Jessica Steen was born on December 19, 1965, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she began her acting career at the age of eight.

A versatile performer in both film and television, she gained early recognition in 1987 as Corporal Jennifer Chase on the syndicated sci-fi series Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, earning a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Continuing Dramatic Role.

That same year, she appeared as Tracy Steelgrave on the crime drama Wiseguy, marking the start of her frequent work in American and Canadian television while based in Toronto.

In 1991, after relocating to New York, Jessica Steen joined the cast of the soap opera Loving and soon after starred as Linda Metcalf on the ABC series Homefront, which ran for two seasons and showcased her in a lead role during the early 1990s.

She achieved further prominence as Dr. Julia Heller, a genetically enhanced physician, on the NBC science fiction series Earth 2 in 1994, though the show lasted only one season before cancellation. She won a Gemini Award in 1996 for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for her portrayal of Nora in the CBC television movie Small Gifts, a heartfelt holiday story.

Transitioning to film, she debuted as a child in the 1981 drama Threshold and later appeared in supporting roles such as Carly Simmons in the 1986 comedy Flying, Melinda Coverdale in A Judgment in Stone that same year, and Elizabeth Gardner opposite Michael Richards in Trial & Error in 1997.

Her most notable big-screen role came in 1998 as Co-Pilot Jennifer Watts in the blockbuster disaster film Armageddon, directed by Michael Bay and starring Bruce Willis. Other films include Gentle Sinners in 1983, Question of Privilege in 1999, and the short film The Ride Home in 2000.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Jessica Steen built a robust television resume with guest spots on shows like The Outer Limits, ER, Murder One, Due South, Touched by an Angel, and Monk, where she played Myra Teal in a 2002 episode.

She portrayed Special Agent Paula Cassidy in recurring episodes of the CBS series NCIS from 2004 to 2007 and Strategic Response Unit Constable Donna Sabine on the CTV/CBS police drama Flashpoint from 2009 to 2012, earning Gemini and Canadian Screen Award nominations for her work.

In 2012, she appeared as Commissioner Eva Braden in the miniseries Bullet in the Face and made guest appearances in series like Sacred Lies in 2020.

Jessica Steen has become best known to audiences for her long-running role as Lisa Stillman on the CBC primetime drama Heartland, starting in 2007 as a multi-episode guest that evolved into a recurring character through its 18 seasons as of 2024, making it the longest-running one-hour scripted series in Canadian television history, with season 19 set to premiere in 2025.

She has also starred in numerous Lifetime and Hallmark television movies, continuing her prolific output in dramatic and genre roles alongside high-profile actors like Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves.