Drake's 'I'm Upset' Music Video: All The 'Degrassi' Stars Featured

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Rapper Drake held a "Degrassi" reunion in his new music video. Here, Drake celebrates Miami Art Week at the American Express Platinum House at The Miami Beach EDITION on December 7, 2017 in Miami Beach,... Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for American Express Platinum

Grammy-winning rapper Drake released the music video for his song "I'm Upset" Wednesday, but many fans were thrilled to see that he used the opportunity to hold a Degrassi reunion.

Before moving to Netflix in 2016, Degrassi: The Next Generation was a popular Canadian teen series from 2001 to 2015. The long-running show brought us Drake—then credited as Aubrey Graham—in the form of Jimmy Brooks, a basketball player at Degrassi Community School who found himself wheelchair-bound in Season 4 after classmate Rick Murray (Ephraim Ellis) shot him in the back.

Several Degrassi alums made cameos in the "Nice For What" rapper's latest effort, but fans won't see notable stars like 90210 actress Shenae Grimes. Grimes, who joined the show in Season 4 as a Spirit Squad member named Darcy Edwards, likely wasn't involved in her former co-star's project because she's expecting her first child with husband Josh Beech. Fellow Degrassi actors like J.T. Yorke (Ryan Cooley) and Sean Cameron (Daniel Clark) weren't present either, but fans did get cameos from Stefan Brogren's Mr. Simpson and Linlyn Lue's Ms. Kwan alongside Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith as Jay and Silent Bob.

Here's a list of all the former Degrassi actors who appeared in Drake's "I'm Upset" and a peek at what they've been up to.

Nina Dobrev

Dobrev played Mia Jones, a student who got pregnant at 13 and left Degrassi in eleventh grade to pursue a modeling career in Paris. Since Degrassi, the 29-year-old starred on The Vampire Diaries.

Lauren Collins

Collins portrayed Paige Michalchuk, a popular Spirit Squad member who notably took her sexual assault trial to the court in Season 4. After Degrassi, she appeared in multiple episodes of Kroll Show and landed a recurring role on FX's The Strain.

Shane Kippel

Kippel played Gavin "Spinner" Mason, a school bully in the show's earlier seasons and best friend to Drake's Jimmy. He's returned to Degrassi: Next Class for two episodes to reprise his role, but he also played the drums on Open Your Eyes' debut album.

Adamo Ruggiero

Ruggiero portrayed Marco Del Rossi, a student who initially struggled to come to terms with his sexuality. He reprised his role on Degrassi: Next Class, but he's additionally landed theater roles.

Miriam McDonald‎

McDonald played lead female character Emma Nelson, a relatively responsible student best known for her devotion to several causes. While her fictional character may have married Spinner, she's made appearances in shows like Orphan Black.

Cassie Steele

Steele played Manuela "Manny" Santos, a relatively promiscuous student. Since Degrassi, she's released music and starred in shows like The L.A. Complex.

Stacey Farber

Farber portrayed Eleanor "Ellie" Nash, a former goth girl who briefly dated Marco to help hide his sexuality. She later starred on Canadian medical drama Saving Hope.

Jake Epstein

Epstein played Craig Manning, a musically inclined student who suffered from bipolar disorder. Following Degrassi, he was in the first national tour of American Idiot.

Ephraim Ellis

Ellis played Richard "Rick" Murray, the student who paralyzed Drake's Jimmy. He later starred in Family Biz and Disney's Naturally, Sadie.

Andrea Lewis

Lewis played Hazel Aden, a Spirit Squad member who dated Drake's Jimmy. She created her own web series in 2013, called Black Actress.

A.J. Saudin

Saudin played Connor Deslauriers, a student with Asperger syndrome. Since Degrassi, he's focused on his music career.

Sarah Barrable-Tishauer

Barrable-Tishauer played Liberty Van Zandt, a smart and driven student who became pregnant in Season 5. After Degrassi, she graduated from Concordia University.

Paula Brancati

Brancati portrayed Anastasia "Jane Vaughn" Valieri, who was a member of the school's football team and Spinner's band. In 2016, she played Miss Honey in Matilda the Musical in Canada.

Jake Goldsbie

Goldsbie played Tobias "Toby" Isaacs, a smart geek who suffered from bulimia upon joining the school's wrestling team. He works at The Score, where he writes and appears in podcasts about sports.

Melissa McIntyre

McIntyre portrayed Ashley Kerwin, a formerly popular girl who became a goth after suffering from drug addiction. Before Degrassi, she appeared on the show Real Kids, Real Adventures.

Christina Schmidt

Schmidt played Theresa "Terri" McGreggor, a student who was insecure about her weight. She's since become a plus-size model.

Dalmar Abuzeid

Abuzeid played Danny Van Zandt, Liberty's younger brother. Since Degrassi, he hosted TVOKids and starred in the 2014 film Pompeii.

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About the writer


Dory Jackson is a New York-based entertainment journalist from Maryland. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College—in May 2016—with a focus in Communication ... Read more

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