Debora Habsburg is a multicultural actress, producer, and writer, who has lived in various countries throughout her life. This experience has taught her to adapt and embrace social and cultural diversity. Her diverse background has given Debora a deep insight into the common issues of the personal journey, which have given a range and depth to her characters. Growing up in a country with extreme poverty at a time of war, and living through her husband’s life altering accident, enhanced Debora’s deep sensibility and empathy for a myriad of human issues. When Debora realized the gift that storytelling and entertainment play in helping channel difficult circumstances, and in enriching people’s lives, she chose to dedicate her life to acting, producing, and writing.
She was born in El Salvador to German and Spanish immigrant parents, and has both French and Uruguayan Nationalities. Debora has lived in various countries in Latin America, as well as Europe and the U.S, helping her become fluent in English, Spanish, French, and German, as well as proficient in Italian and Portugese.
Debora moved from Uruguay to the US for college, where she studied French Literature and International Economic Relations. She received her BA from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and then moved to Switzerland with her high school sweetheart, where she got a Masters in International Business Administration from the American Graduate School of Business. After their marriage, they moved to New York where Debora decided to pursue her true passion by studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, The William Esper Studio and the T. Schreiber Studio.
Debora began her acting experience working on short films and performing classic Spanish plays in theater festivals in New York before she moved back to Latin America. Her feature film debut was in Luna de Avellaneda, in Argentina, directed by Juan Jose Campanella (Oscar winner for The Secret In her Eyes). She also worked with renowned director Francis Ford Coppola in the movie Tetro. Her versatility has allowed Debora to play contemporary parts as well as period pieces. Her Television appearances include Guest Star roles in the Desperate Housewives of Brazil, and Recurring character in the period war series Hombres de Honor in Argentina. Debora’s theatrical highlights during this time include working on an adaptation of the play No Exit directed by Patricio Orozco (Buenos Aires), and Voyage Through the Myths (Uruguay) directed by internationally renowned Opera director Stefano Poda, which required her character to recite verses in French and German.
In 2008 Debora moved to Miami where she has continued to expand her repertoire. She worked with the Discovery channel on the series Perfect Murder and with Animal Planet’s hit series Monsters Inside Me. She also worked in various commercial and voice over campaigns, in Spanish and German accents, with companies like Pespsi, Amazon, Ford and Jagermeister to name a few. Debora simultaneously worked in various plays, like The Vagina Monologues, The Bi-lingual play Casa Ajena, and she co-starred in Abstinencias at the Spanish Cultural Center . The Microtheater community in Miami became the perfect platform for Debora’s love of writing and she began developing content for Theatre. She co-wrote and starred in the Microtheater plays 1:11 and El Callejón, and adapted Enredadas from the Mexican play Rosa de dos Aromas by Emilio Carballido.
Debora’s filmmaking debut, Freddie of Wynwood, competed at the Miami Film Festival and was streamed nationally on PBS. She co-starred in the film, which is now available on Amazon Prime. Debora’s second film, Salvador, received significant national and international recognition. She obtained an Honorable Mention as “Lead Actress” from the Los Angeles Film Awards (LAFA), a “Best Female Actor Silver Award” by the European Independent Film Awards (EIFA), and an “Honorable Mention Award” for her performance by Top Shorts, the world’s leading online film festival. She also won “Best Actress in a Leading Role” at the International Independent Film Awards, which recognizes exceptional creativity and talent. Salvador was a semifinalist in PBS’s ‘Film-Maker Project,’ which garnered it national streaming on their network to over 108 million viewers. Debora’s third co-production, Swear by Apollo, was accepted and nominated in 13 film festivals world-wide. The film was a “Gold Winner” and won her a “Best Lead Actress” Award at the Latitude Film Awards. Debora is a fearless performer committed to bringing truth to every role she portrays.
Through the experiences of co-producing these films, Debora established Pollination Pictures LLC. Its mission is to develop films that provoke thought and enjoyment at the same time. We focus on culturally diverse stories that connect us to another person’s experience, so we may relate to the human similarities irrespective of background or culture. Pollination Pictures is currently working on a historic fiction TV series based in Europe and Latin America, a dramedy about an unconventional Latino family in Miami, and a feature comedy-adventure about female bonds and immigration issues.
Debora remains an active member of the performing arts community. In 2018 she co-founded Gaia Performing Arts Company, a non for-profit organization which develops and produces theatre and visual arts projects. The mission of the company is to showcase the diversity of cultures in Miami, through original and adapted content, emphasising the stories of women’s struggles and triumphs. Gaia utilizes art to build bridges within the local community, to empower women, and to expand their roles and place in society. In order to support women’s needs during the pandemic, Gaia developed Metamorphosis, a free Improv Workshop which provides a safe space for women to connect, address common issues, and enrich each other’s lives.
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Debora also works with a foundation to help people with spinal-cord injuries. She is passionate about protecting animals in peril and our environment. She loves to travel with her two children, play tennis, and do yoga.