Born in Malaysia to British parents, her mother was a painter-sculptor (painting is an interest which Justina pursued prior to becoming involved in drama), and her father was a civil engineer.Her family moved to Hong Kong when she was 9 years old, and eventually moved to England where she finished her education. She was visiting her sister in Hong Kong when, on a whim, she auditioned for a small role in a show being produced by a European company.To her surprise, she was hired. She enjoyed acting so much that she decided to pursue a career in it rather than painting. Her most recent starring role was in the television series Seven Days (1998) on the UPN network in the USA, where she played the role of a Russian scientist working for the US. The final regular season episode of "Seven Days" was broadcast on 29 May 2001.