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Degrassi: The Next Generation is the kind of show that never really felt fictional. The show was, in all its aspects, awkward, loud, messy, and real, all at once.
Degrassi: The Next Generation followed a bunch of kids at Degrassi Community School as they grew up, messed up, learned their lessons, and just simply kept going.
The cast consisted of a huge group of young actors who played students, graduated, left, and eventually made space for a newer generation to take over. It is this cycle that made the show feel alive.
Below is a look at the key cast members for Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Degrassi: The Next Generation cast and characters- Here’s who brought the Canadian teen drama to life
1) Drake/Aubrey Graham as Jimmy Brooks:
In Degrassi: The Next Generation, Jimmy Brooks is the guy who starts out his journey as this confident basketball dude who seems to have it all. He is popular, talented, and completely full of himself.
However, over time, eventually and slowly, his life changes in ways he would never have expected, and the show let's us sit with these life changes instead of russhing past it. Jimmy then learns how to rebuild who he is when everything he has come to know and love gets taken away from him.
What really stands out about Jimmy in Degrassi: The Next Generation is his ability to be creative. Art becomes his way of speaking when words aren't enough. He struggles, gets irritated, feels stuck in life, but he never stops trying to find ways to move forward.
In Degrassi: The Next Generation, his friendships are put to the test, especially when things feel awfully unfair to him. Jimmy's journey is not about someone who is learning to be perfect but it is about someone who is learning to be patient.
Drake/Aubrey Graham is a Canadian rapper and R&B singer. He's also known for his acting roles in: Ice Age: Continental Drift & Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
2) Shenae Grimes as Darcy Edwards:
Darcy Edwards is a character in Degrassi: The Next Generation who seems very sure of her rules and beliefs. She's someone who always wants to do the right thing, and she's someone who has been seen as a good character. As the seasons go on, Darcy tries new sides of herself. Some parts are exciting, and some are risky.
Darcy's story shows how pressure can build up on you until one day it finally explodes. The character deals with a lot of confusion, fear, and deep hurt, and the show never treats these important pathways to life in a light manner. She is someone who tends to push people and herself away, and the show handles it really well.
What makes Darcy's character so powerful and relatable in Degrassi: The Next Generation is her growth. She is not someone who stays frozen in time and pain. She learns to face herself, her pain, her life, all step by step, and eventually she chooses a path for herself that suits her needs and style.
Shenae Grimes is also known for: 90210 & The Rake
3) Daniel Clark as Sean Cameron:
In Degrassi: The Next Generation, Sean Cameron is the kid with a tough past written all over his face. He is at first angry, super guarded, and is ready to fight the world. However, underneath this made-up, hardened shell is someone who cares a lot, even if he may not know the proper and correct way to show it.
Sean's story is about second chances and the cost that comes along with making bad decisions. He is someone who struggles with a lot of guilt and fear, especially after things start to change for the guy.
In Degrassi: The Next Generation, he tries to escape his mistakes, but he eventually learns that running does not always heal, and he shows that growing up can mean facing things you wish you could forget.
Daniel Clark is also known for: Grizzly Falls & I Was a Sixth Grade Alien!
4) Nina Dobrev as Mia Jones:
Mia Jones is carrying the kind of responsibilities on her back in Degrassi: The Next Generation that most teens never really face. She is young but is already a parent, and raising a young one shapes every aspect of her life. Mia is someone who does crave for a normal highschool experience, but her reality is something that keeps pulling her back from the experience she wants to live and have.
In Degrassi: The Next Generation, Mia shows strength without having to pretend that life is easy. She balances her school work, her motherhood, and her love/teenage life while dealing with the judgement from people who do not seem to grasp her life.
Later on, when newer opportunities knocked on her door, things start to shift for her. Mia's story in Degrassi: The Next Generation is about aims, ambition, and surviving. She is one character who proves that growing up too fast does not mean giving up on your dreams.
Nina Dobrev is also known for: The Vampire Diaries & The Perks of Being a Wallflower
5) Miriam McDonald as Emma Nelson:
Emma Nelson is essentially the one who gives life to Degrassi: The Next Generation in the first few years of the show. Her character is initially seen as a person who is very loud and fervent and fights for what she believes in.
Her growing-up stage is also mirrored in the show, where we see her faith slowly fissuring. She undergoes personal struggles and thus the need to delve inside herself instead of looking for the answers outside. In Degrassi: The Next Generation, her character demonstrated how even the strongest voices have times when they feel lost, and also that it is perfectly alright to feel in that way.
Emma makes mistakes, but she picks up her lessons and continues growing. At the end of Degrassi: The Next Generation, she is radically different from the one she used to be and that change makes sense.
Miriam McDonald is also known for: Poison Ivy: The Secret Society & She's Too Young.
6) Lauren Collins as Paige Michalchuk:
Paige Michalchuk in Degrassi: The Next Generation is a girl who definitely had the world by the tail. She had the fashion, the charm, and was very powerful in the way people perceive her. But, if you go a little deeper, you would discover that the person hidden under that terror was someone who was very scared of the world and the pressure it brings.
In Degrassi: The Next Generation Paige is actually a perfect example of how a girls story goes beyond the storyline of the perfect girl trope. The character of Paige experiences trauma, self-doubt, and questions about her identity.
After a while, she discovers the new, different ways of standing up for herself, not only in the social aspect but also on the emotional level. Paige changes from being the one who has the power over the people in the room to a person who is actually in control of her own life.
Lauren Collins is also known for: Frankenstein & My Dead Mom
7) Cassie Steele as Manny Santos:
The character Manny Santos in Degrassi: The Next Generation was initially portrayed as a timid and nice girl who often lived in the shadow of others. As the series progressed, she became a complete version of herself. Manny desired more out of life and was not reluctant to go after it, even if people were to judge her.
Manny's story on Degrassi: The Next Generation is about making your own decisions and having the confidence to do so. She encountered huge decisions in the very beginning which, in fact, determined her future. She did not allow herself to be defined by a single moment or by a mistake.
Manny matured into a person who was courageous, flamboyant, and goal-oriented. She demonstrated that the process of finding your voice can be daunting, but it can also bring you liberation, particularly in a world that is very quick to stereotype you.
Cassie Steele is also known for: The L.A. Complex & Twist of Fate
8) Adamo Ruggiero as Marco Del Rossi:
Marco Del Rossi's arc in Degrassi: The Next Generation is essentially about learning to be comfortable with yourself. Initially, he is doubtful of himself, concealing the aspects of his nature that kept him safe. Eventually, Marco discovers how potent honesty can be, even if it is unpleasant.
His transition revolves around the themes of family, friendship, and self-acceptance. Marco, deeply caring, puts a lot of effort into maintaining his relationships and making them strong. He matures into a leader and a person whom others admire.
On Degrassi: The Next Generation, Marco highlights that bravery does not necessarily mean being loud. At times, it may be a matter of being faithful to your identity even though it is difficult.
Adamo Ruggiero is also known for: Make the Yuletide Gay & Dear Viola
9) Jake Epstein as Craig Manning:
Craig Manning is a gifted, passionate, and unstable individual. Music is both the way he gets away and the thing that keeps him grounded. He is fighting demons within himself, which consequently depresses his relationships and sense of identity.
Craig is one of the people who can win you over with their charm and be loving in the span of a minute, and then be cold and indifferent the next. His story arc demonstrates the coexistence of struggle and creativity.
Jake Epstein is also known for: Designated Survivor & The Hardy Boys.
10) Stacey Farber as Ellie Nash
Ellie Nash from Degrassi: The Next Generation is a character who thinks deeply, and usually doesn't open up her heart. Ellie handles serious issues both at home and within her. Writing is the medium through which she understands the world.
Ellie's development is gradually and very much like real life. She gets to know people, and she also realizes that her voice is important. Her connections are a mess, particularly when she doesn't get the love back. Ellie is a powerful example that strength can be gentle, reflective, and most probably hopeful in spite of being stubborn.
Stacey Farber is also known for: The Spencer Sisters & 18 to Life
11) Shane Kippel as Spinner Mason
Spinner Mason is a loud, rowdy, and reckless type of guy, who is overflowing with energy. In the very beginning, he goes about making decisions without considering the repercussions of his actions. He gets to be followed by those choices for a very long time.
Spinner's story in Degrassi: The Next Generation is an example of learning from one's mistakes and making progress. He experiences a heavy hand of consequences and is required to regain the trust of those people with whom he surrounds himself. Illnesses and even the death of loved ones slow him down and make him think. Not to mention that he becomes really grounded eventually.
The character arc of Spinner from Degrassi: The Next Generation serves as a testament to the fact that change is always possible, even when it is after a huge blunder.
Shane Kippel is also known for: Dog Pound & The Beacons of Gondor
12) Christina Schmidt as Terri MacGregor:
Terri MacGregor is a nice, faithful, and frequently confused person. She has a hard time believing in herself and her self-image. Once she starts to feel appreciated, she ends up turning her own shadow. Terris' character in Degrassi: The Next Generation is a metaphor for openness and reliance.
She finds out how hurtful it is when love becomes a means of control. Her personal journey is somewhat silent, yet very strong, giving an idea of how very essential support systems are.
Terris' influence is like a ghost throughout the series after she moves on. She is the one to whom most of the time people don't listen, but she matters profoundly.
Christina Schmidt is also known for: Notes from Mother
13) Ryan Cooley as J.T. Yorke:
J.T. Yorke infuses humor and love in the Degrassi: The Next Generation series. To hide his fear and confusion, he makes jokes, but beneath it all, he is just a kid trying his best. J.T. changes from being a clown of the school into a person who faces the real world.
His journey was a mixture of both bright and dark times. J.T. ends up learning love, loss, and sacrifice much earlier than most kids. He makes some wrong moves but is always really caring towards the people in his life. J.T.'s character on Degrassi: The Next Generation is like a light that shows that fun times and sorrow are companions.
Ryan Cooley is also known for: Cybermutt & The Color of Friendship
14) Jake Goldsbie as Toby Isaacs:
Toby Isaacs is an intelligent, devoted, and frequently underestimated character. He is fond of games, facts, and keeping to his routine. Toby finds it hard to be accepted among the other kids at school, but he doesn't change his nature. It is through Toby's relationships that he becomes the person he is, particularly when death comes into his life.
He mourns in a hushed manner, holding onto it whilst making an effort to continue with his life. His experience shows that being clever cannot save you from getting hurt. Toby develops by understanding the need to express himself, to rely on others, and to keep going when things are not right.
Jake Goldsbie is also known for: When Andrew Came Home & Twitches
15) Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as Liberty Van Zandt:
Liberty Van Zandt was initially portrayed as a serious, driven, and success, oriented type in Degrassi: The Next Generation. In her view, hard work was her safeguard against anything else. Life had other plans for her. Liberty encounters situations that deeply shake her, and she questions her ability to control them.
She discovers that strength does not equate to doing everything on her own. Her narrative arc is marked with coming back from defeat and personal development through heartbreak. Liberty becomes a character who not only understands one-sided ambition but also knows how to be empathetic.
She exemplifies that often becoming an adult is a result of having been through the unexpected.
Sarah Barrable-Tishauer is also known for: The Red Sneakers.
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