Page 4

December 2008

CAMPUS |

PANTHER POST

‘Everybody wants something’

“Joey” and “Snake” of the Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High series make a stop at UPEI

By Jarrod Yeo Panther Post

Jarrod: My sister sent me a text message saying her boyfriend was flying home for Christmas and that he was sitting right behind Joey and Snake on the plane tonight.

Snake: Oh, really? Jarrod: I thought that was funny.

Joey: It’s hilarious. Jarrod: Now Wheels, he was the third guy in the group. I’ve heard differ- ent stories, different things. I know you guys were on Jonovision and I’ve heard rumors there was a falling out. Any truth to that? Snake: It wasn’t so much a falling out as much as people going different ways. The last time I saw him was when I was doing a docu- mentary for CTV and he was living in Windsor. He seemed happy, there’s no animosity, we just went our separate ways.

Jarrod: So he’s doing his own thing?

Snake: Yah. I mean, I _ haven’t heard anything from him since that day. I mean, I hope he’s doing well, ya know, but I haven’t seen

or heard from him since.

I don’t know where he is right now, but I’m hoping he’s doing all right. Jarrod: Now Snake, the F- bomb, you dropped it. Did you have any reservations about that? Snake: No way! I totally wanted to say it. I was going

to be pissed if they didn’t use it. I mean, saying ‘fuck’ on TV? I was like, that’s kinda cool. I really wanted it to go through. I wasn’t nervous about it at all, I re- ally wanted it to work. Jarrod: Did you ever feel like the wingman?

Snake: Oh yes, of course. There’s Joey, and then Wheels and Snake. But everyone got their moment in the sun. If you think about it, it was such a mas- sive show and I wasn’t even meant to have a character when I started. There were a lot of other characters who intertwined with us and to be part of the gang was kinda fun, part of the band. It was totally a blast. Jarrod: Are you actually an Iron Maiden fan?

Snake: No. (laughter) Not at all. That shirt? They just threw it on me.

Jarrod: Joey, I mean Pat, I read on your Wikipedia arti- cle, if you can trust that, that ET Canada said you were ranked No. 13 as the most popular Canadian television character of all time.

_ Joey: Wow, I’m surprised

there’s even 13 of us. That’s cool. I actually did see that piece on, what show was it? ET Canada? I saw the clip and I was quite flattered, I think I was above or just below Jason Priestly? So I was really happy about that. Like I said earlier during the discussion tonight, Degrassi was an opportunity to be part of Canadian pop culture and that’s something you can’t put a price tag on. If

Post report

: Bi 2S er Jarrod Yeo buddies it up with the boys

from Degrassi. Bysterveldt photo

this is what I’m remembered for forever, there are worse things in life to be remem- bered for. Joey Jeremiah was a pretty cool, iconic character so to be part of that is just pretty wicked.

To be remembered and mentioned in that group of

‘people, to be No.13, that’s a

huge compliment. I'll take it for what it is. Pll take it as a pat on the back but I know I have a life outside of De- grassi as well. I think I’ve accomplished other things in my life that are just as great as creating this charac- ter, so that’s just one aspect of my life that I’m proud

of. My wife and family is another. There are so many parts of me other people will never get to know, but the fact people know me for Joey Jeremiah? That’s pretty cool. I’m quite pleased with that. : :

Jarrod: People want to

know if there was ever any hanky panky between cast- mates. -

Snake: Hanky panky?

(laughter) Joey: That’s what we veatien it in the 80s....Hanky panky.

Well, without embarrassing anybody, it was very much . like high school. People hooked up on the weekends, but the next weekend it was nobody. It was no big deal it was jokes and laughing about it, it was like high school. You’d fool around with this girl and then you’d joke about it for a week... Snake: And then some people would start dating, and they’d be dating for a while and then you’d break up...

Joey: But I don’t remember any animosity or ill-will towards anyone ever. No one ever got their hearts broken or anything like that, it was all in good fun.

You could not spend 13 hours a day; eight months of the year around a group of people at that age and not hook up. I’ve mentioned where I had an affection towards Stacy (Mistysin) the girl who played Caitlyn because we were playing these scenes that were very intimate, very emotional, ya know, looking at each other for hours on end just to do a scene. Well of course I’m going to start having feel- ings towards her, but they were kinda misguided feel- ings. Not real...

Snake: Teenage feelings. Joey: Teenage feelings, right.

Snake: Urges.

Joey: Yah, and when I ap- proached her about it, she was like, “yeah, I just don’t like you that way.” I’m like “Awww?” but it’s no big» deal. I worked with her for another 20 years after so it was no big deal. Just high school, puppy love.

_ Jarrod: Walking down the

street in Toronto, do people spot you and recognize you? Snake: Yah, they do. But no one ever sort of flips out. Jarrod: Being from Toron- to, are you Leafs fans? Joey: Stefan is. Snake: Yes.

Jarrod: Me too. So it’s been even longer for you. Snake: (Laughter.) It’s never gonna happen. I’ve. resigned myself to that. I pretend it’s going to happen but it’s not.

Students reveal what they remember best about Degrassi - page 11