'No limitations': Heartland's Amber Marshall says show, characters evolve as 11th season announced

The actor who plays Amy Fleming in CBC's Heartland, says she didn't think the show would be as successful as it has been.

"I never would have guessed that it went on even three years, let alone going into an 11th year," Amber Marshall told CBC Calgary News at 6 on Wednesday.

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"I think it resonates with a lot of families in Canada and all over the world. They can sit down together as a family and watch Heartland, and they don't have to worry about the content.They know it is going to be wholesome and good for the whole family."

Marshall, while not born in the west, has set down roots in Alberta as a result of the production.

"I really think that I have embraced the western culture. I grew up around horses back in Ontario but I never knew the extent of it until I came out here. I saw the cowboy way and I saw just how much of an impact horses have on some of the ranchers and people in this area," she explained.

"I moved out here.I bought a ranch. I have horses and cattle and all kinds of things, so it has really helped me to play my character to the fullest."

Marshall says one of the keys to success for the showis its ability to evolve.

"I love the fact that Heartland has no limitations to our ability to live and learn and grow. I think a lot of television series that are trapped in a high school environment or a certain environment where the characters aren't allowed to grow up it's harder for them, and it's harder for the writers to be able to find new stories," she said.

"But on Heartland, we are allowed to develop into young adults, and then get married, and have kids and go through a natural life process. And so I think that is one of the reasons for the longevity of the show as well."

If you can find work that doesn't feel like work, do it, Marshall says.

"Every day I wake up, and I go out and I feed my horses and I take a deep breath and I say 'Oh, I love this life,'" she explained.

"And then I drive to work and do the same thing all over again, so it's just an incredible experience for me to be able to do what I love, every day."

Season 11 of the longest running one-hour drama in Canadian television history starts in the fall.

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With files from CBC Calgary News at 6