Degrassi: The Next Generation laid the foundation for the careers of stars like Drake and Nina Dobrev. The show's popularity shaped the teen years of millennial fans as it provided a jumping-off point for dozens of young actors.
The series' cult following caught the attention of talent managers from some of the early 2000s' biggest stars. Over the years, celebrities crossed over into the Degrassi-verse, meeting some of the show's key characters and even shaping plotlines on the show. Some of the stars who made cameos on Degrassi: TNG have moved from the spotlight since their time on the show, but their episodes will continue to play in rotation for years to come.
Craig Manning is one of Degrassi: TNG's most beloved characters, and the rock star teen runs into real-life musicians multiple times on the series. However, when he returns to Degrassi after a tour, he doesn't get too star-struck after running into Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz on the street in Degrassi Goes Hollywood.
Wentz and Craig have a brief hello and Wentz talks about his love for the Canadian ketchup-flavored potato chip. Although the cameo may seem small today, Wentz encapsulated the MySpace era when the episode first aired in 2009. Fans of the show had their biggest rock and roll cameo to date when Pete showed up.
Kevin Smith had perhaps the most significant cameo of all the celebrities to appear on Degrassi: TNG. Not only does he show up in the show as himself, but also he becomes a cast member integral to the plotline of the seasons he appears in.
Acting in seven episodes between seasons 4 and 8 on the series, Smith films a movie in the halls of Degrassi and lands roles for Manny Santos and Ellie Nash while he's at it. Smith would act as merely a plot device for the show, if not for his brief romance with Degrassi original Caitlyn Ryan, squarely landing him in the Degrassi: TNG canon.
Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith often come in a package deal as their iconic characters Jay and Silent Bob, and the case was no different on Degrassi: TNG. However, Smith and Mewes had their own separate times to shine on the show.
Jason Mewes was able to hold his own in Degrassi Goes Hollywood, a four-part movie in which he swaps jobs with Kevin Smith and takes on directing his own movie. Paige Michalchuk acts like a diva on Mewes' set, allowing him to show off his ability to play a stern working celeb, and put his more oft showcased goofy "Jay" on the shelf.
Taking Back Sunday's Adam Lazzara appears with the band in one of Degrassi: TNG's earliest rock and roll cameos in "What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost?" in season 6. He is tied in because of rocker Craig Manning, of course, and the two share a few words before Craig opens for Taking Back Sunday.
Ellie interviews the band in her running plotline as college newspaper journalist, but the band shines brightest during the episode's most dramatic moment. Craig picks up a drug problem on the road, and when he comes on stage with a bloody nose, Lazzara and Taking Back Sunday give Craig a look of crushing disappointment. It is no doubt one of the reasons Craig boards a plane for rehab at the episode's end.
Performing one of the series' earliest cameos in season 3, Billy Ray Cyrus appears in Degrassi: TNG on "The Power of Love." Cyrus's role isn't a true cameo, as he plays some of the gang's limo driver "Duke," driving them to a dance in a gaudy cowboy hat and tuxedo t-shirt.
Duke picks up Jimmy, Paige, Hazel, and Spinner in a banged-up limo, and Jimmy's hopes to show up to the dance in style crumble before him. Things get worse when Duke is arrested on the way to the dance, but he makes sure the students make it there, albeit in a cop car.
Chaz Bono's appearance on the show reveals Degrassi: TNG's tenacity to keep cameos on the show. He appears in season 12's "Tonight Tonight" to judge one of the show's battles of the bands, but takes center stage when Adam Torres needs advice after getting into a fistfight.
Degrassi: TNG sensitively tackles deep issues and representation, something clear in Bono and Adam's discussion on his episode. Adam says he gets in a fight after being bullied for being a trans person, while Bono gives him words of encouragement, telling him fighting is never the answer before getting his band back in the competition.
Some of Degrassi: TNG's best cameos come from season 8's Degrassi Goes Hollywood. However, perhaps the biggest lasting star appearance in the episode comes when Perez Hilton shows up.
Paige follows her dream to become a star in the Degrassi: TNG movie, leading her to run into Hilton after he slams her in an online article. Hilton is unforgiving about his writing, but gives her passes to a movie premiere in a chance for Paige to put her best foot forward.
Degrassi: TNG evolved as the show continued through the years, tackling more difficult issues and amping up the drama. As such, fans might have wondered if Degrassi: TNG would continue fun tropes like celebrity appearances, and by season 11, they found out the show still respected its roots.
Palmer shows up in season 11 of the series, and gets her own plotline on the show. Sav Bhandari has a short-lived fling with Palmer in "Spring Fever" after they meet shopping. Sav has no idea who Palmer is until he and Ali walk into her concert and see her on stage.
Vivica A. Fox is a movie star in her own right, but that doesn't mean she is afraid to grace beloved series with her talent. She surprised audiences when she appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm for multiple seasons, but fans didn't expect such a famous star to appear on Degrassi: TNG.
Fox's appearance is a true cameo, only showing up in a brief scene on the streets of California in Degrassi Goes Hollywood. Marco thinks he sees Ashton Kutcher on the street, but Fox, unnamed on the show, tells him Kutcher has broader shoulders.
Whose Line Is It Anyway's Colin Mochrie appears in one of Degrassi: TNG's quintessential movies, Degrassi Takes Manhattan. The made-for-TV move wraps up the plotlines of many characters on the show, most famously Spinner and Emma, who marry during the finale.
Fans of the show never thought Spinner and Emma would end up together, after fan-favorite partners like Sean and Paige respectively gave them romances spanning multiple seasons. Some fans even thought their union hurt Degrassi: TNG. Spinner and Emma aren't sure about their future at first, hiring Colin Mochrie's Larry as a divorce lawyer in an attempt to annul their overnight marriage. However, after their brief meeting with him, they decide they don't need him after all.
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