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Jessica Steen

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Not to be confused with Jessica Van Der Steen.
Jessica Steen
Steen at The Heart Truth celebrity fashion show in 2012
Born (1965-12-19) December 19, 1965 (age 58)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationActress
Years active1974, 1981–present

Jessica Steen (born December 19, 1965) is a Canadian 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, Flashpoint and the CBC series Heartland.

Personal life

Jessica Steen was born in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of Joanna Noyes, an actress, and Jan Steen, a director and actor.[1] She is of Dutch and Scottish ancestry.

Aside from 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 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.[2]

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.[2]

While in Toronto, Steen 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 actress Noelle Beck, 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.[2]

Steen at the Armageddon premiere, 1998

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. In 1994, she won the "Best Actress" Gemini Award, Canada's version of Emmy Awards, for her portrayal of Nora in the TV movie, Small Gifts.[2]

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.[2]

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. She played lead roles in Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice and the Disney TV movies Smart House and Principal Takes a Holiday.[2]

She played Myra Teal in a 2002 episode ("Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger") of Monk. She 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.[2]

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 shot. She is 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.

She also played Sheriff's Deputy Kathleen Hudak in the Supernatural season 1 episode "The Benders".[2]

Steen is currently filming her 10th season of CBC's Heartland as Lisa Stillman, the wife of series patriarch, Jack Bartlett.[3]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Threshold Tracy Vrain
1983 Gentle Sinners Donna
1986 A Judgment in Stone Melinda Coverdale
1986 Flying Carly Simmons
1987 John and the Missus Faith
1989 Sing Hannah Gottschalk
1990 Still Life: The Fine Art of Murder Nellie Ambrose
1996 Dog Watch Janet Video
1997 Trial and Error Elizabeth
1998 Armageddon Co-Pilot Jennifer Watts
1999 Question of Privilege Andrea Roberts
2000 The Ride Home Clara Short film
2001 Apocalypse IV: Judgment Victoria Thorne
2002 Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice Jessie Dage Video
2003 Flip Phone Sue Short film
2005 Chaos Karen Cross
2005 Left Behind: World at War Carolyn Miller
2008 Transit Lounge Roberta Short film
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1983 Hangin' In Darcy Episode: "I've Got a Secret"
1983 SCTV Channel College Student Episode: "It's a Wonderful Film"
1984 When We First Met Gail Pennoyer TV movie
1984 The Edison Twins Elaine Episode: "Enemy of Weston"
1985 Workin' for Peanuts Mellisa Stotts TV movie
1985 Home Free Daughter TV movie
1985 The Littlest Hobo Leslie 'Torque' Davidson Episode: "Torgue"
1985 Striker's Mountain Lowni Striker TV movie
1985 Night Heat Michelle Parker Episode: "The Source"
1986 Night Heat Angela Rivera Episode: "Fighting Back"
1986 Kay O'Brien Lindsay Episode: "Little White Lies"
1986 The Truth About Alex Kay TV movie
1986 The Edison Twins Elaine Episode: "What Goes Up"
1986 The Campbells Amanda Sims Episode: "Blinded by Love"
1986 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Tracy Gordon Episode: "Young Again"
1986 Easy Prey Wendy Robinson TV movie
1987 CBS Schoolbreak Special Kate Episode: "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book"
1987 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Sally Carlyle Episode: "Man on the Edge"
1987 Wiseguy Tracy Steelgrave Episode: "Pilot"
1987–1988 Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future Corporal Jennifer 'Pilot' Chase 22 episodes
1989 C.B.C.'s Magic Hour Jennifer McPhail Episode: "High Country"
1989 The Rocket Boy The Rocket Boy's Girlfriend TV movie
1990 Christmas in America Eileen Morgan TV movie
1990 Knights of the Kitchen Table Marla McDermott TV movie
1990 Street Legal Karen MacNeil Episode: "Softsell"
1991 The Great Pretender Kate Hightower TV movie
1991 Tropical Heat Patricia Poston Phd. Episode: "Dead Men Tell"
1991 Loving Patricia 'Trisha' Alden Sowolsky Hartman McKenzie TV series
1991–1993 Homefront Linda Metcalf 42 episodes
1993 Herman's Head Heather Episode: "When Hairy Met Hermy"
1994 Small Gifts Nora TV movie
1994 To Save the Children Kathi Davidson TV movie
1994–1995 Earth 2 Dr. Julia Heller 21 episodes
1996 ER Karen Hardy Episode: "True Lies"
1996 The Outer Limits Gina Beaumont Episode: "The Refuge"
1997 Murder One Paige Weikopf 4 episodes
1997 Touched by an Angel Sarah Bingham Episode: "Full Moon"
1998 Principal Takes a Holiday Celia Shine TV movie
1999 The Pretender Rachel Episode: "The Assassin"
1999 Due South Constable Maggie MacKenzie Episode: "Hunting Season"
1999 Smart House Sara Barnes TV movie
1999 The Practice Brianna Hatfield Episode: "Marooned"
1999 The Outer Limits Stephanie Sawyer Episode: "Essence of Life"
2000 On Hostile Ground Allison Beauchamp TV movie
2000 The Outer Limits Kathrine Episode: "The Grid"
2001 The Practice Dr. Sarah Ford Episode: "Inter Arma Silent Leges"
2002 Society's Child Terry Best TV movie
2002 Untitled Secret Service Project Maureen Gage TV movie
2002 Monk Myra Teal Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger"
2002 The Pact (2002 film) Det. Anne-Marie Marrone TV movie
2003 The Paradise Virus Susan Holme TV movie
2003 L.A. Dragnet Amy Wenzel Episode: "The Cutting of the Swath"
2003 Mutant X Dr. Sara Stanton Episode: "The Taking of Crows"
2003–2007,
2015 		NCIS NCIS Special Agent Paula Cassidy 6 episodes
2004 Stargate SG-1 Dr. Elizabeth Weir Episode: "Lost City: Part 1"
Episode: "Lost City: Part 2"
2004 Nip/Tuck Amy Connors Episode: "Kimber Henry"
2005 Charmed Ruth Brody Episode: "Ordinary Witches"
2005 Kojak Kate Episode: "Pilot"
2005 Eyes Holly Gibson Episode: "Shots"
2005 Killer Instinct Dr. Francine Klepp 7 episodes
2006 Supernatural Deputy Kathleen Hudak Episode: "The Benders"
2006 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Donna Basset Episode: "Toe Tags"
2006 Rapid Fire Linda TV movie
2007–present Heartland Lisa Stillman 39 episodes
2008 Canooks Katherine 'Kat' Baines Episode: "Pilot"
Episode: "The City LA"
2008 jPod Freedom 3 episodes
2008 Vipers Dr. Collins TV movie
2009 My Nanny's Secret Julia TV movie
2009–2011 Flashpoint Donna Sabine 10 episodes
2012 Republic of Doyle Sonja Sterling 3 episodes
2012 Bullet in the Face Eva Braden 6 episodes
2018 Grey’s Anatomy Dr. Rebecca Froy Episode: "Judgement Day"

References

  1. ^ Jessica Steen Biography, filmreference.com; accessed October 22, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Jessica Steen at IMDb
  3. ^ "Jessica Steen answers last week's questions! – Blog – Heartland". cbc.ca. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
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