Degrassi didn't shy away from tough topics, say stars coming to Fan Expo Regina
Stefan 'Snake' Brogren and Pat 'Joey Jeremiah' Mastroianni come to convention May 6 and 7
It'll be a school reunion of sorts when Joey Jeremiah and Archie Simpson — better known as Snake — walk into the building at Regina's Fan Expo Saturday and Sunday.
Before they do that, the men who played those characters on the hit TV shows Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High and Desgrassi: The Next Generation — Stefan Brogren and Pat Mastroianni — spoke with CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend.
Mastroianni said he looks forward to opportunities to talk to fans of the series.
"I think my favourite thing to tell people about is behind-the-scenes stuff," Mastroianni said.
"We were like a mini-high school and we all did enjoy hanging out together."
The original show ran from 1987 until 1989, and was followed by Degrassi High in 1990-91 and the long-lived Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001-2015. Over those years, the Degrassi gang dealt with topics such as suicide, HIV and AIDS, drugs, and alcohol.
In the Degrassi TV movie School's Out, for example, the popular character Wheels killed someone and blinded another character, Lucy, in a drunk driving incident.
- 13 Reasons Why: Is it 'exposing the truth' or a 'primer' on teen suicide?
- Started from Degrassi, now they're here: 11 CSA nominees who attended Canada's favourite high school
"For a kids' show, these are topics which were definitely ahead of its time," Mastroianni said.
Brogren said cast members did not shy away from those stories.
"The stories are scary but those are the ones you want to do," Brogren said.
Brogren said when he interacts with fans, they're always eager to speak with him, and may tell him anything from how much they liked a certain character to how the show saved their lives.
They may also mention a character they didn't like, he said.
"A lot of people want to talk about how much they hate [the Degrassi character] Tessa Campanelli because she ruined Joey and Caitlin's relationship," Brogren said.
Mastroianni said he has been going to conventions for about five years and he, too, receives similar responses from fans.
He said fans have approached actress Kristen Bourne, who played Tessa, and sympathized with her character, saying both she and Caitlin were victims.
He said the series also left fans with lingering questions to ponder.
"We saw [Tessa] walk into the abortion clinic and say that she was there for her appointment — but you never actually see, as an audience, if she went through with it," Mastroianni said, adding the question remains unanswered even after 25 years.
Degrassi fans who want to ask Mastroianni and Brogren about that, or other Degrassi questions, can see them at Fan Expo Regina May 6 and May 7.
Brogren and Mastroianni will be there both days, including a Q&A session on Sunday.
With files from CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend