Catherine Martin is a supporting character in The Silence of the Lambs. She is portrayed by Brooke Smith.
Biography[]
Catherine is abducted by Buffalo Bill, a serial killer who targets young women as part of his twisted plan to create a suit from human skin. He kidnaps her by exploiting her empathy—posing as a man with an arm injury who needs help loading a couch into a van. Once captured, Catherine is imprisoned in a deep, dry well in his basement, where she becomes a key player in the unfolding story. As she is the senator’s daughter, her abduction became a highly publicized case and becomes the focus of the FBI’s investigation, spearheaded by Jack Crawford and Clarice Starling.
Her determination to stay alive motivates her to resist despair and fight back when given the opportunity. At some point, Catherine cleverly forms a bond with Buffalo Bill's pet dog, Precious. She uses the dog as leverage, negotiating with Jame and threatening to kill Precious if he doesn't let her out of the pit, to gain power over her captor.
Catherine holding Precious hostage as she negotiates with Jame
At the end, Clarice manages to tracks down Buffalo Bill’s lair and finds Catherine, who begs to be released. Clarice tells her to wait for a while, which temporarily leaves her in hysterics. As Clarice confronts and kills Buffalo Bill, Catherine is finally freed, along with Precious, though visibly traumatized by her experience.