Drake and his former co-stars from the Canadian teen drama Degrassi reunited to look back at the show’s legacy in the trailer for the upcoming Lisa Rideout-directed documentary Degrassi: Whatever It Takes.
WildBrain and Peacock Alley Entertainment released the trailer on Wednesday ahead of the film’s world premiere, set for Sept. 13 at the Toronto International Film Festival. In addition to Drake, the documentary will also feature interviews from stars Dayo Ade, Stefan Brogren, Amanda Deiseach, Maureen Deiseach, Shenae Grimes-Beech, Jake Epstein, Shane Kippel, Miriam McDonald, Stacie Mistysyn, Melinda Shankar, Amanda Stepto and Jordan Todosey.
“I didn’t have a great time in high school. I just didn’t really fit in,” Drake says at the beginning of the trailer before he recalls learning he was cast as Jimmy Brooks on the show. “Then one day, my mom called me and told me, ‘You got the role.’ And I just grabbed my bag and left. And man, what a wild journey that started.”
The beloved franchise began with Kids of Degrassi Street, which aired from 1979-86. Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High followed before Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered in 2001. The series, which starred Drake, Grimes-Beech, Nina Dobrev and more actors before their big breaks, ultimately ended in 2015. However, the franchise continued when Degrassi: Next Class aired on Netflix from 2016-17.
As the trailer continues, Grimes-Beech recalls starring on the show as a “whirlwind experience.” Meanwhile, Brogren points out that the young stars were “becoming real teen icons.”
Despite the many doors that the show opened for the stars, Stepto looks back at the “hate” she received from fans due to some of the storylines. “Sometimes you just don’t want to be known for Degrassi. And I think we all had that where we’re just trying to escape it,” Brogren says in a separate interview.
The show’s creator, Linda Schuyler, also reflects on the show’s legacy in the trailer. “Have we always gotten it right? Probably not. Have we told our stories with the best of intentions? Yes, we have,” she says, referring to some of the show’s more controversial storylines, including teen pregnancy, drug abuse and mental health.
Degrassi: Whatever It Takes is executive produced by Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts and Angela Boudreault for WildBrain and by Carrie Mudd for Peacock Alley. In addition to directing the documentary, Rideout also co-wrote the project with Celine Wong.
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