Before he became one of the biggest names in music, Drake was Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Now, in the new documentary Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, he is looking back on the moment that turned his characterâs story upside down and left a lasting impact on him as a young actor.
The Toronto native revealed that he had no idea what was coming until the script reading. âI didnât know about the end of âTime Stands Stillâ until I was in the read through. Somebody told me to mentally prepare for todayâs script, but they didnât tell me there was going to be a shooting at the school and that it was me,â Drake recalled. The shock hit hard as the cast read through the tragic twist together. âThere was shock and sadness. We were holding hands and crying in the read through. It was dark. It was intense.â
Playing a character who would spend the rest of the series paralyzed was a difficult adjustment. âMy question was âWhat now? I donât want to spend the rest of my years in a wheelchair. I want to be with everyone else, what do you mean?â Unfortunately, thatâs not how life goes,â he admitted.
Even with the challenge, Drake now sees the importance of what Degrassi chose to do. âI think that was why I think that showâs so good, because life is f***ed up and they werenât afraid to let you know that,â he explained.
Taking on the role after the shooting gave him a new sense of responsibility. âA lot more went into playing Jimmy after I got shot, for sure. It gave me something to study. It gave me homework,â Drake said. The storyline may have been painful, but it shaped his craft and became one of the defining chapters of his early career.