‘Heartland’: Amber Marshall on the Biggest Difference Between Her and Amy
On the CBC series Heartland, Amber Marshall plays Amy Fleming. Marshall has been playing the character since the TV show premiered in 2007. While Marshall shares many similarities with Amy, the actor recently revealed there is one major difference between herself and her Heartland character.
Amber Marshall inspires stories for her ‘Heartland’ character
In 2019, CBC’s official Heartland blog published an interview with Marshall. In the interview, Marshall revealed that some of Amy’s storylines on the show are inspired by her “real life.”
“I believe that over the years my character Amy has become more like myself and vice versa. The writers seem to gravitate to stories that of happened in my real life, and by living on a ranch in Alberta myself, I have intern adopted similar traits to my character. It makes what I do come easily and I love being able to bring a realism to the character,” Marshall said.
When it comes to playing Amy, Marshall loves episodes that involve Amy’s relationship with her horse Spartan.
“I love the connection between girl and horse and how much it has grown over the many seasons. The horse who plays Spartan is named Stormy and he has been playing the role since the first season. Rightfully so, him and I have formed quite the bond,” Marshall shared in the interview.
Amber Marshall thinks she is different from Amy Fleming in a major way
Even though Marshall’s life can inspire what Heartland writers incorporate into the show, she thinks the fact Amy is a TV character is the biggest difference in their personalities.
“I think that Amy’s a little bit more dramatic maybe than myself. Because she has to be, because it’s television,” Marshall revealed on the Hallmarkies Podcast. “That’s what I always say is if there’s not drama then it’s boring. There needs to be something.”
Marshall also revealed on the Hallmarkies Podcast that Amy’s love of horses is stronger than Marshall’s love of the animal. This is because Marshall thinks she loves animals equally.
“I think we’re very similar in a lot of our core values, I would say are very similar. Amy is a little bit more horse obsessed than I am. I’m very animal obsessed,” said Marshall.
Amber Marshall loves all of her animals
In Heartland, Amy lives on her family’s farm and her life’s passion is healing traumatized horses. While Marshall has horses of her own, she does not think she loves horses more than her other animals.
“Like on my farm, I love my chickens, and my dogs, and my cats just as much as I love my horses,” Marshall said on the Hallmarkies Podcast. “But Amy’s got these blinders on for horses. She’s like ‘It’s horses or nothing.’”
Marshall continued, “And for me I go out and spend just as much time giving my cows neck scratches and pets than I do with my horses. I like that balance of just general farm life or ranch life. But really when you get down to it I would say that myself and my character are very similar.”
