Afraid of being typecast as funny, Deborah J. enrolled at the University of Toronto to pursue the serious goal of becoming a lawyer. But she managed to move two more clicks to the right on the dour and mirthless meter when upon graduation, Deborah J. was recruited by the audit firm Ernst & Young where she became a Canadian Chartered Accountant.

Although she enjoyed great success as a professional smarty-pants in both Canada and the United States, Deborah J. was always restless. She had taken Zen and the Art of Budgets and Cashflow as far as she could and longed to channel her creative energy into something more tangible. So one day Deborah J. stepped off the corporate ladder and did a free fall into film school.

Deborah J. graduated cum laude and with distinction as a Director from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.  Known for her quirky irreverent humor,dark moody films and for being an Actor’s Director, Deborah J. has achieved both popular and critical acclaim for her commercials. In 2005 she took NATPE international gold for a commercial campaign that she wrote, directed and produced and was a finalist for best commercial of the year at Filmfest.  In October 2006 she was profiled on the FOX prime time special “The Fine Line On Design.” Deborah J. has also received the CJOH Television screenwriting grant, Executive Produced and hosted her own cable access show and worked with Producers on American Idol for two seasons and is currently producing hip-hop music videos for Bay Area artisits such as E-40, Kafani and Tully Banta-Cain.

Deborah J. is also in post production on a feature documentary called the 50 year old Freshman.