Jake Epstein Looks Back on ‘Degrassi’: ‘It Felt Really Special & Authentic’
While teen dramas talking about serious subject matters is more common these days than they used to be, back when Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2015) — just one of several series in the franchise — was on, that wasn’t the case. And when TV Insider recently spoke with Jake Epstein (who starred as Craig Manning across Seasons 2-8) about his latest Hallmark movie, The Wedding Contract, we had to have him look back at his time on the show.
“At the time, you never know what kind of impact something you’re in is going to have. And when I was doing Degrassi, I mean, it felt really special and authentic. I loved the character that I was playing,” he shared. “It’s only really been in years after that I’ve really realized that a lot of those stories meant a lot to a lot of people who are maybe going through similar things and felt some comfort in that. So yeah, I feel like I take a lot of pride to be part of it.”
He also pointed out that since he’s Canadian and “Degrassi is such a cornerstone of Canadian entertainment, I feel quite proud that I’ve been part of that in some way.”
He has seen and worked with his Degrassi costars since the show, and he’d be up for doing so again, including in a Hallmark film. “Oh, 100 percent,” he immediately said and even had a pitch: “It would be called The High School Reunion, and it would just be Degrassi characters showing up.”
Epstein would also be up for them in different roles. “Everyone would be playing against type. Something like that would be great,” he shared.
It’s clear what his time on Degrassi meant to him. “It was my second high school. I probably spent more time on set filming at Degrassi than I was in my actual high school. So when I do run into people, it is a real high school reunion — more real than my real-life high school reunion,” he said with a laugh.
Degrassi: The Next Generation, Streaming Now, Max
Degrassi: The Next Generation where to stream
