Jessica Steen

Jessica Steen (born December 19, 1965) is a Canadian actress in both film and television, who may be best known for her recurring role as Lisa Stillman, on the CBC primetime drama series '' Heartland'' (2007–present).

Personal life

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

Career

In 1987, Steen was in the main cast of 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 category in 1988. In 1987, she played Tracy Steelgrave on '' Wiseguy''.

Steen appeared on Canadian series and in American made-for-TV movies. In 1991, she was cast on the soap opera '' Loving''. She was in the main cast for the two season run of the series '' Homefront''.

In 1994, she was cast as Dr. Julia Heller, a genetically enhanced doctor, in the science fiction series '' Earth 2''. The show was canceled in 1995, after which Steen appeared in single episodes of various series, including '' The Outer Limits'', '' ER'', '' Murder One'', ''Due South'' and ''Touched by an Angel''. In 1994, she won the "Best Actress" Gemini Award, for her portrayal of Nora in the TV movie, ''Small Gifts''.

In 1997, she was cast as District Attorney Elizabeth Gardner in the movie '' Trial & Error''. Her performance earned a

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.''

Since 1998 Steen has been personally and professional contacted to the Burning Man festival, organizing community tents and experiences.

In 2004 Steen played Dr. Elizabeth Weir in "Lost City", the two-part finale of season 7 of ''Stargate SG-1''. Steen had been informed that Weir was going to be a recurring character, with the character being a major role in the spinoff ''Stargate Atlantis'', and to not take any work that would conflict with a weekly cable TV schedule.

Reflecting on her time on ''Stargate'' Steen also said that “I think I actually drove the writers/producers bananas — to a not good degree,” stating she was a stickler for details and would have did a bunch of background research and started asking hyper-specific and technical questions that producers didn't know the answer to. This was combined with Steen deciding not to watch any prior episodes of ''Stargate'' or the movie, to be a more realistic "fish out of water." During her time during ''Lost City'' Steen also was actively involved in planning and packing for Burning Man which she considered "my family" saying she "missed weddings, abyshowers, bar mitzvahs, everything" for Burning Man, comparing it to her personal Mecca.

At the time Burning Man still had a stigma so her agent told her to tell the producers of ''Stargate'' that she had a family reunion she couldn't miss, which was technically correct, but she was skipping the reunion to go to Burning Man. After a few months she was told that she had been released from her contract to play Weir, with her agent saying "They felt hatyou were more committed to naked drugging in the desert than you would be committed to doing the show the way they needed you to." News of this being the reason wouldn't break until Steen opened up about it in 2021, as such, ''Stargate'' fans speculated elaborately about the cause, with the most popular theory being that she didn't want to move to Vancouver where ''Stargate'' was filmed, which she personally dismissed saying she actually has family near Vancouver and a move would've been convenient. Weir would be recast to be played by Torri Higginson, as the same character Steen played.

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

She played Myra Teal in " Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger", a 2002 episode of ''Monk''. She played a recurring character on the CBS crime drama ''NCIS'', that of Special Agent Paula Cassidy, from 2004 to 2007. In the fall of 2007 she appeared in a multi-episode role on the Canadian series, ''jPod''. That same year, she appeared in the third episode of a new Canadian series, '' Heartland''; , the 18th season of the series ''Heartland'', Steen continues to appear in the recurring role of Lisa Stillman.

Between 2009 and 2012, Steen had a recurring role as Strategic Response Unit Constable Donna Sabine, on the police drama '' Flashpoint''. In 2010, she was for her appearances in ''Clean Hands'' and ''The Perfect Family''. She was in 2013.

Between 2018 and 2020, Steen made several appearances in various Hallmark and Lifetime made-for-TV movies: ''A Midnight Kiss, Matching Hearts, Chateau Christmas, The Babysitter aka The Baby Monitor Murders'', and ''Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story.''

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Steen, Jessica
Actresses from Toronto
20th-century Canadian actresses
21st-century Canadian actresses
Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States
Canadian film actresses
Canadian television actresses
Canadian people of Dutch descent
Canadian people of Scottish descent
Living people
1965 births