Catching Up with Our Favourite Actress, Amber Marshall
CP&AM: Please start by filling us in on how all of your
animals are doing?
Amber: Remi my King Shepherd has really found herself. Now 18 months old I have started bringing her to work with me along side my Border Collie, China. For still being a young dog, Remi surprises everyone with her quiet and calm disposition. She is happy to lay off camera all day and watch me work. China on the other hand loves to explore. She loves that I travel around to beautiful remote locations to film Heartland, as she gets to explore each one. She is always close enough to hear my loud whistle and when it’s time to head home, she comes running back.
CP&AM: And what about your cats Chyanne and Turner?
Do they still join in all the chasing games?
Amber: My cats Chyanne and Turner are still best of friends and spend their days trying to catch pigeons in the barn. My newest kitty, Mouzer came into my home last November, so I’m not sure if readers have heard of him. He is just a little kitty with a BIG personality. He will hide behind the couch and jump on Remi as she walks by. He wraps his paws around her neck and drags across the floor while she doesn’t even change her pace. It is always fun to watch them play.
Click Here to read the entire interview
By KATHY RUMLESKI, THE LONDON FREE PRESS
Heartland has taken Amber Marshall from a promising teenaged actor to a television star, now in her early 20s, with fans around the globe. The ride for Marshall continues, literally — she’s somewhat of a horse-whisperer — as CBC-TV announced the family drama’s renewal for a fifth season. Filming will begin in Alberta in May and go to the end of November.
Marshall, a London native, is the star of Heartland and holds the responsibility that comes from top billing well.
She’s the face of the show about the Fleming family that runs a ranch that specializes in healing abused and neglected horses.
Poised yet humble, Marshall handles the pressure in style and she’s thrilled Heartland will have another season.
“It’s incredible. I never saw it going into this that I would be here four or five years down the road. I’ve just totally made myself at home here in Alberta and it’s been wonderful,” Marshall said from her home near Calgary.
“I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be right now.”
Marshall returns to her hometown in March for a quick break and is involved in a charity event while here.
She’ll be speaking at a breakfast on March 20 to launch a new scholarship on behalf of Single Women in Motherhood (SWIM), a non-profit London organization designed to empower single mothers.
Marshall will also be joined at the breakfast by CFL player Shomari Williams, a defensive end for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who was a first overall pick in the CFL Canadian draft.
“She’s set an example in the community. To see a young lady like Amber from London, Ontario, reaching out to such a wide world, it is amazing to encourage other young people,” said SWIM executive director Ann-Marie Ricketts.
“That’s the purpose of this scholarship, helping them to reach their goals.”
Marshall plans to talk about Heartland at the fundraiser and how she joined the show, but she also wants to interact with fans.
“I want to do mostly a question and answer,” she said.
Marshall enjoys doing charity work when she can, saying, “I love it.”
But she added with her 60-hour work week, it’s hard to fit in a lot. “I also have a farm to run.”
During the phone interview, Marshall watches her new horse Tango — which she purchased online — from her kitchen window. She has three horses and two dogs and said she can’t be away from home for too long because of them.
She has done a bit of touring for CBC, which has been bringing its top actors to big cities, such as Ottawa and Toronto, to meet fans.
“We’ve had an awesome turnout.”
Another way she connects with fans is online. Heartland has an interactive website that has “exploded,” Marshall said, with posts coming in from around the world.
She tries to answer all of her fan mail and posts her answers to questions on the Heartland website.
“The biggest thing is time. This winter I’ve been trying to reply to all the fan mail.”Season 4 of Heartland is winding down with the season finale set for March 27.
Fans of Marshall and Heartland can get their fix in DVD format, though. On March 22, the box set of Season 3 will be released.
Marshall will also be at the Can-Am Equine Emporium at the Western Fair Agriplex on the weekend she’s in London.
If you go
What: Single Women in Motherhood launches its SMART (Strong Mothers Achieving Remarkable Triumph) scholarship with actor Amber Marshall and the CFL’s Shomari Williams.
When: March 20, 9 to 11:30 a.m.Where: Hilton London, 300 King St.
Tickets: $45, available at the door, or call 519-432-5454 or visit www.singlewomeninmotherhood.com
1. In "Heartland" you play a girl, Amy Fleming, who works with abused and distraught horses. Do you find the work of a so-called horse whisperer interesting? Could you imagine this as a job for yourself?
I find the ability to learn, understand, and communicate language with an animal is a remarkable gift. Ever since I was young I have spent countless hours with many kinds of creatures. I find it fascinating to see how they interact and communicate with one another. We can all learn so much by simply observing. I am continually learning more and would love to spend more time with those who have the ability to communicate to animals through body language and understanding.
2. In Germany we have a saying: Horses and men both are precious, but I choose the horses because they are more loyal. Do you think there is a grain of truth in there?
I enjoy that saying and I feel that in many cases, it is all about a person's ability to see through the exterior of their partner. Whether that partner is a human, horse or something beyond, the logic remains the same. If your partner un-doughtily loves and respects you (as most horses regard their owner) then loyalty is a given.
3. Working with horses in front of the camera is probably not easy. How does it work? Are there trainers behind the camera giving the instructions?
The horses on set are working just as hard as any of us humans and in my opinion they don't get enough credit. The main animal character on the show is a black Quarter-Horse named Spartan. He knows his job just as all the other actors do. We always have to laugh on set when Spartan is sleeping in the barn as we set up a shot, and then as soon as we roll the cameras he is alert and on his mark. There are trainers on the set whenever the horses are around, but for the most part the horses are very well behaved. If we have to do a big stunt with a horse rearing up or falling – then the trainers prepare a certain horse to be able to do these stunts.
Die Fähigkeit, die Sprache eines Tieres zu lernen, es zu verstehen und mit ihm zu kommunizieren, ist eine bemerkenswerte Gabe, finde ich. Seit ich klein war, habe ich unzählige Stunden mit den verschiedensten Arten von Lebewesen verbracht. Ich finde es faszinierend zu sehen, wie sie miteinander umgehen und kommunizieren. Wir können alle soviel dadurch lernen, wenn wir einfach zusehen. Ich lerne ständig dazu und würde unheimlich gerne mehr Zeit mit den Leuten verbringen, die die Fähigkeit besitzen, mit Tieren durch Körpersprache und Verstehen zu kommunizieren.
2. Wir haben ein Sprichwort in Deutschland: Männer und Pferde, beide sind teuer, doch wähle die Pferde, denn Pferde sind treuer. Würdest du sagen, darin steckt ein Körnchen Wahrheit?
Ich mag das Sprichwort, und ich denke, meistens geht es um die Fähigkeit einer Person, einem Partner hinter die Stirn zu sehen. Ob dieser Partner nun ein Mensch, Pferd oder etwas anderes ist, die Logik bleibt die gleiche. Wenn dein Partner dich bedingungslos liebt und respektiert (wie es meist bei Pferden gegenüber ihrem Besitzer ist), dann gehört Loyalität dazu.
Ich mag das Sprichwort, und ich denke, meistens geht es um die Fähigkeit einer Person, einem Partner hinter die Stirn zu sehen. Ob dieser Partner nun ein Mensch, Pferd oder etwas anderes ist, die Logik bleibt die gleiche. Wenn dein Partner dich bedingungslos liebt und respektiert (wie es meist bei Pferden gegenüber ihrem Besitzer ist), dann gehört Loyalität dazu.
3. Mit den Pferden vor der Kamera zu arbeiten, ist wahrscheinlich nicht einfach. Wie funktioniert das? Stehen da Trainer hinter der Kamera, die Anweisungen geben?
Die Pferde am Set arbeiten genauso hart wie jeder von uns Menschen, und meiner Meinung nach wird ihnen das viel zu wenig angerechnet. Die Haupttierrolle in der Serie ist ein schwarzes Quarter-Horse namens Spartan. Er kennt seinen Job genauso wie alle anderen Schauspieler. Wir müssen am Set immer lachen, wenn Spartan in der Scheune schläft, während wir eine Szene vorbereiten, sobald die Kameras aber laufen, ist er aufmerksam und auf dem Punkt. Trainer sind immer dabei, wenn Pferde am Set sind, aber meistens benehmen die Pferde sich sehr gut. Wenn wir einen großen Pferde-Stunt haben mit einem Pferd, das steigt oder fällt, dann bereiten die Trainer das spezielle Pferd vor, damit es in der Lage ist, diese Stunts zu machen
SOMETIMES WHEN A TEACHER has a positive influence on a student, it’s a general thing about confidence, kindness or karma.
But occasionally a teacher has a specific impact on a student’s outlook, and the student will carry this altered attitude forever.
In the case of Canadian TV star Amber Marshall and her favourite teacher, Dwayne Campbell, OCT, of A.B. Lucas Secondary School in London, it’s certainly about attitude.
Marshall thinks about that impact as she builds outdoor pens for some of the many animals on her rural Alberta property. “Oh yeah, one hundred per cent,” says the star of the successful CBC series Heartland when asked if Campbell has influenced her life. “We always talked in class about living green and being part of the solution and not part of the problem. I think about that every day.
“I raise my own food, I have my own chickens, my own pigs – I’ve got all that. And I think about keeping them all healthy because some are eventually what I am going to be eating. I know that I’m going to be healthier for it, and them happier then an animals’ life that ends at the grocery store.
“So yeah, that’s what reminded me to call today, actually. I was building this pen and I was going, ‘I’m doing sort of what we talked about doing in class.’ It’s kind of interesting that I can apply it to my regular life.”
Marshall, 22, was born and raised in London and lived there until she was 18. Her acting career sent her to Alberta, where Heartland has been taping for four seasons.
Campbell, as it turns out, was also born and raised in London. He went to the University of Western Ontario and teachers’ college there.
“I never really left,” Campbell says with a laugh. “But I enjoy it here; no complaints.” Marshall and Campbell crossed paths when she was a student in his Grade 12 environment and resource management class.
“We’re in the geography department; that’s what I teach full-time,” Campbell explains. “We’re in the social sciences, so we look at the human aspect, the relationship between us and the environment, how it’s affecting us and how we’re impacting it. That’s the difference between us and science.”
The subject matter and the way Campbell approached it made an immediate impression on Marshall.
“I think I was in between,” Marshall says when pondering if she was a good or bad student overall. “I wasn’t the teacher’s pet by any means. But I did love that class. And I think that’s why Mr. Campbell sticks out in my mind.
If you can find a way to make it relate to the students, that’s key.
“It’s nice to see a teacher who is so passionate about a subject. I think that makes such a difference. When it’s presented to you in a way that’s like, ‘This is what is happening in our world today, if we do this we’ll have these consequences,’ it makes you want to listen.”
Marshall says Campbell also kept the class current by using DVDs, TV shows and newspaper articles.
“He would watch new television shows that had to do with the course and he’d bring them in and be really excited,” Marshall recalls. “Or he would recommend movies or videos we didn’t have time to watch in class and say, ‘This is a really life-changing video, take it home and check it out.’ He was going above and beyond.
“If a teacher seems bored with something, then why would a student be listening?”
Campbell is thankful for the compliment. “Students know which teachers are there for a paycheque and which teachers truly want to be there,” he says. “Passion is infectious. You motivate the student. But, on top of the passion, the other aspect is finding a way to relate it to the students.
“One of the most frequent complaints you hear from students is, ‘Why should I care about this? Why does it matter? This doesn’t affect me.’ Well, if you can find a way to make it relate to the students, that’s key.”
In this day and age, teaching a class on the environment is probably a much shorter path to connecting with students than teaching, say, algebra.
“Yeah, I have an easier job of it in that way for sure,” Campbell admits. “But still, you’d be amazed at the kids who come into class with a really limited knowledge of what’s going on around them in the environment.
“To come in assuming – that is a danger for a teacher. I’ve learned that over 10 years. Never assume that they know. If you discuss something, you’ll find out very quickly what they know and what they don’t know.”
Campbell firmly believes that field trips are fundamental.
“While it’s harder and harder to get field trips going – with all the red tape and liability – I believe they’re crucial,” Campbell says. “We have to find a way. Getting the kids out there, especially with something like geography, is so important. They can make the connection between what you’re teaching in class and the real thing.
“I can’t remember if Amber’s class was the first or second year I did this, but during our unit on water, we went on something the students nicknamed the poop tour. There is the notion that we have so much water but in reality we don’t, and we abuse it. So to understand where our waste water goes and how it gets treated, we actually went to the sewage plant.
“You might think trying to get Grade 12s to spend a morning in a sewage plant would be tough. But you sell it and they get curious. And actually, it’s the only field trip for which I’ve had perfect attendance. When they get to the end of the unit and have to explain the stages, they remember because they were there. They saw it, smelled it – it’s real to them.”
Campbell definitely knew Marshall was a “unique student” even at the time. “Her maturity was the thing that really stood out,” Campbell recalls.
“Instead of an essay, I wanted them to actually do something. They had to identify an environmental problem in their community and come up with a solution. Amber’s issue, with her love for animals, was urban sprawl moving into habitats and displacing wildlife.
“I knew Brian Salt from Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation, so she went there and volunteered a couple of times a week during the semester and fed the deer and squirrels and loons.”
Campbell adds, “It’s what they do after the course that reflects the character of the student. And that’s where Amber was different. After the course, she kept volunteering. Four years later, she’s still coming back to assemblies to raise awareness and raise money for Salthaven.”
Asked about his teaching philosophy, Campbell says, “Being honest with the students is important. When you get their trust, you get their respect. And once you get their respect, the work they will do for you is amazing.
“Say what you mean and mean what you say. I love that quote.”
Campbell’s attitudes continue to exert an influence on Marshall, motivating her to be environmentally aware and responsible.
“Yeah, I’ve told him about things I’ve been doing and how the class really encouraged me,” Marshall says.
“I’ve never come right out and said, ‘You know what, you were the best teacher I ever had.’ But I think Mr. Campbell knows he was important to me.”
Heartland Star Is Naturally Horse Crazy
By Wendy Dudley
Amber Marshall, the star of the weekly CBC TV series Heartland, has taken to western culture like a foal takes to its first outdoor adventure. She is invited to rope at neighbours’ arenas and has moved onto an acreage southwest of Calgary where she keeps dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, cattle and of course horses. If she were not acting full-time, she said she would be running a farm. In some ways it sounds like she already is. “No, not another chicken. Put that chicken down,” she says, reprimanding her King Shepherd puppy while doing a phone interview next to the chicken coop. “He’s already got five of my chickens,” Marshall laughs. The 22-year-old has embraced rural life since she was chosen for the key role in Heartland, now in its fourth season. It airs Sundays at 7 p. m., and a Heartland Christmas TV movie will be broadcast in December. “Alberta has become home so quickly. I just love it here. I’ve set up my little nest,” she said.
For insurance reasons, she isn’t allowed to do her own stunts, but she tries to do as much as is allowed. “They let me jump up to 2-1/2 feet, but I’m not in those scenes where I fall off.”
SAVED BY THE COWBELL:
SOMETIMES WHEN A TEACHER has a positive influence on a student, it’s a general thing about confidence, kindness or karma.
But occasionally a teacher has a specific impact on a student’s outlook, and the student will carry this altered attitude forever.
In the case of Canadian TV star Amber Marshall and her favourite teacher, Dwayne Campbell, OCT, of A.B. Lucas Secondary School in London, it’s certainly about attitude.
Marshall thinks about that impact as she builds outdoor pens for some of the many animals on her rural Alberta property. “Oh yeah, one hundred per cent,” says the star of the successful CBC series Heartland when asked if Campbell has influenced her life. “We always talked in class about living green and being part of the solution and not part of the problem. I think about that every day.
“I raise my own food, I have my own chickens, my own pigs – I’ve got all that. And I think about keeping them all healthy because some are eventually what I am going to be eating. I know that I’m going to be healthier for it, and them happier then an animals’ life that ends at the grocery store.
“So yeah, that’s what reminded me to call today, actually. I was building this pen and I was going, ‘I’m doing sort of what we talked about doing in class.’ It’s kind of interesting that I can apply it to my regular life.”
Marshall, 22, was born and raised in London and lived there until she was 18. Her acting career sent her to Alberta, where Heartland has been taping for four seasons.
Campbell, as it turns out, was also born and raised in London. He went to the University of Western Ontario and teachers’ college there.
“I never really left,” Campbell says with a laugh. “But I enjoy it here; no complaints.” Marshall and Campbell crossed paths when she was a student in his Grade 12 environment and resource management class.
“We’re in the geography department; that’s what I teach full-time,” Campbell explains. “We’re in the social sciences, so we look at the human aspect, the relationship between us and the environment, how it’s affecting us and how we’re impacting it. That’s the difference between us and science.”
The subject matter and the way Campbell approached it made an immediate impression on Marshall.
“I think I was in between,” Marshall says when pondering if she was a good or bad student overall. “I wasn’t the teacher’s pet by any means. But I did love that class. And I think that’s why Mr. Campbell sticks out in my mind.
If you can find a way to make it relate to the students, that’s key.
“It’s nice to see a teacher who is so passionate about a subject. I think that makes such a difference. When it’s presented to you in a way that’s like, ‘This is what is happening in our world today, if we do this we’ll have these consequences,’ it makes you want to listen.”
Marshall says Campbell also kept the class current by using DVDs, TV shows and newspaper articles.
“He would watch new television shows that had to do with the course and he’d bring them in and be really excited,” Marshall recalls. “Or he would recommend movies or videos we didn’t have time to watch in class and say, ‘This is a really life-changing video, take it home and check it out.’ He was going above and beyond.
“If a teacher seems bored with something, then why would a student be listening?”
Campbell is thankful for the compliment. “Students know which teachers are there for a paycheque and which teachers truly want to be there,” he says. “Passion is infectious. You motivate the student. But, on top of the passion, the other aspect is finding a way to relate it to the students.“One of the most frequent complaints you hear from students is, ‘Why should I care about this? Why does it matter? This doesn’t affect me.’ Well, if you can find a way to make it relate to the students, that’s key.”
In this day and age, teaching a class on the environment is probably a much shorter path to connecting with students than teaching, say, algebra.
“Yeah, I have an easier job of it in that way for sure,” Campbell admits. “But still, you’d be amazed at the kids who come into class with a really limited knowledge of what’s going on around them in the environment.
“To come in assuming – that is a danger for a teacher. I’ve learned that over 10 years. Never assume that they know. If you discuss something, you’ll find out very quickly what they know and what they don’t know.”
Campbell firmly believes that field trips are fundamental.
“While it’s harder and harder to get field trips going – with all the red tape and liability – I believe they’re crucial,” Campbell says. “We have to find a way. Getting the kids out there, especially with something like geography, is so important. They can make the connection between what you’re teaching in class and the real thing.
“I can’t remember if Amber’s class was the first or second year I did this, but during our unit on water, we went on something the students nicknamed the poop tour. There is the notion that we have so much water but in reality we don’t, and we abuse it. So to understand where our waste water goes and how it gets treated, we actually went to the sewage plant.
“You might think trying to get Grade 12s to spend a morning in a sewage plant would be tough. But you sell it and they get curious. And actually, it’s the only field trip for which I’ve had perfect attendance. When they get to the end of the unit and have to explain the stages, they remember because they were there. They saw it, smelled it – it’s real to them.”
Campbell definitely knew Marshall was a “unique student” even at the time. “Her maturity was the thing that really stood out,” Campbell recalls.
“Instead of an essay, I wanted them to actually do something. They had to identify an environmental problem in their community and come up with a solution. Amber’s issue, with her love for animals, was urban sprawl moving into habitats and displacing wildlife.
“I knew Brian Salt from Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation, so she went there and volunteered a couple of times a week during the semester and fed the deer and squirrels and loons.”
Campbell adds, “It’s what they do after the course that reflects the character of the student. And that’s where Amber was different. After the course, she kept volunteering. Four years later, she’s still coming back to assemblies to raise awareness and raise money for Salthaven.”
Asked about his teaching philosophy, Campbell says, “Being honest with the students is important. When you get their trust, you get their respect. And once you get their respect, the work they will do for you is amazing.
“Say what you mean and mean what you say. I love that quote.”
Campbell’s attitudes continue to exert an influence on Marshall, motivating her to be environmentally aware and responsible.
“Yeah, I’ve told him about things I’ve been doing and how the class really encouraged me,” Marshall says.
“I’ve never come right out and said, ‘You know what, you were the best teacher I ever had.’ But I think Mr. Campbell knows he was important to me.”
Heartland Star Is Naturally Horse Crazy
By Wendy Dudley
Amber Marshall, the star of the weekly CBC TV series Heartland, has taken to western culture like a foal takes to its first outdoor adventure. She is invited to rope at neighbours’ arenas and has moved onto an acreage southwest of Calgary where she keeps dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, cattle and of course horses. If she were not acting full-time, she said she would be running a farm. In some ways it sounds like she already is. “No, not another chicken. Put that chicken down,” she says, reprimanding her King Shepherd puppy while doing a phone interview next to the chicken coop. “He’s already got five of my chickens,” Marshall laughs. The 22-year-old has embraced rural life since she was chosen for the key role in Heartland, now in its fourth season. It airs Sundays at 7 p. m., and a Heartland Christmas TV movie will be broadcast in December. “Alberta has become home so quickly. I just love it here. I’ve set up my little nest,” she said.
The family saga, filmed in High River and the Millarville area, revolves around her character, Amy Fleming, who has inherited equine healing powers from her mother, who was killed in an accident. Fleming and her boyfriend Ty Borden, a ranch stable hand, train and gentle abused and problem horses. Marshall is the show’s only actor who regularly rides, and she won the role in part because of her skills in the saddle. “I got my first horse when I was three. It was a leased pony called Tony the Pony. We met it at a little fair that had one of those circle walkers. I loved him so much, that we tracked him down and it turned out he was from a farm not far from us, so I had weekly rides on him.”
Marshall, who grew up in London, ON, began lessons when she was 10 and two years later owned an English hunter jumper. But she found the discipline too competitive and turned to Western Pleasure. “Most people in English wanted to show, and wanted expensive gear. I just wasn’t into that. I wanted to do my own thing, to have fun and quality time with my horse and not worry whether I was on the wrong diagonal.”
Amber Marshall, an experienced rider, appears with the Quarter Horse, Spartan, the main equine star of the Heartland TV series.
She bought a green broke four-year-old palomino Quarter Horse mare and the two learned from one another. Marshall owned her for three years but was forced to sell the mare when she came west for Heartland. She credits those years in the saddle for landing her the role. “They were looking for someone who could act but who also had horse experience.” Working with the show’s head wrangler John Scott of Longview, AB, (Scott has provided horses for such Hollywood westerns as Unforgiven and Legends of the Fall), Marshall’s riding skills quickly improved. It’s the rare episode where she isn’t on horseback. “For the amount of horse scenes I am in, it would be very difficult if you were not comfortable with horses,” she said.
She’s also learned how to throw a loop and move cattle, something she would never have learned back east, she said. “Now I have two ol’ Longhorns,” she laughed. “I have learned so much about western culture. Even though I rode Western Pleasure, I was still in a very little English bubble. I never realized how much of a horse community there still was in the world, with people who have dedicated their lives to breaking and training horses and working cattle. I thought quads and technology had fully replaced the use of horses.”
Amber Marshall is thankful her series Heartland is about much more than a high school girl
Amber Marshall is happy her series Heartland is nothing to Screech about."(Amy) actually is graduating high school this year, so that’s something new," Marshall said of her character. "That’s what I love about Heartland, it’s not a Saved By the Bell. "Heartland isn’t a show that needs to take place in high school. It can take place anywhere, as long as it’s centred on life on the farm." Without question, Screech — the most annoying character among a whole class of them on Saved By the Bell — would be out of place on the farm. But rural life works just fine for Marshall and Heartland, the fourth season of which debuts Sunday, Sept. 26 on CBC.
"You don’t want to be trapped in a time bubble," continued the 22-year-old Marshall, who grew up in London, Ont. "Heartland never was specifically a high school-based show, so we don’t need to be trapped in that. We can explore and go beyond high school and see Amy’s life maturing as a young adult."
Heartland is a horses-and-heartaches family drama, shot and set in Alberta. The Alberta landscape almost serves as a character in Heartland, which has been a strong ratings performer since its debut in 2007. As the fourth season begins with Heartland’s 50th episode, Amy (Marshall) is becoming a rising star on the Ring of Fire circuit. Amy is thrilled when Ty (Graham Wardle) returns to the ranch on his motorcycle — all girls are suckers for that, aren’t they? — but Amy is chagrined to find that Ty has not come back alone.
Marshall is thankful that Amy has been allowed to "grow up," slowly but surely. And looking to Marshall’s future as an actress, that transition obviously will help in terms of how the showbiz industry views her. "That’s very true, it’s a good point and I have thought about it before," Marshall said. "I portray a teenager in this show. That’s what my character is. But as the show is progressing, so is my character, and so is her age. As I see her turning into a young woman, I think the viewers will start viewing her as a young woman, too. "Definitely if you look back in Season 1, Amy was a child. She was a young girl. But as she is gaining more responsibility, I think the viewers are going to start trusting her and respecting her more as a young adult instead of a child."
Make no mistake, no matter what age she’s playing, Marshall still loves her job. And a large part of loving her job is linked to where she gets to do it. "Just the other day, we were in a beautiful location — it was a big cow pasture, actually," Marshall said with a laugh. "But it looked out over the mountains, and there were cattle and horses, and even now, four years into this, I still found myself just staring and going, ‘Wow — I work here. This is so cool.’ " As long as Screech doesn’t show up, it’s all good, Amber.
bill.harris@sunmedia.ca
Amber Marshall
The star of Heartland talks about her love of horses and acting.
Ask any horse lover what her favorite TV shows are, and chances are Heartland will be on the list. The hit CBC series follows the lives of a family on a working ranch in Alberta, and focuses largely on main character Amy Fleming’s gift for working with horses. We at Equine Wellness have become avid viewers, excited to see a show that brings attention to horsemanship and alternative horse care!
Amy is played by 22-year-old Amber Marshall, a native of London, Ontario. We were able to catch up with Amber in between filming series.
EWM: When did you first recognize your passion for horses? Was there a particular experience that drew you to them?
Amber Marshall: When I was four years old, my family took me to a local fair where there was a pony roundabout. I was simply fascinated with the horses so my parents arranged for me to go out on weekends and ride that same pony. Sadly, not long after I started leasing him, his owners were forced to sell the farm. It wasn’t until my tenth birthday that I started riding again. I began taking English lessons and purchased my first horse, Monty, when I was 13 years old.
EWM: Tell us about the horses you have now.
Amber Marshall: Pepsi has been with us since he was a weanling, which brings it close to five years. My mom found him online, and decided she wanted her own project, since I had my AQHA Palomino mare, Laney, at the time. When I got the role of Amy on Heartland, I moved to Calgary to be close to the set. I sold Laney to a girl I knew growing up because I was just too far away to give her the attention she needed. Pepsi stayed in Ontario, where my mom looked after him until he was greenbroke and ready to head west! He now lives with me and my two other horses: Tango, a seven-year-old black Quarter Horse, and Cash, my baby buckskin.
EWM: Were you always interested in a more natural approach to horse care and training, or has the show been influential in that regard? Did you have to research any particular trainers, methods or equine therapies to help you portray Amy?
Amber Marshall: I have always been interested in learning a variety of different training methods. I feel everyone has different energy they put out to animals, and certain ways of animal communication will work differently depending on the person. I practiced a lot of natural horsemanship on my Palomino mare, and found it very effective. I think for me, it is getting to know the horses individually, since like people, every horse is different. Once you gain their trust and respect, they are much happier to work with you as a team.
EWM: How has what you’ve learned through Heartland changed the way you work with horses, or your relationship with your own horses?
Amber Marshall: Heartland has given me the opportunity to try so many different disciplines and training techniques. I have learned so much about myself over the course of the series’ four seasons as well. It is funny how a work environment can really change your energy and how horses react to you. I have been around animals all my life, but it was always on my own time, at my leisure. No pressure to perform, just pure bliss.
EWM: Did you read the Heartland books growing up?
Amber Marshall: I always had a shelf of horse and animal books, and yes the Heartland series was among them. I remember reading a couple, but to be honest reading wasn’t my favorite activity. I was always outside acting out adventure stories instead of reading about them. I would play for hours in the yard with my dogs, pretending they were wolves and I was the only human member they allowed into their pack. As I grew older, I would always hope to do a project in school about days long ago. I figured then I could make an educational video for the class and include my horse in it, since that would be how I traveled back then. Luckily I did get to film one in Grade 10. My horse Monty was my escape from a sheriff who wanted to take me down. I’m sure the class quite enjoyed it.
EWM: Did you always want to combine acting and horses? How did you land the role on Heartland?
Amber Marshall: I think the only answer to that could be “yes”. From my homemade “horse and bandit” video to acting out survival scenes with my dogs in the yard, I have always tried to bring acting and animals together. Heartland makes everything I have enjoyed doing come together. The director and producers must have seen that love of animals in my audition tape, as they seemed to think it was a perfect fit and hired me after seeing only a taped audition.
EWM: Take us through a typical day in the life of Amber Marshall/Amy Fleming.
Amber Marshall: My daily routine varies drastically from the off-season to months working on the show. Heartland films every year from May until mid-December, then we all have January until late April off.
When we are filming, my day begins around 5:30 am when I get showered and dressed, brush my teeth and head out to the barn to do chores. I feed my horses, steers, cats, chickens and my two dogs, then I jump into a vehicle that comes to pick me up every morning. Once at the location where we are filming, I get into the proper clothes for the first scene, have my hair and make-up done and then head to the set to rehearse and block out the scene. This is repeated several times in a day depending on how many scenes are scheduled. Once we finish, I return to my own clothes and get a lift home. I then head straight to the barn to feed and clean pens. After all the animals are put to bed I head to the house to study my lines for the next day, then fall into bed. When I am not working, my time is much more relaxed. I wake up around eight, go do chores and spend more time bonding with my animals. I spend lots of time catching up with friends who I don’t get the chance to see during the spring, summer and fall. I also try and get home to see my family and friends back in Ontario, and maybe even plan a trip somewhere hot.
EWM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Amber Marshall: After four years on Heartland and countless interviews, I always find it hard to come up with something that fans would be surprised to know about me. I love animals – we all know that. That I really enjoy my time on Heartland we have also come to know. My best friend is a border collie cross I rescued a couple of years ago, and I love the outdoors. It’s funny how this answer is turning out to sound like a dating ad – after those answers I don’t know how many “dates” I would get!
EWM: Who are your greatest role models and why?
Amber Marshall: For me, a role model is anyone who is living life for themselves and those they love; a person who enjoys what they do and those who surround them. They are polite but assertive and always find the positive. Anyone who can contentedly find an inner balance is a role model to me.
EWM: The scenery on Heartland looks so fantastic – how do you enjoy it in Alberta?
Amber Marshall: I feel very at home here. When I first came out here four years ago to film the Heartland pilot episode, it was my first time seeing the mountains. I will never get sick of the gorgeous vista that surrounds us here in southwestern Alberta.
Amber MarshallEWM: Speaking of scenery – you get to work with some very handsome male co-stars, like Graham Wardle and Kerry James. Any off-screen chemistry there?
Amber Marshall: From day one, Graham, Kerry and I hit it off. During the second season we all lived very close to one another in downtown Calgary. The three of us were inseparable. We’d work together all day, and come home only to head out for dinner or a game of football toss in the park. I do miss those times, but now that I have moved out into the country and have animals to care for, it is not as easy to get together after a long workday.
EWM: We’ve seen your great new clothing line – is fashion also a strong interest of yours?
Amber Marshall: For me, fashion comes second to comfort. It is pretty difficult to muck out stalls in a blouse and stilettos. And fashionable skinny jeans with moccasins are great for the mall, but don’t hold up so well to chasing steers into a pen. Therefore I wanted to bring out a line of clothes that was both fashionable and made sense for daily outdoor activities.
EWM: Your family is obviously very supportive and involved in your work. Is it difficult to be away from them during filming? Are you able to visit Ontario often?
Amber Marshall: My family understands that being in Alberta allows me to live my dream of acting and working with animals. My parents and brother come and visit me here and I try to make it home when my schedule permits. I have started a life out west and have many friends and activities to keep me busy.
EWM: What are you hoping to pursue in the future?
Amber Marshall: I know something exciting will find me. I’m not quite sure yet what that “something” will be, or if it will even be animal or acting related. I will always have animals in my life – that is a given. And I know I will always enjoy where I am and what I am doing.
EWM: If you could give one piece of advice to young riders about developing a solid relationship with their horses, what would it be?
Amber Marshall: As I said before, everyone is different, and every horse is different. Just like when you meet a new group of friends, you can find a horse you see something in, one you want to build a relationship with. Never forget to have fun in the process!
Published in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Equine Wellness Magazine.
"You don’t want to be trapped in a time bubble," continued the 22-year-old Marshall, who grew up in London, Ont. "Heartland never was specifically a high school-based show, so we don’t need to be trapped in that. We can explore and go beyond high school and see Amy’s life maturing as a young adult."
Heartland is a horses-and-heartaches family drama, shot and set in Alberta. The Alberta landscape almost serves as a character in Heartland, which has been a strong ratings performer since its debut in 2007. As the fourth season begins with Heartland’s 50th episode, Amy (Marshall) is becoming a rising star on the Ring of Fire circuit. Amy is thrilled when Ty (Graham Wardle) returns to the ranch on his motorcycle — all girls are suckers for that, aren’t they? — but Amy is chagrined to find that Ty has not come back alone.
Marshall is thankful that Amy has been allowed to "grow up," slowly but surely. And looking to Marshall’s future as an actress, that transition obviously will help in terms of how the showbiz industry views her. "That’s very true, it’s a good point and I have thought about it before," Marshall said. "I portray a teenager in this show. That’s what my character is. But as the show is progressing, so is my character, and so is her age. As I see her turning into a young woman, I think the viewers will start viewing her as a young woman, too. "Definitely if you look back in Season 1, Amy was a child. She was a young girl. But as she is gaining more responsibility, I think the viewers are going to start trusting her and respecting her more as a young adult instead of a child."
Make no mistake, no matter what age she’s playing, Marshall still loves her job. And a large part of loving her job is linked to where she gets to do it. "Just the other day, we were in a beautiful location — it was a big cow pasture, actually," Marshall said with a laugh. "But it looked out over the mountains, and there were cattle and horses, and even now, four years into this, I still found myself just staring and going, ‘Wow — I work here. This is so cool.’ " As long as Screech doesn’t show up, it’s all good, Amber.
bill.harris@sunmedia.ca
The star of Heartland talks about her love of horses and acting.
Ask any horse lover what her favorite TV shows are, and chances are Heartland will be on the list. The hit CBC series follows the lives of a family on a working ranch in Alberta, and focuses largely on main character Amy Fleming’s gift for working with horses. We at Equine Wellness have become avid viewers, excited to see a show that brings attention to horsemanship and alternative horse care!
Amy is played by 22-year-old Amber Marshall, a native of London, Ontario. We were able to catch up with Amber in between filming series.
EWM: When did you first recognize your passion for horses? Was there a particular experience that drew you to them?
Amber Marshall: When I was four years old, my family took me to a local fair where there was a pony roundabout. I was simply fascinated with the horses so my parents arranged for me to go out on weekends and ride that same pony. Sadly, not long after I started leasing him, his owners were forced to sell the farm. It wasn’t until my tenth birthday that I started riding again. I began taking English lessons and purchased my first horse, Monty, when I was 13 years old.
EWM: Tell us about the horses you have now.
Amber Marshall: Pepsi has been with us since he was a weanling, which brings it close to five years. My mom found him online, and decided she wanted her own project, since I had my AQHA Palomino mare, Laney, at the time. When I got the role of Amy on Heartland, I moved to Calgary to be close to the set. I sold Laney to a girl I knew growing up because I was just too far away to give her the attention she needed. Pepsi stayed in Ontario, where my mom looked after him until he was greenbroke and ready to head west! He now lives with me and my two other horses: Tango, a seven-year-old black Quarter Horse, and Cash, my baby buckskin.
EWM: Were you always interested in a more natural approach to horse care and training, or has the show been influential in that regard? Did you have to research any particular trainers, methods or equine therapies to help you portray Amy?
Amber Marshall: I have always been interested in learning a variety of different training methods. I feel everyone has different energy they put out to animals, and certain ways of animal communication will work differently depending on the person. I practiced a lot of natural horsemanship on my Palomino mare, and found it very effective. I think for me, it is getting to know the horses individually, since like people, every horse is different. Once you gain their trust and respect, they are much happier to work with you as a team.
EWM: How has what you’ve learned through Heartland changed the way you work with horses, or your relationship with your own horses?
Amber Marshall: Heartland has given me the opportunity to try so many different disciplines and training techniques. I have learned so much about myself over the course of the series’ four seasons as well. It is funny how a work environment can really change your energy and how horses react to you. I have been around animals all my life, but it was always on my own time, at my leisure. No pressure to perform, just pure bliss.
EWM: Did you read the Heartland books growing up?
Amber Marshall: I always had a shelf of horse and animal books, and yes the Heartland series was among them. I remember reading a couple, but to be honest reading wasn’t my favorite activity. I was always outside acting out adventure stories instead of reading about them. I would play for hours in the yard with my dogs, pretending they were wolves and I was the only human member they allowed into their pack. As I grew older, I would always hope to do a project in school about days long ago. I figured then I could make an educational video for the class and include my horse in it, since that would be how I traveled back then. Luckily I did get to film one in Grade 10. My horse Monty was my escape from a sheriff who wanted to take me down. I’m sure the class quite enjoyed it.
EWM: Did you always want to combine acting and horses? How did you land the role on Heartland?
Amber Marshall: I think the only answer to that could be “yes”. From my homemade “horse and bandit” video to acting out survival scenes with my dogs in the yard, I have always tried to bring acting and animals together. Heartland makes everything I have enjoyed doing come together. The director and producers must have seen that love of animals in my audition tape, as they seemed to think it was a perfect fit and hired me after seeing only a taped audition.
EWM: Take us through a typical day in the life of Amber Marshall/Amy Fleming.
Amber Marshall: My daily routine varies drastically from the off-season to months working on the show. Heartland films every year from May until mid-December, then we all have January until late April off.
When we are filming, my day begins around 5:30 am when I get showered and dressed, brush my teeth and head out to the barn to do chores. I feed my horses, steers, cats, chickens and my two dogs, then I jump into a vehicle that comes to pick me up every morning. Once at the location where we are filming, I get into the proper clothes for the first scene, have my hair and make-up done and then head to the set to rehearse and block out the scene. This is repeated several times in a day depending on how many scenes are scheduled. Once we finish, I return to my own clothes and get a lift home. I then head straight to the barn to feed and clean pens. After all the animals are put to bed I head to the house to study my lines for the next day, then fall into bed. When I am not working, my time is much more relaxed. I wake up around eight, go do chores and spend more time bonding with my animals. I spend lots of time catching up with friends who I don’t get the chance to see during the spring, summer and fall. I also try and get home to see my family and friends back in Ontario, and maybe even plan a trip somewhere hot.
EWM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Amber Marshall: After four years on Heartland and countless interviews, I always find it hard to come up with something that fans would be surprised to know about me. I love animals – we all know that. That I really enjoy my time on Heartland we have also come to know. My best friend is a border collie cross I rescued a couple of years ago, and I love the outdoors. It’s funny how this answer is turning out to sound like a dating ad – after those answers I don’t know how many “dates” I would get!
EWM: Who are your greatest role models and why?
Amber Marshall: For me, a role model is anyone who is living life for themselves and those they love; a person who enjoys what they do and those who surround them. They are polite but assertive and always find the positive. Anyone who can contentedly find an inner balance is a role model to me.
EWM: The scenery on Heartland looks so fantastic – how do you enjoy it in Alberta?
Amber Marshall: I feel very at home here. When I first came out here four years ago to film the Heartland pilot episode, it was my first time seeing the mountains. I will never get sick of the gorgeous vista that surrounds us here in southwestern Alberta.
Amber MarshallEWM: Speaking of scenery – you get to work with some very handsome male co-stars, like Graham Wardle and Kerry James. Any off-screen chemistry there?
Amber Marshall: From day one, Graham, Kerry and I hit it off. During the second season we all lived very close to one another in downtown Calgary. The three of us were inseparable. We’d work together all day, and come home only to head out for dinner or a game of football toss in the park. I do miss those times, but now that I have moved out into the country and have animals to care for, it is not as easy to get together after a long workday.
EWM: We’ve seen your great new clothing line – is fashion also a strong interest of yours?
Amber Marshall: For me, fashion comes second to comfort. It is pretty difficult to muck out stalls in a blouse and stilettos. And fashionable skinny jeans with moccasins are great for the mall, but don’t hold up so well to chasing steers into a pen. Therefore I wanted to bring out a line of clothes that was both fashionable and made sense for daily outdoor activities.
EWM: Your family is obviously very supportive and involved in your work. Is it difficult to be away from them during filming? Are you able to visit Ontario often?
Amber Marshall: My family understands that being in Alberta allows me to live my dream of acting and working with animals. My parents and brother come and visit me here and I try to make it home when my schedule permits. I have started a life out west and have many friends and activities to keep me busy.
EWM: What are you hoping to pursue in the future?
Amber Marshall: I know something exciting will find me. I’m not quite sure yet what that “something” will be, or if it will even be animal or acting related. I will always have animals in my life – that is a given. And I know I will always enjoy where I am and what I am doing.
EWM: If you could give one piece of advice to young riders about developing a solid relationship with their horses, what would it be?
Amber Marshall: As I said before, everyone is different, and every horse is different. Just like when you meet a new group of friends, you can find a horse you see something in, one you want to build a relationship with. Never forget to have fun in the process!
Published in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Equine Wellness Magazine.
