Amber Marshall Talks About What Makes Her Different From Heartland Amy Fleming

Fans of Heartland know Amber Marshall as Amy Fleming, but how much are they really alike? Marshall recently shared some surprising similarities and differences between herself and her long-running TV character. She even revealed that some of Amy's storylines are based on Marshall's own experiences living on a ranch in Alberta.

Real-Life Inspiration for Heartland Storylines

"There's a real blend between me and Amy," Marshall explained. "Writers seem to pick up on things that happen in my life, and living on a ranch definitely rubs on you. It makes playing Amy natural and it lets me give the character real qualities."

One aspect Marshall particularly enjoys is filming scenes involving her character's bond with her horse, Spartan. "The connection between Amy and Spartan is amazing, and it's grown so much over the years," she said. Stormy, the horse who plays Spartan, has been with the show since the beginning, and we've definitely formed a strong bond ourselves."

"There's a real blend between me and Amy...it makes playing Amy natural and allows me to bring a real quality to the character." — Amber Marshall

Embracing On-Screen Drama

Marshall's life gives the show a lot to go on, but she knows that Amy is more dramatic than she is, which is a big difference between them. "Amy is definitely more dramatic than I am," Marshall said on the Hallmark Podcast. "But in television, that's kind of part of the job." Things must be at odds with each other to keep things interesting. This on-screen drama is very important for keeping people interested and moving the story along.

A Love for All Creatures, Great and Small (Not Just Horses!)

The interview also revealed a small difference in their love for animals. Marshall sees Amy as solely focused on horses, whereas Marshall has a broader love for all animals. "We share similar core values," Marshall said. "But Amy is a bit more horse-obsessed. I'm more of an animal person in general."

This difference is clear on Marshall's real-life farm, where she loves all of her animals the same. "I love my chickens, dogs, and cats just as much as my horses," she said. Amy, on the other hand, seems to have tunnel vision for horses. It's horses or nothing for her."

"Unlike Amy, I spend time with all of my farm animals. I like how farm life has a lot of different parts." — Amber Marshall

Marshall went on, "Unlike Amy, I spend time with all of my farm animals. Just like with horses, I pet and scratch my cows on the neck." This full farm life is nice for me. But I think there's a strong link between me and Amy overall. Amber Marshall's portrayal of Amy Fleming is so engaging and true to life because it is a mix of shared experiences and individual personalities.