Debs Howard Talks Die My Love, Working with Lynne Ramsay, and & the Art of Emotional Truth

Canadian actress Debs Howard has built a career defined by versatility, moving fluidly between romantic comedies, network dramas, and character-driven films. On television, she has recently guest-starred on NBC’s The Hunting Party and Global’s Private Eyes West Coast, while also leading multiple Movies of the Week for major networks, including Hint of Love (W Network/Hallmark), The Proposal Spot, and The Honeymoon Pact for Reel One Entertainment, demonstrating a range that spans both comedic timing and emotional dramatic work.

A multi-nominated performer, Howard received a 2025 UBCP/ACTRA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Movie of the Week), alongside a Leo Award nomination for Best Lead Performance in a Motion Picture and a FilmQuest nomination for Best Supporting Actress, further underscoring her steady ascent across screen formats.

Photography by Veronica Bonderud.

Born in South Africa to an Irish father and an English mother, and raised in British Columbia’s Kootenay region, the dual Canadian-British actress has steadily built a career spanning romantic comedies, television dramas, and now art-house cinema. Now based on Vancouver Island and professionally trained in Vancouver and Toronto, Howard brings an emotional honesty to her work, shaped as much by her global upbringing as by her experience as a mother of two.

As Die My Love continues to build awards season momentum through its global release on MUBI, Howard reflects on building Marsha from instinct and improvisation, collaborating with Ramsay’s immersive directing style, and navigating the balance between preparation and surrender in a story that demands both.

---

Die My Love is such an emotionally charged and psychologically layered story. What was your first reaction when you read the script, and what made you feel you had to be part of this film?

The fact that I was uncontrollably sobbing as I read it was probably a good indicator of how impactful it was for me! Beyond the obvious honor of being attached to anything with the names Lynne Ramsay, Martin Scorsese, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert Pattinson, I knew I had to be part of this film because the script made me feel so seen and understood in my own journey of motherhood and life.

Your character, Marsha, may be a supporting role in terms of screen time, but she leaves a strong emotional imprint. How did you approach building a full inner life for her beyond what’s on the page?

Thank you! I’m so grateful and humbled to know I’ve been part of a scene that resonates with audiences. Building Marsha’s inner life wasn’t difficult because I drew a lot from my experience as a mother. It’s such a layered role - trying to hold everything together while carrying your own private struggles. Marsha presents as composed and capable, but she’s been through the thick of things. She’s flawed, human, and doing her best, just as we all are in life.

What interested me most was her genuine desire to connect with Grace. Grace clearly doesn’t have it together, and Marsha recognizes a bit of herself there. There’s a real attempt at kindness. But when she realizes Grace is manipulating the conversation, the dynamic shifts into a subtle push and pull, like a quiet power game.

Photography by Veronica Bonderud.

Honestly, most days, I probably present more like Grace than Marsha! But I love finding the parts of myself in a character who seems different on the surface. That’s where a performance starts to feel specific, authentic, and fun to me.

This film deals with intense themes of identity, isolation, and mental unraveling. How did you personally stay grounded while working inside such an emotionally volatile world?

For me, staying grounded in a world like that really comes down to support and perspective. I’ve experienced my own mental health challenges in my life, so I don’t take emotional well-being lightly. I know how quickly things can feel overwhelming, and I also know how essential it is not to try to carry that alone.

For me, my friends and family are everything. They are my anchor. In my darkest seasons, they’ve carried me in ways I probably didn’t even fully understand at the time, and maybe still don’t! Having people who remind you of your value outside of work - my kids are great at this, outside of their ruthless snack demands - makes all the difference. I’m incredibly lucky in that way. And I hope I offer that same steadiness back to all of these people in my life when they need it. That sense of knowing people have your back - friends, family, even everyone on set - makes exploring darker material safe, because you know you’re not alone in it. And taking every opportunity to laugh, on set and off, helps too!

There’s a particular sequence people keep talking about where you really hold your own. Without giving too much away, what was the emotional or technical challenge of that scene for you as an actor?

I think working with such a generous and talented actor as Jennifer Lawrence helps a LOT. You have no choice but to up your game! During our downtime, we chatted and kept things light, but between the words “action” and “cut,” we were both so fully present in the moment, and that ultimately made it easy to authentically react to her subtle shifts and choices during each take. My character was hyper-focused on assessing Grace and gaining the upper hand, but within the constraints of the setting and dialogue given, so a lot of the jabs become very nuanced. I think when you aim your energy onto your scene partner, the magical, unexpected moments come out of nowhere, and the dynamic just flows naturally.

Photography by Lindsay Erickson.

Lynne Ramsay is known for her deeply immersive, sensory style of filmmaking. How did her directing approach influence your performance and the way you experienced scenes on set?

Lynne is a legend! She is so collaborative, and it was so exciting to work with her. She created such a warm and welcoming environment on set, where ideas and laughs were encouraged, so that set the tone for everyone to relax and show up fully as themselves. We explored the scene in different ways during rehearsal until she found the emotional tone she was looking for. She’s incredibly specific, but once the world of the scene was established, she gave us encouragement and freedom to play inside it. Because her filmmaking is so sensory, she doesn’t over-direct. She really trusts you to feel your way through the moment, and that trust informs your performance. It doesn’t feel like you’re trying to prove something, and instead, you’re just there, present.

Did Lynne give you a lot of backstory and guidance, or did she prefer to let you discover Marsha through instinct and atmosphere? What did you learn from her process?

She actually didn’t give me a lot of backstory or detailed guidance when it came to building Marsha. She trusted me to do my own work, and I appreciated that autonomy. A lot of the finer details about Marsha were actually built during the audition process. When I was in the room with Lynne, we spent time doing a lot of improvising, so I really developed a greater understanding of my character there. By the time we were on set, I felt totally rooted in my instincts as Marsha.

Overall, I’d say that what I learned from Lynne’s process is the power of trust. She creates the atmosphere and the emotional world, and then lets you exist inside it. That kind of freedom pushes you to take ownership of your choices and lean into your impulses.

Sharing the screen with actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in a film produced by Martin Scorsese is a huge moment in any career. How did being in that creative environment elevate or challenge your own craft?

It didn’t feel like pressure exactly, but it definitely felt like responsibility. When you’re walking onto a set with artists at that level, you want to show up prepared - not casually figuring it out in the corner while Martin Scorsese is in the producer credits! I came in with strong choices and clear ideas about Marsha, but I also made a conscious effort to stay open to any offers made by others on set. I really believe a scene doesn’t belong to one person. It belongs to everyone - the writers, the actors, the director, the producers, the crew, the editors, and eventually the audience. So my goal was to bring something grounded and intentional, but also flexible. Solid enough to stand on its own, but malleable enough to be shaped in collaboration.

And honestly, that’s the fun of it. You prepare like crazy… and then you let go enough to let something unexpected happen.

Photography by Lindsay Erickson.

The film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and its global release through MUBI have brought your work to an international audience. Has that visibility changed the way you think about your career moving forward?

Honestly, yes and no. Yes, because being at Cannes and sharing that space with top-tier talent was incredibly inspiring. It really affirmed that this is exactly where I want to be, and reminded me that maybe, just maybe, some of my wildest dreams may actually be within reach.

And also no, because coming home hasn’t changed the way I approach my career. I still hustle, grind, and work the way I always have. Nothing has ever been handed to me in this industry, and I’ve had to develop a tough skin, a solid work ethic, and a gratitude practice to get to this point. If anything, experiences like this just reinforce why showing up prepared - and trying not to trip over your own feet while doing it - matters more than ever.

You’ve worked across romantic comedies, television dramas, and now this kind of intense arthouse cinema. How do you shift your technique between genres while still staying true to your core as a performer? 

For me, it’s less about switching gears completely and more about adjusting the rhythm and energy of what I bring. In a rom-com, timing and playfulness are everything, and you can lean more into the joy or absurdity of a moment. In a television drama, there’s often a more measured arc, so you can really practice precision in the performance. And in something like this intense arthouse work, it’s about listening intently, feeling the atmosphere, and trusting your instincts in ways that can feel almost raw.

No matter the genre, I try to stay grounded in the truth of the character with the small choices and emotional honesty. That’s sort of the through-line. The techniques shift, but the core remains the same.