Jessica Harris is an Actress who was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England to Miles and Jo Harris. She grew up in the nearby towns of Hebden Bridge and Heptonstall, and attended Calder High School in Mytholmroyd. She graduated from the Calderdale College in Halifax with a National Diploma in Performing Arts. She later attended the Arts Educational School in London on a scholarship.

Harris made her television debut in the late 1980s when she appeared in the children's educational series How We Used to Live, produced by Yorkshire Television. She later appeared in other Yorkshire series, such as Heartbeat.