Amber Marshall on Heartland Family, Loss & Amy Finding Love Again

Amber Marshall was at her own wedding when Heartland showrunner Heather Conkie started taking notes. Marshall noticed it happening — Conkie was there as a guest, but also as a writer. A storyline drawn from that day appeared on screen within the year. After 17 seasons and more than 250 episodes, her real-life ranch lifestyle closely mirrors Amy Fleming’s story. “When it comes on screen I can say, I’ve been there and experienced this,” Marshall says. “I know exactly how I handled it emotionally and can bring that into my character.”

Heartland, adapted from Lauren Brooke’s bestselling book series, follows the Bartlett-Fleming family on their Alberta ranch. It has become the longest-running scripted drama in Canadian television history. Season 16 recently premiered in the U.S. on UP Faith & Family, landing among the top five most-streamed shows in the country. Marshall, 35, spoke during a break from filming, speaking from the ranch on a summer day.

She grew up alongside Amy. She lives in Alberta by choice, not by contract. The twin girls who play Amy’s daughter Lyndy — Ruby and Emmanuella Spencer — were cast as six-month-old infants and are now nearly seven. Marshall has watched them learn to walk, find their personalities, develop a feel for horses. “I really do feel they are my family,” she says. “I’ve watched every stage they’ve had.”

Robert Cormier joined Heartland in Season 15 as Finn Cotter — Amy’s first serious love interest since the death of her husband, Ty Borden. He and Marshall had spent days building out the arc, mapping where Finn and Amy were headed through the rest of the season and beyond. Cormier died in September 2022 following a fall. He was 33.

When the news came, production stopped. “It was one of those moments that served as a reminder that you never know when you’re going to lose someone around you,” Marshall reflects. “We all took a step back and used it as a moment to look at our lives and who we love and care about and make sure they know that.” She believes the grief pulled the cast closer.

For the series, Cormier’s death erased a storyline fans had invested in heavily. Season 16 had already given Amy permission to move forward after years of honoring Ty’s memory, a path Finn had helped make possible. Marshall is direct about what the years of grief cost her. “Playing a grieving widow was hard on me,” she admits. “Every day you’re coming in upset and trying to get into very dark places.”

Season 16 marked a turning point, allowing Amy to be happy again. Whether that happiness eventually involves Sam Langstone — played by Shawn Roberts, who has been part of Amy’s story — she does not confirm anything. Instead, she shares a story about a friend, a widow, who spent four years making jokes about her neighbor before marrying him. “Sometimes a life situation might turn the corner where you might actually view them differently,” she says.

Marshall does not present ranch life as a branding choice. She lives in Alberta because she has no desire to be anywhere else. Most days she is filming outdoors, working with horses. “I don’t know if I could ever find a better job than this,” she says. “It fits my life so perfectly.” When asked how much longer she sees herself in the role, her answer is direct: “I will ride this horse as long as it’s here.”

What has kept Heartland running this long is something Marshall hears about from viewers. Families watch it together. Grandchildren call their grandparents after episodes. The show has never required a content negotiation before sitting down. Marshall understands what that means — not as an abstraction, but as the reason the show is still standing after 17 years. Heartland got here by being, for a very long time, exactly what it’s always been.