Jessica Steen

Jessica Steen Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: December 19, 1965

Age: 58 years old

Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Popular and prolific Canadian actress Jessica Steen enjoyed a lengthy career on television in her native country and the United States, including "Homefront" (ABC 1991-93), "NCIS" (CBS 2003- ) and "Flashpoint" (CTV/CBS 2005-2013), among numerous other credits. She began appearing on the small screen as a child, gradually building her career with supporting and leading juvenile roles. By the late '80s, she earned a shot at international fame as the female lead in the musical "Sing" (1989), but the film's failure sent her back to television in America. There, she found steady work in high-profile efforts like the critically praised "Homefront," which led to multiple guest roles and even a supporting appearance in "Armageddon" (1998). By the late '90s, Steen was a regular presence on U.S. and Canadian TV, both as a guest star and recurring actor. Though never a breakout star, Steen's four decades as a working performer underscored her dependability and talent.

Born December 19, 1965 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Jessica Steen was the daughter of actor/director Jan Steen and actress Joanna Noyes. She began her career at the age of eight in an episode of the live action/animated educational series "The Sunrunners" (Ontario Educational Channel), which taught English to French-speaking children. By her mid-teens, she was working in Canadian-made features and television, including the children's series "The Littlest Hobo" (CTV 1979-1985) and primetime efforts like "Night Heat" (CTV 1985-1991). The mid-'80s saw Steen graduate to juvenile leads in TV-features and series regular status on the live-action science fiction show "Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future" (syndicated 1987-88), which earned her a Gemini nomination for her performance as a soldier fighting robots in the distant future. The following year, she was the female lead in "Sing" (1989), a contemporary musical about a New York singing competition produced by Craig Zadan of "Footloose" (1984) fame. The picture was not a success, and Steen soon headed to New York City, where she quickly found work on the daytime soap "Loving" (ABC 1983-1995). ABC quickly promoted Steen to their primetime lineup with a supporting role in the critically acclaimed "Homefront," which concerned a large Ohio family during World War II. Though the series won two Emmys and the People's Choice Award for Favorite New Dramatic Series, low ratings forced its cancellation after two seasons. She was then cast in the science fiction series "Earth 2" (NBC 1994-95) as a genetically modified scientist who joins an expedition to a new planet for human colonization. It lasted a single season, but the exposure afforded by both programs led to steady work on Stateside series like "ER" (NBC 1994-2009) and "Touched By an Angel" (CBS 1994-2003) and supporting roles in features like "Armageddon" (1998). By the end of the decade, Steen divided her time between American and Canadian TV projects, though her movie career had dived into direct-to-video efforts like "Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice" (2002) and the evangelical fantasy-drama "Apocalypse IV: Judgment" (2001). Steen settled into recurring work on a series of top-rated TV dramas, including a three-year run on "NCIS" as Special Agent Paula Cassidy and the U.S. -Canadian action-thriller "Flashpoint" as an ill-fated tactical police officer. Steen then moved to the black comedy "Bullet in the Face" (IFC 2012), playing a sexually voracious police commissioner.

Credits

The Journey Ahead

Actor
Liz
Movie
2022

Baby Monitor Murders

Actor
Jennifer
Movie
2020

Matching HeartsStream

Actor
Barbara
Movie
2020

Chateau ChristmasStream

Actor
Renee
Movie
2020

Bullet in the FaceStream

Actor
Miniseries
2012
67%

My Nanny's Secret

Actor
Julia
Movie
2009

FlashpointStream

Actor
Donna Sabine
Series
2008

FlashpointStream

Guest Star
Donna Sabine
Series
2008

Vipers

Actor
Dr. Collins
Movie
2008

HeartlandStream

Guest Star
Lisa Stillman
Series
2007
45%

Killer Instinct

Guest Star
Show
2005

Eyes

Guest Star
Show
2005

Left Behind: World at War

Actor
Carolyn Miller
Movie
2005

Chaos

Actor
Karen Cross
Movie
2005

Rapid Fire

Actor
Linda
Movie
2005

NCISStream

Guest Star
NCIS Special Agent Paula Cassidy
Series
2003

Nip/TuckStream

Guest Star
Amy Connors
Series
2003
74%

Dragnet

Guest Star
Show
2003

Paradise Virus

Actor
Susan Holme
Movie
2003

Flip Phone

Actor
Sue
Movie
2003

MonkStream

Guest Star
Myra Teal
Series
2002
91%

Silovit Udarac 2

Actor
Movie
2002

Slap Shot 2: Breaking the IceStream

Actor
Jessie Dage
Movie
2002
0%

Mutant X

Guest Star
Dr. Sara Stanton
Show
2001

Society's Child

Actor
Terry Best
Movie
2001

Judgment

Actor
Victoria Thorne
Movie
2001

CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationStream

Guest Star
Series
2000

On Hostile Ground

Actor
Allison Beauchamp
Movie
2000

Smart HouseStream

Actor
Sara Barnes
Movie
1999

Question of Privilege

Actor
Andrea Roberts
Movie
1999

Principal Takes a Holiday

Actor
Celia Shine
Movie
1998

ArmageddonStream

Actor
Jennifer Watts, Shuttle Freedom Co-Pilot
Movie
1998
43%

The PracticeStream

Guest Star
Series
1997

Trial and Error

Actor
Elizabeth Gardner
Movie
1997

The PretenderStream

Guest Star
Series
1996

Dog Watch

Actor
Janet
Movie
1996

Murder OneStream

Guest Star
Series
1995
91%

The Outer LimitsStream

Actor
Series
1995

The Outer LimitsStream

Guest Star
Kathrine
Series
1995

Earth 2

Actor
Series
1994
63%

Due South

Actor
Series
1994

Touched by an AngelStream

Guest Star
Series
1994

ERStream

Guest Star
Karen Hardy
Series
1994

To Save the Children

Actor
Kathi Davidson
Movie
1994

Small Gifts

Actor
Nora
Movie
1993

Homefront

Actor
Linda Metcalf
Series
1991
67%

The Great Pretender

Actor
Kate Hightower
Movie
1991

Still Life

Actor
Nellie Ambrose
Movie
1990

Frayeurs partagées

Actor
Movie
1989

Sing

Actor
Hannah Gottschalk
Movie
1989

Sing a un Paso de la Fama

Actor
Movie
1989

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future

Actor
Show
1987

WiseguyStream

Guest Star
Tracy Steelgrave
Series
1987

John and the Missus

Actor
Faith
Movie
1987

Flying

Actor
Carly Simmons
Movie
1986

A Judgement in Stone

Actor
Melinda Coverdale
Movie
1986

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Actor
Show
1985

Night Heat

Guest Star
Show
1985

Striker's Mountain

Actor
Lowni Striker
Movie
1985

Threshold

Actor
Tracy Vrain
Movie
1981

The Littlest HoboStream

Guest Star
Series
1979