Kari Matchett (born March 25, 1970 in Spalding, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian actress in television and film. She is probably best known for her role as Mariel Underlay on the cult TV series Invasion.
In Canada her first major starring role was as Colleen Blessed in Power Play (1998–2000). Matchett was a key member of the repertory cast of the A&E TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–2002), in which she played numerous femmes fatale and had a recurring role as Lily Rowan. On the short-lived but highly reviewed show Wonderfalls, she played the character 'Beth', the lesbian love interest of the main character's sister, 'Sharon Tyler'.
Her next major role was as Detective Elaine Bender in Blue Murder in 2004. Unrelated to her character in 2004, she guest starred on an episode of the same TV show (Blue Murder) as a suspect in a murder investigation in 2001.
In 2005 she had a starring role in the short-lived ABC TV series, Invasion, a series about aliens taking the form of humans. She has also appeared as Mary Tate on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and in both Shark and Wild Card.
In 2007 she joined the cast of 24, as Lisa Miller, assistant to Powers Boothe's Vice President Noah Daniels who steps in as Acting President when an attempt is made on the life of the president.
Her most notable film role was in a movie about curling, Men with Brooms in 2002.
In June of 2007, the TNT Series Heartland debuted with Kari playing the role of Kate Armstrong.
In November 2007, Matchett appeared on the American television program ER, playing a new attending physician, Skye Wexler.
Matchett knew nothing about hockey when she landed the role of Colleen Blessed on "Power Play" (1998) at the age of twenty-eight, and relied on her husband, director T.W. Peacocke to teach her the ropes.
She is a graduate of the National Theatre School, she also studied Chekov at the Moscow Theatre School as an exchange student and attended Red Deer College where she got her start in summer stock.
Grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta.
