TV & Movies
10 Degrassi Guest Stars You Totally Forgot About
Who knew Degrassi and Schitt’s Creek had so much in common?
Degrassi: The Next Generation is finally on HBO Max — the most exciting thing to happen to the fandom since the cast reunited for Drake’s 2018 “I’m Upset” music video. If you’re rewatching the series for the first time since your TeenNick days, you might’ve noticed there’s a slew of guest stars who passed through the Degrassi Community School halls on their way to mainstream fame, including the star and creator of one of your favorite feel-good sitcoms.
Because there were a lot of episodes to keep track of, you probably forgot about the many guest stars who were already established celebs by the time they made cameos on Degrassi.
And there could be more on the way, too. Announced this January, a Degrassi revival has received the green light at HBO Max. It’s not yet clear whether or not the new show will feature characters we already know or start fresh with the next next generation, but here’s hoping there’s room for OG faves (and some celeb guests) to pay a visit.
Until then, here are 10 Degrassi celebrity guest stars worth revisiting today.
Dan Levy
Chances are, the last time you watched Degrassi in earnest was in a pre-Schitt’s Creek world. So it makes sense if you forgot Dan Levy’s appearance during Degrassi Goes Hollywood. Levy played a movie producer in the 2009 special — a small but prescient role. The next decade would see Levy helm his very own star vehicle, going from visiting a beloved Canadian series to creating one.
Levy would probably rather leave that guest spot in the past, though. As he told Vogue in 2019, his character’s outfit “was one of the most unflattering looks I’ve ever been forced to wear.” He also pointed out that Degrassi was a bit more dramatic than his own Canadian upbringing. “Listen, there’s never been a point in my life where I’ve gone to a ravine and gotten an STD,” he said. “I would love to be able to share some really sexy stories, but ... Degrassi certainly sensationalized the Toronto experience. Like, I don’t think Shawn Mendes is like leaving his apartment in Toronto and wandering down to a ravine.”
Tim Rozon
Tim Rozon, who played Mutt on Schitt’s Creek, appeared alongside his former collaborator in the same special. He played himself, as he was already a well-known Canadian actor at the time, starring on CTV’s Instant Star.
Jennifer Robertson
Another familiar face from the Creek appeared on Degrassi: Mutt’s mom. Before starring as Jocelyn Schitt, Jennifer Robertson played Eli Goldsworthy’s very chill, punk-rock mom who took him to Lollapalooza when he was *checks notes* 6-months-old. OK, but doesn’t that actually sound like major Jocelyn behavior?
Noah Reid
Yup... another one. Before playing David’s sweet love interest, Patrick, on Schitt’s Creek, Noah Reid had a dark guest role on Degrassi. In Season 8, Episode 18, Reid was a former Lakehurst student who holds Holly J and Spinner hostage at The Dot.
Stacey Farber
Clearly, many Schitt’s Creek regulars got started with guest spots on Degrassi — but it also works the other way around. Stacey Farber, who played Patrick’s ex-fiancée in Season 4 of Schitt’s Creek, was a mainstay of the early Degrassi days as Ellie Nash.
Keke Palmer
As you’ve probably realized by now, Keke Palmer is simply everywhere — and that’s not a new thing. The upcoming Nope star even played herself in Degrassi’s Season 11 premiere more than a decade ago, developing a sweet spring break flirtationship with Sav Bhandari.
Shay Mitchell
A year before landing her big break as Emily on Pretty Little Liars, Shay Mitchell played a model who dropped out of high school to pursue the career full-time — and encouraged Mia (Nina Dobrev, on the cusp of CW fame) to do the same.
Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus was already a bona fide celebrity by the time he guested as limo driver Duke during Season 3 of Degrassi — wearing a cowboy hat, tuxedo T-shirt, and all. But of course, the 2003 episode was still a few years before Cyrus graced Disney Channel screens as Robby Ray, Hannah Montana’s dad.
Alanis Morissette
You oughta know (sorry, had to) that Alanis Morissette also appeared on Degrassi back in the early aughts, playing a stereotypically Canadian principal in a Jay and Silent Bob project filming at the school in Season 4.
Natasha Bedingfield
What better way to send off the OG Next Generation teens than with a prom performance by Natasha Bedingfield herself? And, yes, the Season 7 performance set included “Unwritten,” the perfect anthem for graduations and new beginnings of all kinds.
