Sarah MacKenzie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sarah MacKenzie
Catherine Bell as Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie
First appearance	We the People JAG (January 3, 1997)
Last appearance	Code of Conduct NCIS: Los Angeles (April 26, 2020)
Created by	Donald P. Bellisario
Portrayed by	Catherine Bell
Information
Nickname(s)	Mac
Occupation	Judge Advocate in the United States Marine Corps
Spouse(s)	Christopher Ragle (deceased)
Relatives	Joseph MacKenzie (father) Deanne (mother) Colonel Matthew O'Hara (uncle)
Nationality	U.S. Citizen
Residence	Apartment in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Rank	Major (199?-1999) Lieutenant Colonel (1999-Present)
Alma mater	University of Minnesota USMC Officer Candidate School USMC The Basic School Duke University School of Law

Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie is a main character from the TV show JAG. Actress Catherine Bell plays her. Donald P. Bellisario created Mac. She first appeared on January 3, 1997, in the second season of the show.

Mac is a Major in the United States Marine Corps. She works as a judge advocate. This means she is a lawyer for the military. She works at the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy in Falls Church, Virginia. The show follows her professional life and personal journey. JAG ran for ten years, ending on April 29, 2005.

Mac and the other main character, Harmon "Harm" Rabb (David James Elliott), had a long relationship. They got engaged in the final episode of JAG. They flipped a coin to decide who would leave the military. The show ended without showing the result.

Mac's Story in JAG

Sarah MacKenzie grew up in a military family. Her mother left her and her father when Mac was 15. Mac did not see her mother, Deanne (Conchata Ferrell), again until her father was very sick. She also learned that her dog, Ruggles, was left behind when her mother moved away. Mac felt more upset with her mother for leaving them.

When she was 17, Mac left home. She later finished high school. After graduation, she was in a car accident that killed her friend Eddie. Her uncle, USMC Colonel Matthew O'Hara, helped her through this tough time. Mac later helped her uncle when he was involved in an incident. He and other Marines had taken the Declaration of Independence.

After high school, Sarah MacKenzie earned a college degree. Then she joined the Marine Corps. She became an officer through Officer Candidate School.

Her first known job was in Okinawa, Japan. She was a first lieutenant and an administrative officer. Her boss, John Farrow, suggested she go to law school. The Marine Corps helped her get a law degree from Duke University School of Law.

Mac was stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina before the second season of JAG. She was likely part of the Implementation Force (IFOR). This group helped keep peace after a war in 1995.

As a major, Mac was sent to JAG headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. She was working on a case involving her uncle, Colonel Matthew O'Hara (Carmen Argenziano). He was involved in the stolen Declaration of Independence case. Mac briefly left the Marines to work at a private law firm. Her boyfriend, Dalton Lowne (Larry Poindexter), convinced her to join. But she soon changed her mind. She successfully defended Harm in a court case without charging him. She then asked Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden (John M. Jackson) to take her back at JAG. He agreed, saying he hadn't processed her resignation yet.

Later, Mac was promoted to lieutenant colonel. This happened between the fourth and fifth seasons of the show.

Mac looks a lot like Lieutenant Diane Schonke. Diane was a classmate of Harm's from the United States Naval Academy. Harm had dated Diane before she was murdered. This made Harm feel strange at first, but he got used to it. Mac did not know about the resemblance until the third season. Harm, Bud, and Sturgis Turner knew but never told her. Mac found a picture of Diane in Harm's apartment. That's when Harm told her the whole story. In that same episode, Mac helped Harm from making a bad career choice. She appeared dressed in a uniform, looking like Diane.

Mac has family from Europe, Cherokee people, and Iranian backgrounds. She speaks Persian very well. Her grandmother was from Iran and taught her some Islamic law. Mac also speaks Russian and German fluently. She can even read an Israeli intelligence report in Hebrew. She can also speak some Romani. Mac often knows the time without looking at a clock. She sometimes shows abilities like extrasensory perception.

Mac and Harm eventually admitted their feelings for each other. They decided to get married in the last episode. They flipped a coin to see who would leave the military. The result of the coin flip was not shown until 2019.

After JAG Ended

Harm and Mac both appeared in the season 10 finale of NCIS: Los Angeles. It was revealed that Harm left the Navy after losing the coin flip. He followed Mac to San Diego. However, he later returned to military service. They decided to end their romantic relationship. Mac became the Marine liaison to the Secretary of State. They had not seen each other for nine years. They reconnected through video calls in their new jobs. In the season 11 premiere, Harm and Mac met in person. They shared a hug and talked about their relationship again. They still did not decide anything.

Later in the season 11 finale, Mac returned. She needed help investigating a Navy SEAL. He was accused of murder and war crimes. Mac was still a lieutenant colonel (O-5), her rank at the end of JAG. This suggests she might be in the Individual Ready Reserve of the Marine Corps Reserve. If she had stayed on active duty, she would likely have been promoted or left the service.

Awards and Medals

Lieutenant Colonel Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie has received many awards and decorations. These are worn on her uniform.

• Mac earned her first Meritorious Service Medal. This was for organizing the defense and evacuation of a US Consulate in Díli, East Timor. This happened after the Marine Guard Detachment was attacked.
• In the Code of Conduct episode, Mac's uniform shows her first eight awards. It also shows her marksmanship badges. Other awards are seen in behind-the-scenes photos.

How Mac's Character Was Created

JAG moved from NBC to CBS for its second season. The show's creator, Donald P. Bellisario, needed a new female lead character. This was because the previous actresses were no longer available.

Catherine Bell had appeared in the JAG season 1 finale. She played a different character who died in that episode. Bell really wanted the role of Mac. She read the description for the character. It said Mac should be "5′9″ or taller, brown hair, tough and feisty." Bell felt she was perfect for the part. She wrote a letter to Bellisario. She suggested it would be interesting if Harm's new partner looked like his past love. After many auditions, she got the role. Bellisario thanked her for being so determined.

To get ready for the role, Bell learned about the Marine Corps. She visited Camp Pendleton. This is a big Marine base in California. Bell met and talked to 20 female Marine officers. She learned about their experiences and feelings. She saw some bootcamp training. She even learned to take apart and put back together an M-16. Bell described Mac in 1999 as "tough and feisty and a lawyer and an action hero all rolled in one." Catherine Bell continued to play Sarah MacKenzie until JAG ended in April 2005.

R. Scott Gemmill, a writer for JAG and now for NCIS: Los Angeles, spoke about Mac's return. He said in 2019 that Catherine's Mac was a strong, smart woman. She could hold her own in a world mostly run by men. He said her character helped open the way for other strong female leads in TV.