The Degrassi Cast: Where are they now?

Written by Mark Aaron Polger, Oct 2003

Based on Sharon Mulhollands web site Degrassi Update (www.degrassiupdate.com) most of the cast have moved on to conventional professions. Maureen McKay (Michelle) is a lawyer in Toronto. Duncan Waugh (Arthur) is a bouncer at a bar in Toronto and Craig Driscoll (Rick) is a tattoo artist in Ottawa. Niki Kemeny (Voula) is a local theatre actress is London, Ontario and her profession is a teacher. Nicole Stoffman (Stephanie) is a lounge singer and performer in Toronto, and Rebecca Haines (Melanie) is finishing her PhD in Sociology at the University of Toronto. Some of the other cast and crew have gone to conventional professions, while some like Bill Parrott, Cathy Keenan, Stacie Mistysyn, Stefan Brogren, and Anais Granofsky still work in the television and film industry. It is nice, though, to see some familiar faces in the various neighbourhoods of Toronto.

Pat Mastroianni, Kyra Levy, and Anais Granofsky are the only Degrassi alumnus who have an online presence. Pat has a web site http://www.patmeup.com with his resume, selected press clippings, sound files, images, and other interesting information that would be pertinent for fans. He has had an online presence since 1999. In addition to his web site, Mastroianni sells products on Ebay. He duplicates his own Degrassi paraphernalia like Degrassi scripts, video, photos, and other ephemera and he auctions it off to the highest bidder. Many would view him as someone who is profiting from his Degrassi experiences. I would argue that he has the right to sell off his merchandise since he did act on the show. He defends his position strongly and tries to prosecute any Degrassi fan(s) who make copies of his merchandise and re-sell it on eBay. He does not make barrels of money from selling his paraphernalia but the idea of making endless duplicates of photos and photocopies of scripts and making money from them off fans is a bit tacky, desperate, and pathetic.

Kyra Levys band Psycho Key is rather successful in the Independent music world. In 1994, Levy met Clint Adjodha in St. Lucia and then in 1996, met her guitarist Nicholas Jolliet in the Dominican Republic. After coming back to Toronto, Canada, they toured and promoted their first album locally and after recording and promoting their second album Levy and her band moved to St. Lucia in late 2000. The band now lives, records, and own their own studio The Place On Earth where they offer recording services to the public and to artists in the recording industry. The Place On Earth is a studio but also a resort where the weather is beautiful and the surrounding beauty encourages artistic development. Visit their studio web site at http://theplaceonearth.com/

Psycho Keys style is a mix of traditional music Indian and rock music. Levy sounds similar to Alanis Morissette and Janis Joplin, and though some would disagree, I have bought Wicked Dream (their debut CD) and I enjoyed it. Visit her web site at www.psychokey.com

Anais Granofsky went to NYU (New York University) to study film and came back to Canada. Like Mastroianni, she has made some appearances as minor characters on film and television. Her profession, as she sees it at present, is as a filmmaker. Currently, she and her business partner have founded Have Mercy Pictures where they produce and direct independent Canadian films. Granofsky has directed Have Mercy and Fall on their knees, both small independent Canadian productions. For both Levy and Granofsky, their projects were funded by the Playing With Time foundation, a non-profit subsidiary of Playing With Time that financially assists Degrassi alumni with artistic projects.