Amber Marshall: The Horse Girl

"Animals judge you by what’s on the inside, by what’s in your heart," says the star of CBC-TV's Heartland.

Heartland, a beloved TV series set in Alberta's picturesque ranch country, is watched by about one million Canadians each week and has a global audience. The production team successfully completed the show's 14th season during the COVID-19 pandemic, a feat that came with its own set of challenges.

By the time the season wrapped in late 2020, Amber Marshall, who plays the lead character Amy Fleming, was exhausted. "I think all of us were. Not only are you trying to focus on the job at hand—memorizing lines, perfecting scenes, making everything as real and believable as possible—but the second the scene ends, it’s, ‘You must mask up now’ and ‘You can’t eat or drink here.’ There were so many rules. We were tested [for COVID] regularly and under strict guidelines governing what we could do outside of work."

Marshall cherishes the social aspect of her job, which was curtailed during the pandemic. "One of my favourite things about this job is being able to be social. A lot of us have been working together for 14 years. We enjoy hugging each other in the morning and hugging goodbye and eating snacks and chatting about our day in the off time. And that just wasn’t allowed this year."

A Memorable Debut

Marshall made her debut as Amy in 2007. The first episode featured a dramatic rescue of a badly abused horse named Spartan, which ended in a tragic accident that claimed the life of Amy's mother. Amy's recovery at her grandfather’s ranch revealed her inherited talents as a healer and trainer of horses.

The show, based on the Heartland book series for young readers, has become Canada’s longest-running one-hour TV drama. Marshall has played Amy Fleming for more than 200 episodes and has a deep connection with her character.

"I think that certain places adopt people, and the minute I set foot in Alberta, I felt like I was home. It’s an interesting concept—you arrive somewhere you’ve never been before and it just embraces you with these warm arms and says, ‘Okay, this is where you’re supposed to be.’ I am so fortunate for that."

The Impact of Heartland

Marshall finds great satisfaction in the show's impact. "I didn’t get into acting because I thought I’d have a huge connection with people around the world. That’s not something you think about. But as time goes on and you start connecting with people who have been affected by the role you play, it brings a whole new level to acting. You realize from the stories and the letters from people around the world how Heartland has changed their lives in different ways. I don’t take that lightly. I read how people have overcome trauma or illness by watching the show. It’s given them new inspiration and a new drive for what they really want to do. I love that connection."

Early Life and Challenges

Born on June 2, 1988, Marshall was destined to be a high-energy achiever. "I’m not a person who can ever sit still," she says. Her parents were in sales, and she was raised in London, ON. Marshall's early life included play-acting at home and joining the Ontario Kids Theatre Company at the age of eight.

Despite facing bullying and mockery for her ambitions, Marshall persevered. "There were a lot of bullies in my life, and I struggled with that. People would say, ‘Oh, you’re on TV…you must be special,’ and they made fun of me. I’m talking about when I was 11 to…19, maybe. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like with social media."

The Role of Horses

Horses played a significant role in Marshall's life, providing solace and a sense of purpose. "We lived in the north end of the city, so a five-minute drive took me to the country," she says. "I ended up boarding horses from when I was 12 to 18. My mom would drop me off at the barn, I’d be out there for three hours, then I’d get picked up and do my homework and go to bed. And I think it was so healthy to have a living creature that needed me."

In Heartland, Amy Fleming is often called a horse whisperer. Marshall explains, "We don’t whisper; we listen to them. People have thought you have to break a horse to ride it, to break that spirit, dominate the horse. My character says, ‘No, you have to have an understanding.’ Each animal is different. They need consistency. Commitment. People say that animals have no judgment. They do. But it’s different from human judgment. Humans judge people by what they can see. Animals judge you by what’s on the inside, what’s in your heart. And if we could try to judge other people the same way animals do, we would be a lot better off."

The Road to Heartland

Marshall's journey to becoming Amy Fleming was not straightforward. "It wasn’t as if the producers of Heartland approached me and said, ‘Hey, we want you to be Amy Fleming.’ I went to a lot of auditions before I got that role. I worked really hard, memorized a lot of pages for a lot of shows. That’s a part people don’t see. And yes, I got very discouraged."

Her breakthrough came in Ottawa. "I was filming a pilot episode for a different show when the Heartland auditions were held, so I missed the first and second auditions. And on the train coming back from the set, my agent called me and said, ‘You know, there’s this show that you’re perfect for, and they still haven’t found their lead role. It’s this horse girl and I really think you should get home and put something on tape.’"

Marshall laughs at her initial efforts. "I only knew how to record on VHS tape. And then I thought, Okay, now how do I get this on the Internet? A London company was able to put VHS onto a computer file and send it. The file playback was so slow. You know the ‘spinning wheel of death’ when something’s loading? I remember the producer saying, after the fact, that it took 30 minutes to load just the first clip. But as soon as they saw me—I said, ‘Hi, I’m Amber Marshall. I have two horses; I love to ride’—they were hooked. They said, ‘We want to see more.’ From day one, this character was exactly who I wanted to be."

Life After Heartland

Marshall shares her life with fans through newsletters, blogs, social media, and her own quarterly magazine. She also offers a range of personally branded products on her website. "Hearing you call [her website] an enterprise put a smile on my face," Marshall admits. "It’s just something that happened over time. People asked, ‘Do you have any apparel? Do you have jewellery?’ There’s a sense of love that goes into it. I’ve really focused on Canadian-made products, local suppliers and manufacturers. It’s challenging to actually make any money at it, but that’s not why I’m doing this."

When Marshall returns to her ranch, she enjoys the simple life. "Every year after Heartland finishes, my agent says, ‘Okay, can I put you up for this, can I put you up for that?’ And I say, ‘Let’s just take a deep breath. I’m just taking in fresh air.’ Out my back door, I’ve got my horses, my cows, and my dogs and cats and chickens, and this is what I want to be doing right now. I can sit on a fence and watch the animals graze, and just relax or unwind. I find my inspiration from the world around me."

Home life is good for Marshall, who is married to Shawn Turner, a skilled photographer and freelance heavy-equipment operator. "You know, it’s funny and I hate saying this out loud, but I’d never even owned a television until my husband moved in and said, ‘We need a TV.’"

Marshall is a different kind of TV star, one who finds joy in the simple pleasures of life. "I don’t think this lifestyle is for everyone," she observes. "There are actors on Heartland that…this isn’t their dream life. We’ve seen that over the years. They don’t want to be out in Alberta for five or six months of the year. They want to be in downtown Vancouver or Toronto doing projects that excite them. I can’t fault anyone for having something else that they want to do more. This is a project that really excites me. I hope Heartland continues for a long time. I still love it every day."