Michelle, the fourth of six siblings from a blended Chilean-Canadian family, was born in Calgary and grew up in Toronto and Vancouver. She pursued a degree in Theatre and Classical Literature at the University of Toronto before embarking on a career in theatre and film.
Michelle gained widespread recognition for her role as Lou Fleming on the hit CBC series "Heartland", where she portrayed the prodigal daughter who returns to Heartland from New York after her mother's passing. With over 15 years of experience in film and television under her belt, Michelle has been enthusiastically charting a new trajectory towards directing and writing.
Michelle's directorial debut, the short film "Mi Madre, My Father" (2017),was selected by Telefilm for the "Not Short on Talent at Cannes" for the Cannes Film Festival short film corner. She recently directed three episodes of the new CBC digital series "Hudson" (SevenTwentyFour),a spin-off of the long-running series "Heartland". Michelle's second short film, "Save Yourself", is a romantic comedy set against the picturesque backdrop of Tofino, BC.
Michelle was recently selected to join the Women in the Director's Chair, Story & Leadership Program, where she will develop her feature film project, a post-apocalyptic western titled "The Plains".
