Interview TeenNick

It's been a long time! Actually, that's a lie, I've probably talked to you and Ray more recently than anyone else...
It feels like forever though, it's been a long season.

So. What's your take on what happened between Holly J and Declan.
I thought it was a very interesting turn for their story to take. Him coming back I thought would either be really good or really bad... What I like about it is that both characters are sort of in the right and in the wrong. They're both making a mistake and they both have good intentions. So I thought it was really interesting. It wasn't black or white, it's very much a gray issue.

The scene where you're leaving the condo, and you've got that horrible tight smile on your face; it was heartbreaking. When you're doing a scene like that, is it about getting into the emotion of what's going on and then whatever happens on your face just happens, or do you decide how your face is going to look because that's how you're conveying it to the audience?
That's a really interesting question... you know, the actorly thing to say is that I was swept up in the moment and whatever happens happens. But sometimes it is conscious; you kind of decide the way you want it to look. And you know your face, so there could be an expression that you think would convey it the best.

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.

You went to high school with Munro right? Can you tell the world what he was like in high school?
Uh... (she's cracking up) ...short? That's what sticks out in my mind but he would hate me for saying that! Annie [Clark]'s laughing. He's a year younger than me so I was in grade 10 and he was in grade 9, and it was one of those things where people would always try and bring the two of us together. I'd get swept over into a corner and they'd be like, "You have to meet my friend!" And they'd bring over Munro and be like, "You guys are both on TV! Talk amongst yourselves!" And we'd be like, "Uhhh..."

But he's actually the nephew of one of my mom's best friends. So I've known about Munro and his twin Thomas for a long time. They were just these energetic and like I said, fairly short, crazy twins who were on TV. That's how I knew them. But I've definitely gotten closer to Munro since then. I phoned him up when I found out he was joining the show and was like "Welcome to Degrassi!"

Are you still in school?
I actually took the semester off, which is probably the smartest thing I've done in... Time. The other years I was doing both for the fall months. So this year I've just been focusing on work, at Degrassi, and I should be going back to school in January. I have a year left and change.

Actually, here's some news: Annie and I are going to visit Judi Jiao, who played Leia! She's at Harvard, so we're going to visit and I'm just gonna pretend to go there for a little while.

Oh my God, what are you gonna wear to Harvard?!
Right? We keep buying tweed and scholastic looking clothes so we can look totally Bostony.

Hey, do you keep in touch with Paula Brancati? I've been curious about how she's doing.
Yeah, she's everywhere in Toronto, she's always doing plays, her theatre career is taking off since Degrassi and we keep in touch with her. She's so talented and awesome and kind and... she's perfect, pretty much.

Are you almost wrapped for the season?
We just wrapped our last scene, and Annie and I come back next week to do some cheerleading scenes for some minisodes. So we've got that, and then wrap party, and then a bunch of us are going to Cuba! Munro included! For fun -- this is the first non-school-building trip I've done in years. We're just relaxing on the beach this time.

...