Degrassi is one of the most popular and longest-running television series in Canadian history. It all started with The Kids of Degrassi Street from 1979-86, Degrassi Jr. High from 1987-89, then Degrassi High from 1989-1991, returning with Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001-2015 and Degrassi: Next Class in 2016-2017.
The Documentary Degrassi: Whatever It Takes screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for its 50th year.
Here is our conversation with director Lisa Rideout.
Photo: Kristina Ruddick
HNMAG: How did Degrassi put Canada on the map fort television? Why was it such an international success?
Lisa Rideout: What Degrassi did so well was encapsulate the teen experience. They have done that over decades. The franchise, the different iterations of the series. It’s been on the air for almost four decades. That’s a long time to capture the changing experiences of teens. Regardless of where you are in the world, even though each culture and place has its own unique experiences, it is defined as a succession of firsts. Your first kiss, your first dance, and getting your driver’s license. They did such a good job of representing those moments.
HNMAG: The Canadian accent and vocabulary were very noticeable, especially early on. Did that help the show stand out from US programs, and might have led to more international appeal due to that authenticity?
Lisa Rideout: I’m not sure what the process was with the Canadian accent or if it was intentional, knowing that classic era that they weren’t trained actors but age-appropriate kids, that’s probably just how they spoke. Nick Kroll had a sketch comedy show that would often parody Degrassi High with Wheels Ontario. A significant aspect of the comedy was emphasizing the Canadian elements.
HNMAG: Now we have more productions set in Canada. Did Degrassi make that easier?
Lisa Rideout: I think so. Not shying away from being Canadian and showing specific aspects of life in Toronto, such as streetcars and places that we all would recognize as Canadians and Torontonians, is important. Being on the air for so long, has shown Canadian stories appeal to viewers. When they first started, they didn’t have a choice. The Kids of Degrassi Street was filmed at Linda’s friend’s house – Bruce Mackey – on Degrassi Street. They had no real budget. That became their brand. It showed that teen stories in Canada are important.
HNMAG: The early series were non-union; the cast made a fraction of what most actors would be paid and never saw any residuals after the series had so much success. As it was mentioned in your film, that could not happen today, especially with underage actors. Degrassi: The Next Generation was union. Why do you think Linda and the other producers made that change?
Lisa Rideout: I don’t know the chicken and egg of it. Regardless of how it happened, it allowed them to access a much larger pool of actors.
HNMAG: Nobody knew Drake (Aubrey) at that point.
Lisa Rideout: Nobody did. The film looks, in part, at how he was cast on the show as Jimmy and his rise to fame.
HNMAG: The doc does mention that some people did get rich. Would that have been Linda?
Lisa Rideout: We see this with other television series, but sometimes the faces of franchises who become famous are not rich. You see this a lot with child actors. With some Degrassi actors they would take the TTC, public transit, and people would be surprised. What we wanted to do was give everyone their space to tell their side of the story. This wasn’t necessarily meant to be aimed at one person getting rich but that it was part of the reality of being an actor in Canada.
HNMAG: How did you become a documentary filmmaker?
Lisa Rideout: I was doing a PHD in critical media and cultural studies. I was attending an academic conference that I thought would be so interesting but was quite boring and had an “ah-ha” moment where I realized that it was not for me. I pivoted and did an MFA in documentary media studies. That was at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), formerly Ryerson, where I learned how to make documentaries. Then I worked as a junior production coordinator at the Canadian Film Centre, while simultaneously making my own films and eventually had a reel that helped me get hired to make them for other people.
HNMAG: Are you from Toronto?
Lisa Rideout: I am from Ottawa, but I have been in Toronto for decades.
HNMAG: What is a takeaway from Degrassi: Whatever It Takes.
Lisa Rideout: This film is about the complicated legacy of Degrassi. It shows the ups and downs that are bound to happen over four decades. It’s also about the ability to be brave and take risks, Degrassi did that, Linda did that, the actors and crew who worked on the show and everyone who spoke their truths in this documentary did that.
HNMAG: Were you a fan of the show growing up?
Lisa Rideout: I was. I would rush home from school to watch the reruns. So it’s truly an honour to direct this documentary.
Alexandria Benoit played the character Sadie Rowland on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Before that, she played Rachel Zimmerman on Being Erica which was also set in Toronto.
Here is our conversation with Actor, writer, director, producer and photographer, Alexandria Benoit.
HNMAG: Were you born and raised in Toronto?
Alexandria Benoit: Yes I am from Toronto, however I have spent time living in California and Vancouver as well.
HNMAG: You became interested in Film & TV at a young age.
Alexandria Benoit: From a young age I was always a performer. My mother saw that I had a very creative aspect to myself. I was continuously singing, dancing, and creating art. By the time I was five years old, I was performing in tap, ballet, lyrical, acro, jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop at Joanne Chapman School of Dance. As well as partaking in gymnastics for a few years. When I was ten years old, I was invited to join the National Ballet School of Canada.
HNMAG: Is that in Montreal?
Alexandria Benoit: The National Ballet School of Canada resides in Toronto. I performed in the Nutcracker at the Hummingbird Centre for Christmas. I’ve always had a passion for storytelling. My first audition in film was for a short film, even though there were no roles for a young girl.
HNMAG: What was that called?
Alexandria Benoit: It was called a Mid-Winter’s Day Dream.
HNMAG: Was it Shakespearean?
Alexandria Benoit: No, it was not. The film was about a boy who was compartmentalizing, letting go of an imaginary friend by making a new friend on his birthday. My mother wanted me to have a film acting audition experience, as I was already familiar with theatre and dance auditions. It wasn’t to be included in the project. The producers loved my audition so much that they rewrote the other cast members as a younger age.
HNMAG: That’s great! Did you play the new friend?
Alexandria Benoit: I did portray the new friend. I helped him overcome his obstacles and enter reality.
HNMAG: You were busy from a young age. You were in your early teens when you were on Being Erica. When did you become a member of the union Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA)?
Alexandria Benoit: I became a member of ACTRA when I was on Being Erica.
HNMAG: After that, you had more successful and challenging roles, which then led to your recurring role as Sadie Rowland on Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Alexandria Benoit: Yes, I had already worked for Discovery/The Science channel playing a very complex character on a docu-drama The Plastic Fantastic Brain whom had developed epilepsy eventually leading her to have half of her brain removed and with perseverance after it was explained to her that she would be immobile for the rest of her life; she created new neurons to regain some mobility again and went on to train for swimming in the Paralympics. I then went to guest star on Haven, a Stephen King Show for SYFY, alongside Stephen McHattie, Eric Balfour, and Adam Copland. I also acted in a film called Guidance that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), as well as a film called The Indestructible Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. I continue to Direct, Write, Act, and Produce. I enjoy my role as the Creative Studio Director at The Creative Studios, a high-end portrait studio specializing in fine art photography.
HNMAG: The early series were non-union. Actors got paid $30 to $60 a day, no residuals. It was low-budget. They didn’t do that with The Next Generation.
Alexandria Benoit: I’m not sure the route they took for the two generations before mine. It felt right coming from being cast in Being Erica as well because I had the opportunity to work with some Degrassi alum. Jake Goldsbie, Paula Brancati, and Jake Epstein made me feel like it was foreshadowing the road that leads to Degrassi. My mother and I worked towards getting on Degrassi. That was goal of mine.
HNMAG: You were cast on Degrassi after The Next Generation had already been on the air.
Alexandria Benoit: Yes, season ten.
HNMAG: Were you a transfer student?
Alexandria Benoit: (laughs) No, it appears Sadie had always attended Degrassi; however, Degrassi is so big that there’s always room to develop new characters. We often had a lead ensemble cast of up to 30 actors at a time. Sadie had a 3-episode guest arc. The writers, producers, and directors loved what I was doing with my character, so they started writing more episodes for me and Sadie.
HNMAG: It is possible that the show went union so they could bring in actors with more experience and could elevate the performances. That would not be possible with just non-union performers.
Alexandria Benoit: Degrassi always allowed Union and Non-Union actors to have space; it didn’t matter what season it was. After leaving the show, many Non-Union and Union actors joined the cast. Linda and Steven had so much success and longevity that the show was always on when I was growing up. The year I was on it, I was invited to the Much Music Video Awards. Unfortunately, I could not attend as I was working on Haven.
HNMAG: Do you still get residual cheques from Degrassi?
Alexandria Benoit: I do. At the time, they had a different new digital media agreement; therefore my residuals came from network television. I don’t know what it is with streaming platforms, however, I still receive something.
HNMAG: It’s fifteen years later, so that’s good. That’s the issue with the original cast. Some of them never really made anything.
Alexandria Benoit: That’s a common theme for many actors for any kind of series or film. Unless you’re part of the four percent of actors who can make their entire living solely from acting, most performers must have other jobs to pay the bills.
HNMAG: You also write and produce. What is your latest project?
Alexandria Benoit: I work with a podcast company called 911 Podcasts, and our show is called Supermarket. It’s fantastic. It’s comedic, boisterous, over the top and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It stars Sitcom superstar, Carson Carson, who gets blacklisted from Hollywood (and society) after his grotesque sex tape leak. Scandal. Carson is then forced to reprise his job (pre-fame) at the local Supermarket, where things quickly go bananas.
It was number one on Apple and Spotify. For another one of the shows, Comic-Con took notice and invited the cast and crew to do a panel at Toronto Comic Con. This was a notable way to get all our talented friends to work together. We were also interviewed by E-Talk to discuss Supermarket. I co-directed, co-wrote, produced, and starred playing Ember in it.
Degrassi is an important part of Canadian culture. It’s honest, authentic, and doesn’t shy away from controversial topics. People around the world respect and admire the show for those reasons. Linda Schuyler was the creator of the series. What we learned from Lisa Rideout’s documentary Degrassi: Whatever It Takes is how this phenomenon happened. It was all about Whatever It Takes for Linda. She started with nothing, put it out there, and struck gold. As it was stated, you couldn’t do that today. There are laws in Ontario about how children are compensated and worked with on set. It’s unfortunate that many of the original Degrassi kids did not get the wealth that matched their notoriety.
Alexandria Benoit grew up loving Degrassi. She is very talented and creative. Alexandria made her way to be eventually cast on the show as a professional actor. It wasn’t like the early days with ads that stated “No Experience Required.” Alexandria is still compensated in a small amount for her work from many years ago, but she continues to work and hustle to bring her own vision to the screen. We will look for her projects and follow up soon. As for Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, we highly recommend you watch it when you can. It is very informative and entertaining.