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 nominated for the Gemini Award in the "Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Continuing Dramatic Role" 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 connected 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 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, [baby] showers, 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 [that] you 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 did not want to move to Vancouver where Stargate was filmed, which she personally dismissed saying she actually has family near Vancouver and a move would have 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 19th 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 nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series, for her appearances in Clean Hands and The Perfect Family. She was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in the category of Best Performance in a Guest Role, Dramatic Series for Flashpoint episode A New Life 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 Year Title Role Notes1981ThresholdTracy Vrain1983Gentle SinnersDonna1986 A Judgment in StoneMelinda Coverdale1986FlyingCarly Simmons1987John and the MissusFaith1989SingHannah Gottschalk1990Still Life: The Fine Art of MurderNellie Ambrose1996Dog WatchJanetVideo1997Trial and ErrorElizabeth Gardner1998ArmageddonCo-Pilot Jennifer Watts1999Question of PrivilegeAndrea Roberts2000ClaraShort film2001Apocalypse IV: JudgmentVictoria Thorne2002Slap Shot 2: Breaking the IceJessie DageVideo2003Flip PhoneSueShort film2005ChaosKaren Cross2005Left Behind: World at WarCarolyn Miller2008Transit LoungeRobertaShort film2013 The Sound of Willie Nelson's GuitarKarenShort film
Television Year Title Role Notes1983Hangin' InDarcyEpisode: "I've Got a Secret"1983SCTV ChannelCollege StudentEpisode: "It's a Wonderful Film"1984When We First MetGail PennoyerTV movie1984ElaineEpisode: "Enemy of Weston"1985Workin' for PeanutsMellisa StottsTV movie1985Home FreeDaughterTV movie1985Leslie 'Torque' DavidsonEpisode: "Torgue"1985Striker's MountainLowni StrikerTV movie1985Night HeatMichelle ParkerEpisode: "The Source"1986Night HeatAngela RiveraEpisode: "Fighting Back"1986Kay O'BrienLindsayEpisode: "Little White Lies"1986KayTV movie1986ElaineEpisode: "What Goes Up"1986Amanda SimsEpisode: "Blinded by Love"1986Walt Disney's Wonderful World of ColorTracy GordonEpisode: "Young Again"1986Easy PreyWendy RobinsonTV movie1987CBS Schoolbreak SpecialKateEpisode: "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book"1987Alfred Hitchcock PresentsSally CarlyleEpisode: "Man on the Edge"1987WiseguyTracy SteelgraveEpisode: "Pilot"1987–1988Captain Power and the Soldiers of the FutureCorporal Jennifer 'Pilot' Chase22 episodes1989C.B.C.'s Magic HourJennifer McPhailEpisode: "High Country"1989The Rocket Boy's GirlfriendTV movie1990Christmas in AmericaEileen MorganTV movie1990Knights of the Kitchen TableMarla McDermottTV movie1990Street LegalKaren MacNeilEpisode: "Softsell"1991Kate HightowerTV movie1991Tropical HeatPatricia Poston Phd.Episode: "Dead Men Tell"1991LovingPatricia 'Trisha' Alden Sowolsky Hartman McKenzie5 episodes1991–1993HomefrontLinda Metcalf42 episodes1993Herman's HeadHeatherEpisode: "When Hairy Met Hermy"1994Small GiftsNoraTV movie1994To Save the ChildrenKathi DavidsonTV movie1994–1995Earth 2Dr. Julia Heller21 episodes1996ERKaren HardyEpisode: "True Lies"1996Gina BeaumontEpisode: "The Refuge"1997Murder OnePaige Weikopf4 episodes1997Touched by an AngelSarah BinghamEpisode: "Full Moon"1998Principal Takes a HolidayCelia ShineTV movie1999RachelEpisode: "The Assassin"1999Due SouthConstable Maggie MacKenzieEpisode: "Hunting Season"1999Smart HouseSara BarnesTV movie1999Brianna HatfieldEpisode: "Marooned"1999Stephanie SawyerEpisode: "Essence of Life"2000On Hostile GroundAllison BeauchampTV movie2000KathrineEpisode: "The Grid"2001Dr. Sarah FordEpisode: "Inter Arma Silent Leges"2002Society's ChildTerry BestTV movie2002Untitled Secret Service ProjectMaureen GageTV movie2002MonkMyra TealEpisode: "Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger"2002 The PactDet. Anne-Marie MarroneTV movie2003Susan HolmeTV movie2003L.A. DragnetAmy WenzelEpisode: "The Cutting of the Swath"2003Mutant XDr. Sara StantonEpisode: "The Taking of Crows"2003–2007, 2015NCISNCIS Special Agent Paula Cassidy6 episodes2004Stargate SG-1Dr. Elizabeth WeirEpisode: "Lost City: Part 1"Episode: "Lost City: Part 2"2004Nip/TuckAmy ConnorsEpisode: "Kimber Henry"2005CharmedRuth BrodyEpisode: "Ordinary Witches"2005KojakKateEpisode: "Pilot"2005EyesHolly GibsonEpisode: "Shots"2005Killer InstinctDr. Francine Klepp7 episodes2006SupernaturalDeputy Kathleen HudakEpisode: "The Benders"2006CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationDonna BassetEpisode: "Toe Tags"2006Rapid FireLindaTV movie2007–presentHeartlandLisa Stillman128 episodes2008CanooksKatherine 'Kat' BainesWeb Series/Those Damn Canadians2008jPodFreedom3 episodes2008VipersDr. CollinsTV movie2009My Nanny's SecretJuliaTV movie2009–2012FlashpointDonna Sabine11 episodes2012Republic of DoyleSonja Sterling3 episodes2012Bullet in the FaceEva Braden6 episodes2018Grey's AnatomyDr. Rebecca FroyEpisode: "Beautiful Dreamer"2018 A Midnight KissBarbara PearsonHallmark Movie2019CharmedElder Devorah Silver2 Episodes2020Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley StoryJudge Marianne AhoLifetime TV Movie2020 The Babysitter aka The Baby Monitor MurdersJenniferLifetime TV Movie2020Matching HeartsBarbaraHallmark TV Movie2020Sacred LiesArwen ReedEpisode: "Chapter Nine: Bloodlines"2020Chateau ChristmasReneeHallmark TV Movie2021MaidDoreen2 episodes2024Mayor of KingstownSarahRecurring cast
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