Jessica Steen
Encyclopedia
Jessica Steen is a film
and television
actress, noted for her roles in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
, Homefront, Earth 2
, Armageddon, Left Behind: World at War
, NCIS
, and Flashpoint
.
, Ontario
, the daughter of Joanna Noyes, an actress, and Jan Steen, a director and actor. She is of Dutch
and Scottish
ancestry.
In addition to her entertainment career, Steen is an environmentalist
and animal rights
supporter. She supports David Suzuki
, The World Society for the Protection of Animals and the Western Canadian Wilderness Committee, among others. She is also a certified diver, and is skilled at several circus arts - including stilt-walking, fire-twirling, and fire-eating.
In the 1986 TV movie Young Again she portrayed Tracy Gordon, the daughter of a character portrayed by Lindsay Wagner
, who was a childhood idol
of Steen's. In 1987, she was the only female regular on the syndicated series Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
, which lasted one year. For her performance in the Captain Power episode, "Judgment", she was nominated for the Gemini Award
in the "Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Continuing Dramatic Role" category in 1988.
In 1989, Steen broke onto the big screen with the movie musical Sing
.
While in Toronto, she garnered roles on Canadian series and American made-for-TV movies until 1991, when she elected to move to New York City
. Six weeks after arriving there, she was chosen to replace an actress who was on maternity leave on the soap opera
Loving
. Her portrayal of Patricia Alden Sowolsky Hartman McKenzie caught the attention of ABC's casting department and led to her being cast in the series Homefront. Set in a small Cleveland suburb immediately after World War II
, Homefront was critically acclaimed for its writing, ensemble cast, and historical insights. The series lasted two seasons.
In 1994, she was cast as Dr. Julia Heller, a genetically enhanced doctor, in the NBC
science fiction
series Earth 2
. While the show was canceled in 1995, the attention brought by the show allowed Steen to land guest appearances on other series, including The Outer Limits
, ER
, Murder One
, The Pretender
, The Practice
, Due South
, and Touched by an Angel
.
Also in 1994, Steen won the "Best Actress" Gemini Award
, Canada's version of Emmy Awards, for her portrayal of Nora in the TV movie, Small Gifts, her self-proclaimed favorite role so far.
In 1997, she was cast as District Attorney
Elizabeth Gardner in the movie Trial & Error, working with Jeff Daniels
and Michael Richards
, to whom she gave his first screen kiss. She prepared for the role with the help of a friend who was going through law school
and by watching the closing arguments of Marcia Clark
during the O. J. Simpson
trial. Her performance earned a rave review from Roger Ebert
on his syndicated show, Siskel & Ebert. This was the second time Steen impressed Ebert; he first singled her out for praise in 1989's Sing
.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer
recommended her for the role of the shuttle pilot in 1998's Armageddon because he remembered her portrayal of Cpl. Jennifer 'Pilot' Chase in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
.
In 2004 Steen played Dr. Elizabeth Weir
in "Lost City
", the two-part finale of season 7
of Stargate SG-1
. In Stargate Atlantis
the part was instead played by Torri Higginson
.
Steen played lead roles in Slapshot 2 - Breaking the Ice and the Disney TV movies Smart House and Principal Takes a Holiday.
She played Myra Teal in a 2002 episode of Monk
, titled "Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger". Steen played a recurring character on the CBS crime drama NCIS
, that of Special Agent
Paula Cassidy, from 2004-07. In the fall of 2007 she landed featured multi-episode roles on two Canadian series, jPod
and Heartland
, both based on popular books of the same names.
In 2009, Steen appeared in six episodes of the Canadian TV police drama Flashpoint
(which is also broadcast on CBS in the U.S) as Strategic Response Unit Specialist Donna Sabine, filling in for Julianna 'Jules' Callaghan (played by Amy Jo Johnson
, who was on maternity leave). She is also currently playing the same character during a 2011 episode where she gets married and her husband is shot the same day. She reprised the role in the final episode of the third season. In the fall of 2010 she was nominated for a Gemini Award
for the season two episodes.
As of July 2010, she is filming her fourth season of Heartland
in which she has a featured role as Lisa Stillman, the wealthy girlfriend of series patriarch Jack Bartlett.
She also played Officer Kathleen in the Supernatural
episode "The Benders".
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actress, noted for her roles in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a 1987–88 science fiction/action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian/American syndication...
, Homefront, Earth 2
Earth 2 (TV series)
Earth 2 is an American science fiction television series which aired on NBC from November 6, 1994 to June 4, 1995. The show was canceled after one season of 22 episodes...
, Armageddon, Left Behind: World at War
Left Behind: World at War
Left Behind: World at War is a Christian Bible-based apocalyptic/thriller film and the third in the series of films based on the Left Behind book series. It was produced by Cloud Ten Pictures. The film premiered in churches on October 21, 2005 before its release on DVD and VHS on October 25, 2005...
, NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
, and Flashpoint
Flashpoint (TV series)
Flashpoint is a Canadian police drama television series that debuted on July 11, 2008, on CTV in Canada and ran on CBS in the United States for its first three and a half seasons. In 2011, Ion Television began airing new episodes of the series in the United States...
.
Personal life
Jessica Steen was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the daughter of Joanna Noyes, an actress, and Jan Steen, a director and actor. She is of Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
and Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
ancestry.
In addition to her entertainment career, Steen is an environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
and animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
supporter. She supports David Suzuki
David Suzuki
David Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
, The World Society for the Protection of Animals and the Western Canadian Wilderness Committee, among others. She is also a certified diver, and is skilled at several circus arts - including stilt-walking, fire-twirling, and fire-eating.
Career
At the age of eight, Steen was cast in her first role in the Canadian children's television series, The Sunrunners, co-starring with her mother.In the 1986 TV movie Young Again she portrayed Tracy Gordon, the daughter of a character portrayed by Lindsay Wagner
Lindsay Wagner
Lindsay Jean Wagner is an American actress. She is probably best known for her portrayal of Jaime Sommers in the 1970s television series The Bionic Woman , though she has maintained a lengthy career in a variety of other film and television productions since.-Early life:Wagner was born in Los...
, who was a childhood idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
of Steen's. In 1987, she was the only female regular on the syndicated series Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a 1987–88 science fiction/action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian/American syndication...
, which lasted one year. For her performance in the Captain Power episode, "Judgment", she was nominated for the Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
in the "Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Continuing Dramatic Role" category in 1988.
In 1989, Steen broke onto the big screen with the movie musical Sing
Sing (1989 film)
Sing is a 1989 film, starring Lorraine Bracco, Peter Dobson and Jessica Steen. The movie is about a fictional New York City SING! production...
.
While in Toronto, she garnered roles on Canadian series and American made-for-TV movies until 1991, when she elected to move to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Six weeks after arriving there, she was chosen to replace an actress who was on maternity leave on the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Loving
Loving (TV series)
Caden Grant Carlton loves Mika Ayako Ryan more.Loving is an American television soap opera which aired on ABC's daytime lineup from June 26, 1983 to November 10, 1995 for 3,169 episodes...
. Her portrayal of Patricia Alden Sowolsky Hartman McKenzie caught the attention of ABC's casting department and led to her being cast in the series Homefront. Set in a small Cleveland suburb immediately after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Homefront was critically acclaimed for its writing, ensemble cast, and historical insights. The series lasted two seasons.
In 1994, she was cast as Dr. Julia Heller, a genetically enhanced doctor, in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Earth 2
Earth 2 (TV series)
Earth 2 is an American science fiction television series which aired on NBC from November 6, 1994 to June 4, 1995. The show was canceled after one season of 22 episodes...
. While the show was canceled in 1995, the attention brought by the show allowed Steen to land guest appearances on other series, including The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Murder One
Murder One (TV series)
Murder One is an American legal drama series that first aired on the ABC network in the United States in 1995. The series was created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee, and Channing Gibson.-Premise:...
, The Pretender
The Pretender (TV series)
The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series starred Michael T. Weiss as Jarod, a genius and former child prodigy with "the ability to become anyone he wants to be," i.e., to flawlessly impersonate anyone in virtually any line of work...
, The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
, Due South
Due South
Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
, and Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
.
Also in 1994, Steen won the "Best Actress" Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
, Canada's version of Emmy Awards, for her portrayal of Nora in the TV movie, Small Gifts, her self-proclaimed favorite role so far.
In 1997, she was cast as District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Elizabeth Gardner in the movie Trial & Error, working with Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
and Michael Richards
Michael Richards
Michael Anthony Richards is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld....
, to whom she gave his first screen kiss. She prepared for the role with the help of a friend who was going through law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
and by watching the closing arguments of Marcia Clark
Marcia Clark
Marcia Rachel Clark is an American prosecutor, author, and television correspondent who gained fame as the head prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder case.-Early life:...
during the O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
trial. Her performance earned a rave review from Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
on his syndicated show, Siskel & Ebert. This was the second time Steen impressed Ebert; he first singled her out for praise in 1989's Sing
Sing (1989 film)
Sing is a 1989 film, starring Lorraine Bracco, Peter Dobson and Jessica Steen. The movie is about a fictional New York City SING! production...
.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
recommended her for the role of the shuttle pilot in 1998's Armageddon because he remembered her portrayal of Cpl. Jennifer 'Pilot' Chase in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a 1987–88 science fiction/action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian/American syndication...
.
In 2004 Steen played Dr. Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)
Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...
in "Lost City
Lost City (Stargate SG-1)
"Lost City" is the two-part finale to the seventh season of the science fiction television show Stargate SG-1. It was originally intended to be a second Stargate film, and was then to be the show's absolute finale, and finally ended up being the seventh season finale after the series was renewed...
", the two-part finale of season 7
Stargate SG-1 (season 7)
Season seven of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 13, 2003 on Sci Fi. The seventh season concluded after 22 episodes on March 9, 2004 on British Sky One, which overtook the Sci-Fi Channel in mid-season. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan...
of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. In Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
the part was instead played by Torri Higginson
Torri Higginson
Sarah Victoria "Torri" Higginson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in the TekWar movies and series, The English Patient, Bliss, and Stargate Atlantis...
.
Steen played lead roles in Slapshot 2 - Breaking the Ice and the Disney TV movies Smart House and Principal Takes a Holiday.
She played Myra Teal in a 2002 episode of Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, titled "Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger". Steen played a recurring character on the CBS crime drama NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
, that of Special Agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
Paula Cassidy, from 2004-07. In the fall of 2007 she landed featured multi-episode roles on two Canadian series, jPod
JPod (TV series)
jPod is a comedic television series based on Douglas Coupland’s novel of the same name. It premiered on CBC Television on January 8, 2008. Starting with the fifth episode, the show began airing Fridays at 9:00....
and Heartland
Heartland (Canadian TV series)
Heartland is a Canadian television drama series which debuted on CBC Television on October 14, 2007. The series is loosely based on the Heartland books by Lauren Brooke....
, both based on popular books of the same names.
In 2009, Steen appeared in six episodes of the Canadian TV police drama Flashpoint
Flashpoint (TV series)
Flashpoint is a Canadian police drama television series that debuted on July 11, 2008, on CTV in Canada and ran on CBS in the United States for its first three and a half seasons. In 2011, Ion Television began airing new episodes of the series in the United States...
(which is also broadcast on CBS in the U.S) as Strategic Response Unit Specialist Donna Sabine, filling in for Julianna 'Jules' Callaghan (played by Amy Jo Johnson
Amy Jo Johnson
Amy Jo Johnson is an American actress, singer, songwriter and musician.She is best known for her roles in the televison series as the constable Jules Callaghan in the Canadian CTV television series Flashpoint, the famous jockey Tina Sharp in the ABC Family's original show Wildfire, the rookie cop...
, who was on maternity leave). She is also currently playing the same character during a 2011 episode where she gets married and her husband is shot the same day. She reprised the role in the final episode of the third season. In the fall of 2010 she was nominated for a Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
for the season two episodes.
As of July 2010, she is filming her fourth season of Heartland
Heartland (Canadian TV series)
Heartland is a Canadian television drama series which debuted on CBC Television on October 14, 2007. The series is loosely based on the Heartland books by Lauren Brooke....
in which she has a featured role as Lisa Stillman, the wealthy girlfriend of series patriarch Jack Bartlett.
She also played Officer Kathleen in the Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
episode "The Benders".
Selected filmography
- Captain Power and the Soldiers of the FutureCaptain Power and the Soldiers of the FutureCaptain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a 1987–88 science fiction/action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian/American syndication...
- HomefrontHomefront (US TV series)Homefront is an American television drama series created and produced by Lynn Marie Latham and Bernard Lechowick in association with Warner Bros. Television for ABC. The show was set in the fictional city of River Run, Ohio in 1945, 1946, and 1947...
- Earth 2Earth 2 (TV series)Earth 2 is an American science fiction television series which aired on NBC from November 6, 1994 to June 4, 1995. The show was canceled after one season of 22 episodes...
- Armageddon
- FlashpointFlashpoint (TV series)Flashpoint is a Canadian police drama television series that debuted on July 11, 2008, on CTV in Canada and ran on CBS in the United States for its first three and a half seasons. In 2011, Ion Television began airing new episodes of the series in the United States...
- NCISNCIS (TV series)NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
- JudgmentApocalypse IV: JudgmentApocalypse IV: Judgment is a 2000 Christian/Thriller film released by Cloud Ten Pictures.It is the imminent future. The world follows one government and one man. It is a world of peace, yet some doubt the authorities and seek to dethrone them....
- Left Behind: World at WarLeft Behind: World at WarLeft Behind: World at War is a Christian Bible-based apocalyptic/thriller film and the third in the series of films based on the Left Behind book series. It was produced by Cloud Ten Pictures. The film premiered in churches on October 21, 2005 before its release on DVD and VHS on October 25, 2005...