Piper Laurie played Catherine Martell, the owner of the Packard Sawmill, in Twin Peaks.
Laurie’s Catherine is one of the series’ most ambitious and secretive business figures. She becomes involved in schemes surrounding the Packard Sawmill, the Ghostwood development, and the powerful Horne and Packard families. Her sharp rivalry with Josie Packard helps drive several of the show’s early business and criminal subplots.
Laurie was already an established film and television actor before Twin Peaks. Her major earlier roles included Carrie White’s mother in Carrie and performances in The Hustler and Children of a Lesser God. Twin Peaks introduced her to a new audience through a deliberately heightened performance that mixed melodrama, mystery, and dark comedy.
Catherine Martell is sometimes confused with Josie Packard because both characters are connected to the sawmill. Catherine, however, is played by Laurie, while Josie is played by Joan Chen.