It was when a childhood friend moved away, that Martha Burns was introduced to the world of entertainment. Kate Wiley, Martha's childhood friend, had moved from Winnipeg to Stratford when her father took on the task of General Manager of the Stratford Festival. From grade 6 through 12, Martha would visit her friend and see the the plays and backstage action. "You can imagine the romance of it all," she says.

As a teenager, she was encouraged by a teacher to pursue her thespian dream. After graduating with an English degree from the University of Alberta, she joined the Vancouver Playhouse school, where she improved her skills in productions such as Romeo and Juliet. After graduating in 1979, she went onto the National Arts Centre, where she garnered her first Dora Award for her exceptional performance in Trafford Tanzi. The play took her to Toronto, which brought her back to the polished stages of Stratford.

The year 1983 brought a new dimension to her life. Cast as an Indian princess in the play Walsh, she found herself co-starring with a handsome leading young man, actor Paul Gross. Although Gross was dating someone else at the time, he found himself attracted to the demure redhead. Five years after they first met, they married. The couple now have two children, Hannah (born 1990) and Jack (born 1994).

Martha has trimmed back her schedule slightly due to family commitments, but has found time to do a variety of episodic television, including two guest appearances on her husband's show, Due South. Other appearances have included guest spots in shows like E.N.G, Top Cops, and Traders, but she is quite proud of her film performance in the adaptation of Long Day's Journey Into Night, which earned her a 1996 Genie Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Stagework is still alluring to Martha, but television has its equal attraction. A guest role as Lisette Boudreau in the special Marie Curie: More Than Meets the Eyes gave her the opportunity to go to Ireland. She took her children along, where they could see firsthand for themselves where the dreams of castles and dragons were born.

Martha recently worked on the TV pilot Justice, for Global Television, which delves into the Canadian Department of Justice in Ottawa.

When not performing in various productions or taking care of her family, Burns devotes her energies to many worthwhile causes. One such cause is By the Way, an innovative program she launched in which actors do readings in schools, and arranges free tickets for underprivileged children - who might not otherwise have the opportunity - to be exposed to the joys of the performing arts.

Martha is also a member of P.A.N.D. (Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament) and is a co-founder of Masterclass Theatre in Toronto.