Posted On
Comments Off on Melinda Shankar in Anokhi Magazine
Melinda Shankar was featured in Anokhi Magazine this month. She did a cute little interview in which she talks about her most valuable life lesson, the highlight of her career (so far!), her love for the Backsteet Boys, and more. It also includes a quote from fellow Degrassi actor Daniel Kelly. Click here to see the full size scan. Thanks to Epitome for sending this to us!
Like the rest of the Degrassi community, we are in love with Shannon Kook-Chun. The actor, also known as Degrassi’s Zane, was recently featured in the winter issue of Off The Map Webzine. The article includes new photos of Shannon, as well as an interview. Shannon tells the Toronto-based zine about his experience moving to Canada from South Africa. He also discusses his role on Degrassi, and his friendship with co-star Argiris Karras. To read the article, download the issue and flip to page 77.
Posted On
Comments Off on Degrassi & Skins in Conversation
This week, Toronto Life featured a photo conversation with our own Ray Ablack & Camille Cresencia-Mills from the North American version of Skins. The idea is that both Degrassi and Skins are unique teen dramas that push boundaries and focus on middle class, “normal” teens. Both shows are also filmed in Toronto. The photos are cute! Click the images above to see the full size scans.
Posted On
Comments Off on Degrassi Execs on Abortion, Season 11, & More
An amazing new interview with Degrassi executive producers Linda Schuyer & Stephen Stohn has surfaced tonight from Toronto Star columnist Corey Mintz. Linda & Stephen discuss tough topics like abortion & suicide, plans for season 11, the telanovela format, consequences to the issues, and much more. I love interviews with Linda & Stephen, because they provide so much creative insight into the making of Degrassi. In particular, this conversation seems so honest. It’s fascinating to read about the behind the scenes aspect of this show & their careers.
The interview starts with Linda & Stephen discussing the most difficult topics to deal with on Degrassi. They both agree that suicide is always a challenge. Abortion is another topic that can be “untouchable.” Linda Schuyler explains why The N [now TeenNick] was reluctant to air the abortion episode:
SCHUYLER: The final shot is her walking through the door, going to get the abortion … And it’s very interesting. Because in the states they said, we could have shown that show, IF, at the very last shot, she showed remorse. She can’t be resolute. She has to be remorseful. If she was remorseful, we could show the shot.
MINTZ: So, if you cut to her crying …
SCHUYLER: Exactly. And we wouldn’t do that.
MINTZ: Really?
SCHUYLER: Absolutely not. What kind of message is that for young girls?
On bringing in the new generation of characters:
STOHN: And our ratings started to go down a little bit. And the network came to us and said, we still love you. You’re still our number one show. But you know what, we’ve got to prepare for a soft landing. All our research shows, seven years is it. So let’s start developing some other things. And finally, Linda and I, and I’ll actually in this case give credit to both of us on this, because the writers loved writing for those characters. So the thought of bringing in new characters, they would say yes, but they wouldn’t do it. And we finally just said, no, these characters are gone. We are not writing about them again. There’s a whole bunch of new characters. You’ve got to bring in six new characters. And then all the sudden the ratings started to go back up like that. You realize, that the way, Linda, you put it, is, first of all, there are different metaphorical ways you can say it, that the school is the main character. And so we were losing that by going beyond the school.
SCHUYLER: Much as they love the characters, they weren’t that intrigued with them after they left high school.
Season 11 is on everybody’s minds these days, as we’ve heard about early brainstorming sessions with the writers. And now we’re hearing about a new generation of grade 9’s that are to be introduced! Of course the question everybody wants to know…
MINTZ: What happens in season eleven?
SCHUYLER: Most people don’t believe us but we don’t know until we get in that room. We don’t have a plan. All we know is that halfway through season eleven, the current gang that are in twelfth grade are gonna graduate at the end of our twenty-four part telenovella. At that point we’ll bring in a whole bunch of ninth graders who will be new to the school.
This is just a brief snippet of all sorts of interesting topics brought up in this interview. Read the entire conversation (it is worth your while) by visiting Corey Mintz’s blog.
Edit: You can also read the full article on The Toronto Star’s website.
Posted On
Comments Off on Jamie Johnston on Life Post-Degrassi
Yet another Degrassi interview from The Star Scoop, and this one is from Jamie Johnston! Since his character Peter graduated from Degrassi, Jamie has had a few parts in TV shows & movies but spends most of his time focused on Soundspeed. In this interview, Jamie talks about Soundspeed as well as the infamous “Degrassi Bermuda Triangle” and the fans. On acting vs. music, Jamie said:
JAMIE JOHNSTON: It’s really hard to practice acting every day. It’s not like I’m doing one more than the other on purpose, but it’s really easy to just pick up a guitar and play for a few hours. I just need to call up one other person and have an awesome jam session.
To act by myself, I would have to just memorize a monologue and read to myself in the mirror. When the opportunity comes along, I’ll jump right back on the acting bandwagon.
We wish him the best of luck! Click here to read the entire interview!
Posted On
Comments Off on Munro Chambers’ Favourite Degrassi Storylines
Our Degrassi world has been kind of quiet lately, but love for Munro Chambers is still at an all-time high. A great new interview with Munro came out today, courtesy of Leacocks.com (the arts publication for the McGill University community). This interview is very detailed. Munro talks about all sorts of things you guys would be interested to know, from his love of Jersey Shore to the never-ending “age debate.” He also discusses his favourite characters & storylines past and present:
So, did you watch Degrassi before you were cast on the show or what?
MC: I watched a little bit of it — [seasons] 7 and 8 and a bit of 9. But I definitely knew how iconic the show was in Canada and the U.S.
Favorite character or storyline of years past?
MC: Definitely the Alli Bhandari [Melinda Shankar] storyline where she thinks she might have an STI. And then— although it was in the earlier seasons — the bipolar storyline with Craig [played by Jake Epstein]. His sort of resembles my character, in that he’s also got a mental disorder. And he did just a phenomenal job.
That was just a little taste of the amazing interview. Read the rest of it right here!
Posted On
Comments Off on TeenNick.com Interviews Annie Clark
We all know that Annie Clark is a huge Degrassi fan. She lived out the ultimate Degrassi fantasy by getting a part on the show. In the latest interview with TeenNick.com, Annie talks about her love for Degrassi as well as graduating high school and Fiona’s amazing wardrobe. Here’s what she had to say on her Friday night Degrassi dates:
I also saw on the twitters that you actually sit down and watch Degrassi on Friday nights, right?
Yeah, out of the cast I’m the one who’s the biggest Degrassi fan. I’ve seen every one multiple times, of all the seasons. I love to see how they turn out — because we only read through them once in the readthroughs and I don’t read them again after that. And even though it’s hard watching myself, I love it.
Do you have certain people you want to watch with, or like rules about whether you can talk during the show?
I definitely don’t want interruptions, and everyone has to sing along with the theme song with me. My parents are obsessed with it, too; they’ll watch it even when I’m not there. Even if I’m not in the episode, they DVR it and watch it together. But as for who I watch with, I’m not picky, the more the merrier.
I also used to sing the theme song everytime I watched Degrassi… haha. Click here to read the full interview with Annie!
Posted On
Comments Off on The Star Scoop Interviews Samantha Munro
Samantha Munro is next up in this non-stop series of interviews. She talks to The Star Scoop about Anya coming back in season 11, the Sav/Anya relationship, her singing ability. & she tells us a funny story about Luke:
THE STAR SCOOP: Do you have any fun facts or things people don’t know?
SAMANTHA MUNRO: I have a really good story, probably nobody would have told you about [laughs]. It’s a prank Luke [Bilyk] played. I think it might kind of interesting for everybody to hear.
This one time, we all got out of set and Munro [Chambers] was driving us all and we all went out to dinner . And there’s this note left on the car that says, hi, sorry I hit your car. Here’s my name and number. Give me a call. It was 7:30 at night. We must have spent a half an hour standing over this car trying to find a dent or a scratch or anything like that. So we ended up calling the number and some random guy answers the phone and we’re like hey, is this Tom or whatever his name was. He says no, I think you’ve got the wrong number. And I said let me see the note, and sure enough, it’s Luke’s handwriting and he thought he’d be funny. I think he’s stepped up as the head prankster on the set.
Click here to read the full interview.
Posted On
Comments Off on Charlotte Arnold Discusses Love Lockdown
TeenNick’s next interview is with Charlotte Arnold, who primarily speaks about her thoughts on the highly conversial Holly J. episode “Love Lockdown.” On the scene when Holly J. leaves the condo, Charlotte says:
That was really a tough scene, because I was getting notes to play it happy — like she was going out of her way to make things seem normal. And then, we have TVs all around the production office so whatever we’re shooting on set, the writers and producers see. And I think some feedback came back that I was maybe looking too convincing? So we made it more forced. It was a very nuanced sort of scene.
Interesting. She also talks about going to high school with Munro and taking time off from her current education. Read it all right here.
Posted On
Comments Off on The Star Scoop Interviews Munro Chambers
It must be finale week, because we have yet another Degrassi interview tonight. This one is also from The Star Scoop, and features the one and only Munro Chambers. They’ve been teasing us about this interview for a while on Twitter, and now it’s finally out! Munro answered a few fan questions, and talked about Eclare as well as his Twitter army. Here is what he had to say about preparing for the hoarding storyline:
THE STAR SCOOP: An important place to start is the recent hoarding story line. A lot of people are really interested in how you prepared for it. With Degrassi, certain issues come up again, but this one is totally new and different.
MUNRO CHAMBERS: Yeah. When I got the script about the hoarding story line, I was so excited. It was so challenging for me as an actor to do such an intense role. It’s not a strange disorder, but a disorder you don’t really hear about, and yet it’s so very real. I went to go see an actual hoarder and just got to see how they live their life, and what it was like for them. It’s more like an anxiety thing where they can’t part from anything. If they lose that one thing, it means that the world is going to crash down in their own specific way. I thought it was very interesting.
I’m glad that people are getting to know about it…my job as the actor is just to make it believable and do justice to that disorder, and I really hope that I’ve done that job. Given the tweets I’ve been given and the comments, I feel like I have done it, and I just hope that they accept it and they enjoy it and that I’m not making a mockery of it.
Click here to read the full interview.
Posted On
Comments Off on TeenNick.com Interviews Munro Chambers
Next in a series of Degrassi interviews from TeenNick.com is this interview with Munro Chambers. Similar to the interview with Aislinn Paul, this interview primarily focuses on Eli as a character as well as the fans. And, oh right, they talk about his bedroom.
So what’s your favorite thing about playing Eli?
Definitely just how complex the character is. There are so many different layers to him. On one level he’s very suave and intelligent, but he’s also very dark and has lots of secrets… Very complex, very mysterious, and very different from any character I’ve ever played before.
What do and don’t you have in common with him?
We’re very different people in a lot of senses I think. But the one thing we have in common is our sense of protection for the people we love.
Click here to read the full interview.
Posted On
Comments Off on The Star Scoop Interviews Annie Clark
Another interview tonight! This one coming from The Star Scoop and featuring Annie Clark! Annie talks about how Fiona has developed as a character, her love for Jake Epstein, and more! She is such a big Degrassi fan. Here is a little excerpt on joining the cast in season 9:
THE STAR SCOOP: Did you feel any nerves about coming onto the show with all of the reputation that came behind it?
ANNIE CLARK: For sure. I don’t know if you know this but I’ve been a long time fan of Degrassi. I’m the one on the set who has been the hardcore Degrassi fan. It was terrifying for me to come onto the show with the cast I’ve been watching for a really long time. I remember meeting them all for the first time and being so star struck. That definitely added to the nerves of then having to be part of the show and be on camera against these amazing young actors.
I think when I look back at season 9 now, I can so nervous I was in my first episode, working with Nina Dobrev and everyone in the cast. I think I’ve warmed up a bit now and they’re some of my best friends.
Read the full interview right here. Also, The Star Scoop will be interviewing more Degrassi cast members in the future! Make sure you follow them on Twitter for the latest updates.
Posted On
Comments Off on TeenNick.com Interviews Aislinn Paul
TeenNick.com just posted this great interview with Aislinn Paul! It’s really interesting. Aislinn talks about Clare’s storyline this season and how so many fans can relate to her. She also discusses her on screen romances with both Munro and Sam, as well as her communication with fans on Twitter:
And on top of all of that, you respond to what appears to be every tweet that you get, but it can’t possibly be, because how could you possibly find the time?
It’s not even close to all of the ones I get. I try my best, and I like developing relationships with some people — like there are some I’ll always respond to because they’re always saying stuff that’s really awesome — and I try to keep up with new people too… I wish I could respond to them all, I really do. I hope they know that I doread them all.
Here is the Degrassi Etalk segments from last night. First, they talk about the FFA controversy and speak to Adamo about homophobia. Next, they interview various Degrassi cast members about Degrassi’s 30th anniversary!
Posted On
Comments Off on MuchMusic.com Interviews Landon Liboiron
Check out this new interview with Landon Liboiron from MuchMusic.com! The interview mainly focuses on Landon’s role in Altitude as well as Degrassi and Life Unexpected. Here is an excerpt on working with a first time director:
Another person that the cast became close with was first time director, Marvel comic artist turned filmmaker, Kaare Andrews. When I asked whether Landon felt anxious working with a director on their first project, it was a resounding ‘no’. “It’s a very vibrant energy when it’s a new director. He’s always very excited and he’s always very anxious to try things. I wasn’t nervous about it at all because we were all very confident in Karre’s decisions. It was our job to take hold of what we needed to do. He was always right there with us.”
Posted On
Comments Off on An Update on Sarah Barrable-Tishauer
Ever wonder what some of our Degrassi alumni are up to these days? A little update on Sarah Barrable-Tishauer has surfaced, as she was interviewed in The Montreal Gazette’s feature on some of the city’s most interesting spaces. The actress who formerly played the one and only Liberty Van Zandt on Degrassi is currently living in Montreal where she attends university. With little free time, acting isn’t in the cards for her right now. But she is still involved with Free the Children. The article indicates that she went on a trip to India earlier this summer. I think this was a separate trip from the one that our current cast took in August. According to the article, Sarah was there with another Degrassi cast member and a group of Canadian high school students.
The article focuses primarily on Sarah’s charming apartment in Montreal. She talks about how she found the place, why she likes it, and various souvenirs from her trip to India that she has around the space. Click here to read the full article.
Posted On
Comments Off on Degrassi Cast in Performers Magazine
A few Degrassi cast members were featured in the pages of Performers Magazine recently. Charlotte Arnold along with Adamo Ruggiero and Evan Williams were there along with 5 other up and coming actors from the Toronto region. The magazine includes a new photoshoot with all 8 of the actors featured as well as an article & short individual interviews. Here are all of the scans. Thanks to Epitome for sending this to me!
Posted On
Comments Off on Interview: Munro Chambers on Joining the Cast of Degrassi
Dose.ca just posted this great new interview with Munro Chambers. In the interview, Munro discusses everything from how he got the part of Eli, the mysteries of his storyline, and what we can expect between Eli & Clare in the future. He also talks a bit about his character Wilder on The Latest Buzz. Here’s what he had to say on the difference between the two shows:
“Wilder’s just so crazy and wacky and kind of stupid, and Eli’s so serious and cynical and manipulating,” he explains. “He’s going through a lot of stuff that I’ve never gone through, so it’s just trying to go through that and mangle that up in my mind. He’s got a dead ex-girlfriend and it’s hard to imagine dealing with that. It’s intense for me thinking about that, so you just multiply that by 25 and you get Eli.”
Read the complete article over at Dose.ca!
Posted On
Comments Off on Aislinn Paul on Clare, Meeting Fans, and How to Say Her Name
A new interview with Aislinn Paul is out, and it comes from The Star Scoop. Aislinn talked about a variety of things including how Clare has grown up & developed, fans coming up to her on the street, and even how to pronounce her name! It’s a really great to read her thoughts on Clare and what it’s like to be a main character on Degrassi. Here’s an excerpt:
THE STAR SCOOP:
Have you learned anything personally from playing Clare?
AISLINN PAUL:
As a person, I really admire Clare’s ability to accept herself. She’s always been the type to just do what she feels is right. That’s a really important lesson for teenagers to learn.
I know that that’s something that’s always been hard for me, as opposed to going with my friends. I have to make my own decisions, and I think that’s been a really great lesson that she’s taught me.
I hope that I’ve rubbed off a little bit on her character. And I think I have. My sarcasm has come out in the writing a little bit.
We admire that too, Aislinn. Read the full interview right here!
DJGeneral’s highly anticipated Munro Chambers interview is finally out! You can view the entire interview at Degrassi Blog. In the interview Munro discusses everything from his fans to what storylines he would like to see for Eli. Here is one question I thought was interesting:
Were you intimidated coming to a new set last year? A lot of these people have been working together for years now. How did they make you feel at home?
I wasn’t nervous joining the cast. For me it was like any other project that I’ve done in the past. Also, the cast being as nice and welcoming as they are made it easy to feel right at home.