These 3 Degrassi Stars Are in Ginny and Georgia: What the Rest of the Cast Is Up to Now

Degrassi fans were excited to see Raymond Ablack and Sara Waisglass star in Netflix's Ginny and Georgia, so, whatever it takes, we're checking in with the rest of the teen drama's cast.

By Tierney Bricker Jan 10, 2023 4:55 PMTags
Watch: Behind The Scenes With The Cast of Ginny and Georgia

Whatever it takes, we know we can spot a Degrassi alum in any TV show. Which is why we were delighted to see not one, not two, but three fan-favorites in Ginny & Georgia, Netflix's hit series that returned Jan. 5 for its highly anticipated second season.

Billed as the successor to Gilmore Girls, the small-town dramedy follows a sarcastic single mother Georgia (Brianne Howey) and her even more sarcastic teen daughter Ginny (Antonia Gentry) as they try to start over in Wellsbury, Mass. Helping them to do so? Three former Degrassi stars. 

Best known as poor little rich girl Frankie in the iconic Canadian teen drama's final seasons, Sara Waisglass steals every scene she's in as Ginny's bold best friend Max, while Chelsea Clark, best known for her four-season stint as Esme on Degrassi: Next Class, is also a part of their friend group as Norah. 

And none other than Raymond Ablack, who played sweet and sensitive Sav for four years, has become one of the Internet's favorite boyfriends, thanks to his turn as brooding-yet-charming café owner Joe. You truly love to see it. 

Of course, after catching the three former Degrassi Community School back on our screens, we had to check in with the cast of The Next Generation, including Nina Dobrev, Lauren Collins, Jake Epstein, Miriam McDonald and, of course, Drake.  

photos
Renewed and Canceled TV Shows 2023 Guide

So what are the OG stars of Degrassi: The Next Generation up to these days? 

Aubrey Graham (a.k.a Drake)

Um...he's Drake?

Degrassi's most successful alum, Aubrey Graham is better known as Drake, the rapper who has sold over 170 million records worldwide, won four Grammys, released several major chart-topping records, won Artist of the Decade at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, served as the "global ambassador" for his hometown Toronto Raptors and is basically one of the most famous people in the world.

But for fans of the long-running series, he'll always be Jimmy Brooks, the basketball star who was paralyzed in Degrassi's infamous shooting episode, "Time Stands Still." Later on in the series, Graham's musical skills were put to good use, as Jimmy pursued a career as a rapper (Never forget: "Shut up girl and make my lunch!"), before deciding to undergo a stem cell surgery. Last seen in season eight, Jimmy planned on proposing to his girlfriend Trina.

Drake staged the ultimate reunion in 2018 for his "I'm Upset" music video, which has over 95 million views on YouTube. The power of the class of 2007! 

Sharing son Adonis with ex Sophia Brussaux, the superstar revealed the first photo of his now 4-year-old child in March 2020.

Nina Dobrev

Her character Mia Jones, a teen mom-turned-model, was less than well-received—she was basically the cause of fan favorite J.T.'s tragic death! But when she left the series in season nine, it was because she landed the lead role on the CW smash hit The Vampire Diaries, which she starred on for six seasons before announcing her exit in 2015. 

In addition to appearing in films such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, XXX: The Return of Xander Cage and Flatliners, Dobrev returned to TV in 2019 to star in the CBS sitcom Fam, which won her the 2019 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Comedy.

After romances with her TVD co-star Ian Somerhalder and Grant Mellon, Dobrev began dating Olympian Shaun White in March 2020.

"They are genuinely so in love and are so cute together. It's very sweet," a source told E! News of the couple in December 2021. "They openly talk about their future together. They're just super happy, and things are going really well with them."

Miriam McDonald

Mature and slightly uptight Emma Nelson was the reboot's female lead as she was the child of the original series' fan favorite, Spike. On the series, Emma went through it all (anorexia, gonorrhea, marijuana use, to name but a few), before exiting the show in season nine following her wedding to Spinner. (We still haven't gotten over that random coupling. Emma and Sean FTW!)

After taking a break from acting, McDonald appeared on Lost Girl and Orphan Black (which was a who's who of Degrassi alumni), and has worked as a real estate agent and yoga instructor.

Lauren Collins

One of TV's best mean girls, Collins' Paige had one of the show's most iconic catchphrases: "Hun." That one word said so much.

She also tackled some of the series' boldest storylines, dealing with subjects of rape, bisexuality (Oh hey, Alex!) and becoming the first character to burn down her dorm room. Last we heard of Paige, she was working in Hollywood and had finally reconciled with Marco after their falling out in the movie. 

Following Degrassi, Collins served as the host of MTV's 1 Girl 5 Gays, and has appeared on The Kroll Show, The Strain, Impulse, The Hot Zone and What We Do in the Shadows.

After marrying actor Jonathan Malen in October 2018, Collins welcomed their hun son Charlie in March 2020, and the couple announced in January 2023 that they are expecting their second child.

Jake Epstein

The series' original bad boy, Epstein played Craig Manning, the bipolar musically-inclined Degrassi stud, who dated Ashley, got Manny pregnant, trashed a hotel room, became a famous singer and developed a coke problem during his tenure on the series. But we still have one unanswered lingering question about Craig: Did he and Ellie end up together?! We need closure.

As of late, Epstein has taken to the stage, starring in Broadway productions such as Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He also starred in the first National tour of American Idiot and has played the romantic lead in several Lifetime Christmas movies. Next, Epstein joins The Umbrella Academy for the Netflix series' third season.

In 2018, Epstein married Vanessa Smythe.

Cassie Steele

One of the show' most beloved characters, Steele's Manny was Emma's trusty sidekick-turned-school hottie and the focus of one of the series' most controversial episodes ever when she got an abortion in season three. Manny, who romanced Spinner, Craig and Jay during her nine-season run, ended the series as a successful actress in Hollywood. (And we're pretty sure her infamous topless video never leaked onto TMZ. Phew.)

Since leaving Degrassi, Steele starred in the CW's outrageously short-lived series The L.A. Complex (Rest in peace!) and launched a career as a musician. Steele recently voiced Tammy Gueterman in Rick & Morty.

Adamo Ruggiero

Ruggiero joined the cast of Degrassi as fan-favorite Marco Del Rossi in 2002 after initially auditioning for Craig ("When in doubt kiss Craig?!"), becoming the show's first gay character and taking part in one of the first LGBTQ+ kisses on Canadian television two years later.

After graduating from Degrassi, Ruggiero remained on the show for one season when they tried to follow some of the characters to college, and he returned in later seasons as a teacher. Full circle.

In 2008, Ruggiero came out, explaining Marco's struggles to come to terms with his sexuality on the show often mirrored his own in real-life, with some of Marco's scenes taken from his real conversations with family members. "Maybe it's life imitating art, or maybe that's what 'Degrassi' intended to do. I feel like I'm living proof of what the show wanted to accomplish," Ruggiero, who is an LGBTQ+ activist, told eTalk Canada at the time. 

From 2008 until 2012, Ruggiero hosted the Canadian reality competition series The Next, and hosted his own web series, Straight Talk with Adamo Ruggiero, where he interviewed his former co-stars.

Shane Kippel

Kippel starred as Spinner in over 180 episodes of the show, surviving a fallout with his entire group of pals after he inadvertently caused Jimmy to get shot, along with a cancer battle, ending his run on the show married to Emma and managing The Dot. He was one of the few original cast members to appear in Netflix's Degrassi: Next Class.

Following his run on the show, Kippel remained close with many of his former co-stars, including Drake, and is still acting while working as a musician and producer.

"It could not have been more natural," Kippel told E! News of the cast's interactions in Drake's "I'm Upset" video. "The energy that was caught on camera, nothing of that was played up for effect. That was how we were really feeling being in each other's presence, so I'm happy it translated. How it looked on-camera is exactly how it felt when the cameras stopped rolling."

Stacey Farber

Farber's character Ellie Nash (coolest name ever) was one of the series' best, in our humble opinion, thanks to her awesome sense of style and journalism aspirations.

After leaving Degrassi in season eight, Farber starred on the shortlived series 18 to Life, and has made appearances on hit shows like unREAL and Schitt's Creek, which was created by her best friend Daniel Levy. 

"I auditioned for Alexis and screen-tested for Stevie," she wrote in an Instagram caption, "but Rachel was MINE goddamnit (named for my Mom- duh) and besides, I much prefer the role I've had, watching him thrive off camera."

Farber is currently appearing on Superman & Lois and joined the cast of the Netflix hit series Virgin River in its third season. Oh, and she's still close with Drake, the rapper once dubbing her his "Penny Lane." NBD.

Daniel Clark

Sean Cameron made being bad look so good. Come on, the white tank, the drag-racing, the eyebrows. No wonder both Emma and Ellie fell head over heels for Sean, who eventually enlisted in the Canadian army.

Aside from a small supporting role in Juno opposite Elliot Page, Clark left the acting world behind. After graduating from New York University, Clark went on to work as a news reporter on FusionTV's America with Jorge Ramos and as a producer at ABC News. 

Degrassi fans were upset when Clark was left out of the "I'm Upset" reunion, with Clark commenting on Drake's Instagram, writing to his former co-star, "really sad I missed this. Brought back some amazing memories -- miss and love you brother." 

Shenae Grimes

Degrassi's first star to make the move to Hollywood, Grimes landed the juicy role of Annie Wilson (a.k.a. the new Brenda Walsh) in the CW's 90210 reboot. But fans of the series remember her as Darcy, the super religious cheerleader, who was raped in season seven. In one of the series' most memorable sendoffs, purely because of how random it was, Darcy left Degrassi (and boyfriend Peter) for Kenya.

Since 90210 ended, Grimes married British model Josh Beech. The couple welcomed a daughter, Bowie Scarlett, in September 2018 and announced in February that they were expecting their second child, who she gave birth to in August 2021.

The 32-year-old also blogs about fashion, motherhood and more on Lost in LaLa and has starred in projects such as Scream 4 and The Detail. Last year, she launched her own podcast, Unzipped, with her 90210 co-star AnnaLynne McCord.

Sarah Barrable-Tishauer

In another version of life imitating art, Barrable-Tishauer graduated as valedictorian from Concordia University, a few years after her character Liberty Van Zandt was named the valedictorian of Degrassi. We love that for both of them.

Since graduating from university, Barrable-Tishauer, who uses the stage name Me Time, works as a DJ and advocate "who engages dance music as a catalyst for social change," according to her website. She also worked as an account manager at a marketing company and talked about balancing her two careers in an interview with Refinery29 in 2017.

"You can probably imagine having a nine to five job and also DJing until 3 a.m. is kind of a difficult thing to balance, so I've just tried to keep my gigs on weekends and just a couple times of month because I just don't have a lot of time," she said. "So, it's kind of like I live this dual life Marketing by day, bass by night, but I'm really loving it."

In May 2020, she got engaged to her boyfriend Ryan, with the couple getting married in November 2021.

Ryan Cooley

No, we can't look at Cooley without crying over his fan-favorite character J.T. Yorke's death in season six!

OK, now that we've got that out of the way: After his heartbreaking exit from the show, Cooley made an appearance on Lost Girl and starred in Oh No! It's an Alien Invasion before leaving the acting world behind. He's now the vice president of Konrad Group, a global digital agency, which Snake, his former media teacher, would probably take credit for. 

Cooley got engaged to his girlfriend Stefanie in February 2019. 

As for why Cooley was MIA in the "I'm Upset" music video, Drake responded to disappointed fans on Instagram, writing that Cooley "thought it was a scam" when he received a phone call about the reunion.

Andrea Lewis

Justice for Hazel! Lewis has the distinct honor of starring on Degrassi and co-starring in Cadet Kelly with Hilary Duff, an iconic Disney Channel Original Movie. 

After Hazel received her diploma from Degrassi, Lewis started her own company, Jungle Wild Productions, creating the web series Black Actress and Beyond Complicated. And on her YouTube channel, Lewis opens up about her time on Degrassi and posts lifestyle videos. Up next, she'll star to star in the Hallmark Channel rom-com A Nashville Legacy

Melissa McIntyre

Super serious about her music career, McIntyre's character Ashley Kerwin left the series after season four, returning later for seasons six and seven. 

McIntyre appeared to have left the acting world after her second goodbye on Degrassi and has a scarce presence on social media. 

Christina Schmidt

If only Terri could see herself now! A series regular on the first three seasons, Schmidt exited the series after her character was put into a coma by her abusive boyfriend Rick. 

After leaving the Canadian teen drama, Schmidt continued to have a successful modeling career, and landed the cover of Fashion Magazine in Canada. 

"Growing up, I never thought I was an inspiration to anybody in any way," she told the publication. "I never realized that some of these young girls really needed someone to look up to. There wasn't Instagram or Facebook, and the majority of television stars were definitely not as diverse as those you see today, so having someone like them on a TV show was huge. This all just started making sense to me years later, though, when they would express how I made such an impact on their lives."

Now a creative director, Schmidt has a son named Orlando and is dating Landen Wakil.

Jake Goldsbie

Oh, Toby!

After appearing in eight seasons as Ashley's step-brother/J.T.'s sidekick turned homecoming king, Golsbie went on to graduate from Concordia University. He currently works as a producer and hosts several podcasts, Columbia House Party and Less Than Jays

In October 2019, Goldsbie announced he was engaged to his girlfriend Cassie and the pair wed in November 2020. 

Mike Lobel

It's hard to believe Lobel managed to make troublemaking bully Jay Hogart so likable by the end of his six-season Degrassi run after he gave Emma gonorrhea at the ravine and was expelled for his role in Jimmy's shooting. And yet he managed to do it!

After his time on Degrassi, Lobel starred on the Canadian teen comedy Really Me and appeared in the TV movie The Music in Me. The actor-musician currently recurs on the CBC's Detention Adventure, which he also directs, and was in the band Future Peers until it broke up in December 2019.

One of the few co-stars that didn't get a call from Drake for the "I'm Upset" video, Lobel simply responded by tweeting, "I'm a little upset." Well played. 

Lobel married actress and writer Mika Collins in September 2022. 

Ginny & Georgia is streaming on Netflix.

(Originally published on Mar 1, 2021, at 8 a.m. PT)

Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.