Magazine:
Total Health, February, 1995
Section: TOTAL HEALTH CELEBRITY
CANADA'S CONTRIBUTION TO EARTH 2
She was just a child growing up in Toronto, Canada with aspiring ambitions to someday be on the stage. Her mother vehemently opposed it, but her persistence brought her to star as Dr. Julia Heller on NBC's new series "Earth 2."
"I grew up around quite animated and exciting people, because my father was a director and there were always wacky and wonderful people in our house."
Jessica Steen was eight when she was cast in her first role in a Canadian TV series. In the mid-80s she appeared as Lindsay Wagner's daughter in a movie called,"Young Again." New York soon called and she ended up doing a five-week stint on ABC's "Loving."
In her latest role, Steen portrays a genetically enhanced doctor in the future who is the lead physician on a mission to an Earth-like planet. "She has an instinctual thirst for knowledge, but because of her genetic make-up, she gets a lot of flak," says the actress. "She is driven to prove herself beyond that unfair advantage, so she keeps her nose to the grindstone."
Among her many credits are feature films "Flying," "Still Life," and "John and the Missus": TV movies including "High Country" and "Working for Peanuts" for HBO.
Jessica doesn't have to worry about weight gain. "Luckily, I'm blessed with a really good metabolism that I inherited from my Dad. I have a lot of nervous energy that I work off, which I think contributes to keeping weight down," Jessica related.
"As for exercise, well, I've always been active. Mountain biking is high on my list, along with tennis and hiking. If I'm near a great aerobics class, I'll make an effort to get there. I love stretching exercise such as yoga for relaxation and exercise."
Jessica is very much an environmentalist. Which leads her to state: "I hope that by working on 'Earth 2' I can help raise our consciousness and improve our treatment of 'Earth 1.'"
Last update: November 1, 2000 3:29 AM