Debbie Rochon's life was marked by a tumultuous childhood in British Columbia, Canada, where she was a victim of abuse and spent time on the streets. However, her life took a dramatic turn when she landed a featured extra role in Paramount's Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1982),an experience that changed her trajectory and motivated her to pursue a career in acting.
After studying acting at various institutions in New York City, including the Michael Chekhov Studios, Lee Strasberg Institute, and Chicago City Limits, Debbie began landing small roles in films, primarily in the fear flick genre. Her breakthrough came when she was cast in Spike Lee's Lonely in America (1990),followed by a series of roles in films by grind-house indie filmmakers Roberta Findlay and Chuck Vincent.
Throughout the 1990s, Debbie continued to work in theatre, landing lead roles in films and co-producing and co-hosting the radio show Oblique Strategies on WBAI. She also began writing for genre publications, including Mad Movies, Femme Fatales, and Chiller Theatre.
The 2000s saw Debbie take on a new type of role, solidifying her reputation as a go-to actor for off-kilter and intense characters. Her iconic performance in American Nightmare (2002) garnered critical acclaim, and she went on to work with Full Moon Entertainment, starring in four feature films and contributing to horror-themed books.
In 2005, Debbie joined Scream TV, producing short documentaries and co-hosting Fangoria Radio with Dee Snider. She also began writing her own column, Diary of the Deb, in Fangoria magazine, which won a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award in 2014.
Debbie's directorial debut, Model Hunger (2016),received critical acclaim, and she has since been recognized as one of the "40 Top Scream Queens of the Past 40 Years" by ETonline.com. Her most recent writing column, Debbie Rochon's Bloody Underground, appeared in Asylum magazine.
