telefilms “A Mother’s Instinct” and “Pregnant at 17.”
Bissett’s first children’s book, Tickle Monster, became a national sensation, getting kids and parents to laugh, laugh, laugh! Tickle Monster is an inspiring and beautifully illustrated storybook for kids, 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. Tickle Monster earned the Publisher’s Choice Award from the Family Magazine Group, and 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. Her ability to offer parenting advice and bring laughter in the lives of families, along with her mission to live life as a whole and balanced person, made Bissett the perfect choice for the Mom’s Choice Team.
As a follow-up to the highly successful Tickle Monster, Bissett wrote her second children’s book, Boogie Monster, and both titles are currently available in major bookstores. 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. The book is available as a complete dance kit, packaged in a colorful, reusable keepsake gift box with magnetic closure, and including the book, a pair of Boogie Monster Legs Leggings and a full-length music CD by Recess Monkey. The Boogie Monster Dance Kit was the recipient of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award, honoring excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. In addition, the Dance Kit won the Moonbeam Gold Medal at the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.
Bissett’s 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 childrearing 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. Tens of thousands of parents have already embraced this magical book, the premise of which is so simple and powerful: The moments with our children pass so quickly, but the memories we create today will last forever.
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, she headed to Hollywood to make her mark. Soon she landed the role of Cara on “The Hogan Family,” where she spent two seasons. Within two years of her arrival in Los Angeles, Bissett was cast on “Melrose Place” and quickly became one of television’s most recognizable actors. In recent years, she has had the opportunity to explore many diverse and interesting characters in such projects as 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 bestselling 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, Bissett 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, most recently co-hosting Lifetime’s morning talk show, “The Balancing Act.” Previously, she hosted “Parenting & Beyond,” a show that offered parents creative solutions to everyday problems in order for them to have more quality time to enjoy their family and watch their children growing 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, Bissett 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, an entire line of 14 different products designed to pamper the feet. 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 15-year-old daughter Maya and her new husband Tom Doig. She is currently working on her next children’s book. For more information, please visit
www.JosieBissett.com.