Our favorite Canadian teen drama Degrassi always deals with issues so current that it’s sometimes hard to believe that the show has been gracing our screens for more than thirty years. Now in its thirteenth season, it’s been a break out for several adult stars and has won numerous Teen Choice and Young Artists awards. Degrassi stays up to date with subjects such as drug abuse, cyber bullying and date rape, but the shows writers always like to keep a somewhat familiar stable of characters through which to explore its themes. Here we take a look at some of the characters, old and new, to see how they make the show tick.
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Marco blazed onto the screen as a dancer at Degrassi way back in season 2. He went through some struggles, including an ill-fated relationship with Ellie, before he came out as gay. He later suffered some serious bullying at school for being gay, but he ultimately thrives at Degrassi and later comes back as a student teacher. Right now, we have Tristan, who has had a serious makeover since entering the school in season 11. Also a regular on the Degrassi dance and drama scene, Tristan looks sharp at all times with bleached blonde crop cut and close fitting tees. He’s also no stranger to confusion and controversy surrounding his sexuality, having shared a kiss with Miles during the current season.
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Zoe Rivas is a relatively new addition at Degrassi, and we must admit that she has spiced up our screens with her exploits. In just one season, she’s hooked up with Miles and Drew, been sexually assaulted at a party, almost gotten expelled for ‘assaulting’ a teacher, bought meds from Zig … this girl is a trouble magnet. She’s following in auspicious footsteps though; Manuella ‘Manny’ Santos was another cute brunette who certainly knew how to stir things up during her time at Degrassi! With her risque outfits and boy chasing reputation, she ultimately got herself into trouble and ended up having an abortion in season three.
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Degrassi has a long line of athletes amongst its students and alumni. Jimmy Brooks (played by none other than Drizzy Drake when he was a nipper) was a basketball star in seasons 1 through 7. He spent some time in a wheelchair after an accident, during which time he fostered his love for music and became a rapper. Mike ‘Dallas’ Dallas is a hockey player who’s been with the show since season 12 and is currently a senior, having had a son named Rocky (named after the boxer?) when he was 15.
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For the musical contingent, we used to have Ashley, singer/songer writer and famously front woman of hard hitting girl band PMS. She tore up Degrassi’s talent shows in seasons 1 through 8 and upon graduating went on to become a full time musician, touring the world. Taking her place now as whiter than white musical prodigy is Maya. She’s a virtuoso cellist who is currently making an interesting life choice by dating Degrassi bad boy Miles Hollingsworth.
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Liberty at Degrassi high from seasons 1 through 9, and on again off again boyfriend JT knocked her up during season 5. She put the baby up for adoption, and JT was fatally stabbed, but she made it out alive, and attended fictional Smithdale college in New York. The current teen mom flavor of the month at Degrassi is Jenna Middleton; currently a senior at Degrassi, she’s been in the show since season 9, when she stole Clare’s boyfriend KC. In season 10, he got her pregnant but the baby was given up for adoption and the couple didn’t make it and right now she’s dating dorky Connor.
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On the subject of Connor, he’s been the token smart kid around the Degrassi campus since joining the show in 2008. He’s grown up and buffed up A LOT since then, but at heart he’s still the same socially challenged brainiac that we’ve come to know and love. And let’s never forget his embarrassing turn as Friar Lawrence in the school production of ‘Romeo and Jules’. His predecessor at Degrassi in terms of ‘smart, shy guy’ was none other than Toby; arguably not quite so easy on the eye as newby Connor, Toby nevertheless lit up our screens between seasons 4 and 8, struggling with the death of his friend JT, and his own battle with anorexia.
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JT, himself, played the school’s ‘Dorky’ character to a T between seasons 1 and 6. He had a penchant for sewing, was victimized by bullies, and ultimately was stabbed to death outside of school by a student from a rival school. RIP to JT and his lego shaped hair cut. He has been almost seamlessly replaced in today’s Degrassi with Winston, who has only just joined the cast in this season, but has already made himself indispensable with his quirky fashion sense and his massively failing attempts to get with all the girls.
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Paige was the typical queen bee character in Degrassi between seasons 1 and 8. She would always get what she wanted, whether it was boys (Spinner), girls (Alex!) or a fantastic job as an assistant to an actor in Hollywood. Nowadays, the queen bee around Degrassi is Becky, who entered in season 12 and is now a senior. Blonde, demure and pretty, she’s tangled with Adam before his death, before most recently turning herself to Imogen – although this is almost certainly a play for attention. She also shares a flair for the dramatic with Paige, having produced a handful of plays.
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Every show needs a dangerous character and Degrassi is no exception. For a while, it used to be Sean, the motorcycle riding heart throb who spent time inside, attempted suicide, and got into scrapes including getting shot at but ultimately cleaned himself up and ended up joining the army. Although he had his troubled moments, he was a good guy at heart. The show’s current dark and brooding type with a heart of gold comes in the form of Zig, the handsome skater type who’s always in detention, has been kicked out of home, and is always fighting. Nevertheless, he’s proven time and time again that he’ll always look after Maya, for whom he has a soft spot.
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Ellie was the character through seasons 2 – 8, who was a bit of a hippy and let her feelings show. She kept Marco’s secret of being gay, and loyally supported Ashley when Craig cheated on her. She was a great friend, although she struggled with depression and self harming. Now Degrassi has Imogen, a creative type; into journalism and drama and perhaps the show’s only true pansexual, having been attracted to boys, girls and transgender man Adam.
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Emma was one of the show’s former forceful females who was at Degrassi through Seasons 1-5. She was a fierce environmentalist and later became a feminist, berating the school’s spirit squad as sexist, and later campaigning for gay rights. She had a finger in all of the causes! Nowadays, Clare is the girl at Degrassi who’s not to be messed with. Staunchly religious, in season 8 she stood up in front of the whole school in the lunch room and sung a hymn to show just how little she cared what they thought! Lalalala! Her strong personality has also led to her being at the center of a love triangle in which both K.C. and Connor vied for her affections. She’s one kick ass chick.
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Alex was the show’s original bad girl. She was in seasons 3 – 7 and at one point she was a stripper to make ends meet, and showed Ellie how to pay her rent by playing cards. Throw in a bit of good old fashioned lesbianity and you have a character who did what she liked and didn’t care about what anybody else thought. Nowadays it’s left to blue haired Grace to shake things up, revealing to Maya that Zoe made a hate page about her, and being the person who cracked open the case and revealed who sexually assaulted Zoe. She’s only been around through season 13 but we’re already pretty attached to her!
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Craig used to be the show’s ‘keep calm and carry on’ character, seemingly unaffected by the death of his father in season 2, and taking news of Manny’s pregnancy in his stride. His modern Degrassi counterpart comes in the form of Eli, who graduated in 2012. Eli suffers from bipolar disorder so it’s sometimes his medication that keeps him sane, but nevertheless, he’s a cool cat!
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Jay was the school’s bad boy and bully during his reign at Degrassi; he worked in an autoshop, and wasn’t adverse to making the odd sex tape to blackmail girlfriends (Manny). Miles is a somewhat toned down and richer version of the bad boy image, but he definitely has his moments, like having a fling with Zoe, before dumping her for Maya, and taking ‘steroids’ to maintain his place on the basketball team – even though he doesn’t know they’re fake. He’s also always having parties at his parents’ massive house whilst they’re away … boys will be boys!
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Every school, for all its characters, needs some quieter kids to follow the pack, and Degrassi is no exception. Hazel used to fulfill this role in seasons 1 through 6; she was a quiet muslim girl who wasn’t really one to rock the boat, being one of only two Spirit Squad members who never made captain. She also never slept with her long term boyfriend Jimmy. Even though she was sometimes more of a follower than a leader, she was a great friend and Terri and Paige treated her as a confidante. Right now, Degrassi has Alli, who distinguishes herself more by being in the Gifted Program at school and offered a scholarship to MIT, than through any wild antics.
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The show definitely has always needed some characters who go through challenges but ultimately come out on top. This used to be Spinner, who was first depicted as a bully in season 1, but grew up a lot after his best friend Jimmy was paralyzed from the waist down and, after a brief expulsion in season 4, become a born again christian and even got married to Emma by the end of season 9. Our current master of reinvention is Drew, who is currently a senior despite having dropped out in the 2012-2013 school year. He’s also suffered from PTSD and multiple concussions as a result of his MMA fighting. This hasn’t stopped him though; he’s now Student President of Degrassi for his second senior year. Go Drew!