Elisha Cuthbert made her American television debut in the action-thriller 24. Cuthbert began her Hollywood career with small roles in Old School and Love Actually in 2003 and went on to star in her first feature film, The Girl Next Door, in 2004. Over the course of her career, Cuthbert has participated in a wide range of works spanning multiple genres and mediums.

Elisha Ann Cuthbert was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada the first child of Kevin and Patricia Cuthbert. Her family moved to Longueuil, Quebec, and Cuthbert grew up in Greenfield Park, near Montreal, becoming fluent in French as a result of her surroundings.

She began her career in 1989 by modeling for various lines of children's clothing and also became a foot model. She made her first televised appearance in the horror-themed series for children, Are You Afraid of the Dark? as a young girl in the episode "The Tale of the Nightshift" (she would later become a series regular) and landed her first role in a feature film in the family drama Dancing on the Moon. She went on to star in several family-themed movies and an airplane thriller, Airspeed, and also hosted Popular Mechanics for Kids with Jay Baruchel. Cuthbert's role as host of Popular Mechanics sometimes required her to act as a foreign correspondent, and she was required to fly around the world despite her aversion to plane travel. Her reporting captured the attention of then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, who invited her to visit the White House.

In 2000, Cuthbert graduated from Centennial Regional High School and journeyed to Los Angeles, California to pursue a Hollywood acting career. Also in 2000 she took the role of Kim Bauer, daughter of CTU agent Jack Bauer in the television series 24. Cuthbert had given herself a deadline of six weeks to make something of her trip and was about to return home when she was offered the part during the fifth week. The show drew continual critical praise, though Cuthbert did not appear at all in the show's 4th season and guest-starred in only three episodes from the 5th. She also reprised her role as Kim Bauer in 24: The Game.

In her next big-screen outing, Cuthbert starred with Paris Hilton and Chad Michael Murray in the 2005 remake of the classic horror film House of Wax. Cuthbert, along with the rest of her cast mates, was made up to look haggard and frightened. In one scene, her character was to attempt to open her mouth while her lips were sealed with glue. For the sake of realism, Cuthbert opted for real superglue over prosthetics. Despite her efforts, House of Wax was largely panned, with critics citing a range of flaws. It was called "notable for having some of the most moronic protagonists ever to populate a horror film," though out of those characters reviews tended to think Cuthbert "fares the best". Others noted Cuthbert as an "exception" playing her role "earnestly" and "fine".

Following House of Wax, Cuthbert became involved in her third project where she took on the duties of co-star and co-producer of the indie film The Quiet, contributing to its US$900,000 budget. She played Nina, a temperamental cheerleader who suffered from sexual abuse, while Camilla Belle played Dot, a brooding, deaf orphan girl adopted by Nina's family who became privy to their morbid secrets. Playing Nina disturbed Cuthbert, a role she described as "dark and heavy." Cuthbert studied her younger sister, Lee-Ann, to further understand the character. The Quiet premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. It has yet to receive a wide release.

Cuthbert is a devoted hockey fan and Los Angeles Kings season ticket holder, as are her mother and brother, Jonathan, who are active in the sport. She maintained her own blog on the NHL's web site.[26] She began a relationship with Justin Timberlake's personal assistant, Trace Ayala, and was engaged to him since June 2004. Sometime in November, 2005, Ayala remarked, "Neither one of us is in a hurry to get married."[27] Since then, she has reportedly been dating former L.A. King Sean Avery.[28] The status of the engagement with Ayala remains uncertain. Cuthbert regularly secures a place in FHM and Maxim's annual Top 100 Sexiest/Hottest lists. Her highest ranking was #5 in the 2005 UK Edition of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list. She was ranked #14 in 2003, #10 in 2004, and #22 in 2006. The US Edition ranked her #53 in 2003, #63 in 2004, and #54 in 2006. She was not listed in the US 2005 list. Maxim magazine named her #92 in its 2006 Hot 100 list and features her in their Girls of Maxim Gallery. In spite of this, Cuthbert has stated that she has, as of yet, no intention of fully disrobing for a film.