< Degrassi < Characters

Degrassi/Characters/Prominent Adults and Degrassi Faculty


See also the Degrassi Junior High character sheet.

Archie "Snake" Simpson

Archie "Snake" Simpson (Seasons 1- )

Played by Stefan Brogen

"By the time you all get back from break...you won't recognize this school at all." [1]

Snake is Emma's step-father, married to Christine "Spike" Nelson and former teacher-turned principal of Degrassi High. He originally attended the school as a teenager as well. He was the former Media Immersion teacher and had a knack for computers and technology. Throughout the series, he is one of the more trusted adults, with worthwhile advice and an ability to relate to their problems.

Christine "Spike" Nelson

Christine "Spike" Nelson (Seasons 1-9)

Played by Amanda Stepto

"Em, will you remember one thing? Even when you hate my guts...I'll always try to listen, and I'll try to understand, but we have to keep talking, okay? I love you more than anything in the world, okay?"

Spike is Emma's mother. She gave birth to Emma while she was a teenager and she also attended Degrassi at that age. Her former boyfriend and father of Emma is out of the picture due to his accident back when they were teenagers. She works as a hairdresser and she and Emma have been there for each other their entire lives. She is a caring mother and much like Snake, very understanding of what teens go through. She married Snake and later had his son, Jack.

Caitlin Ryan

Caitlin Ryan (Seasons 1-5)

Played by Stacie Mistysyn

"Don't let a freshmen romance stand in the way of your career. I learned that the hard way."

Caitlin Ryan was the original "cause girl" at Degrassi and she's turned it into a career in the US by hosting Ryan's World, an environmentally conscious show. She moved back to Toronto and worked briefly as a reporter for CQJH. She is deeply in love with Joey Jeremiah, but she is also focused very much on her career, and she and Joey later end up splitting for good.

  • Ascended Extra: For the first two seasons she mostly showed up as rare cameo appearances as a shout out to the original series. She starts becoming more prominent with being Joey's love interest again in season 3.
  • Cool Big Sis
  • Expy: Emma and Ellie are direct, unabashed Expies of her. Mystysyn's future-journalist-cause-girl character was one of the few introduced in The Kids Of Degrassi Street which survived into Degrassi Junior High with little more than a name change.
  • Granola Girl
  • Family Versus Career | Career Versus Man: Caitlin made this difficult choice at the end of season 4.
  • Intrepid Reporter
  • Mama Bear: Towards Craig. When another reporter pushes for an unwanted interview with a grieving Craig after Jimmy is shot, Caitlin threatens to beat the shit out of her.
  • UST: With Joey, for a long, long time.

Joey Jeremiah

Joey Jeremiah (Seasons 1-5)

Played by Pat Mastroianni

"When I was in high school, my band The Zits meant everything to me and they were good times, some of the best. Anything felt possible. And then one day I wake up, I'm in my 30s, and I have a daughter and a teenage step-son and I'm thinking to myself 'Woah, when did this happen?'"

Joey Jeremiah was a fun loving irresponsible kid back when he attended Degrassi. Now as an adult, he is all grown-up and mature and runs a used car dealership. His wife (also Craig's mother) died previously before the events of Degrassi: The Next Generation, leaving him alone with Angela, his young daughter. Despite his grief, he still is a extroverted fun-loving guy. When he found out about Craig's abusive dad, he allows Craig to move in with him, and eventually officially adopts him. He is in love with Caitlin, but she broke it off with him to focus on her career. Later, he falls in love with a younger woman and he moves to Winnipeg.

Daniel Raditch

Daniel Raditch (Seasons 1-4)

Played by Dan Woods

"Radishes, radishes not so sweet, red and round and gross to eat. They have power and cruel little voices, saying 'I run Degrassi, you have no choices.' Ugly and mean and slightly obscene, stubbornest radishes I've ever seen."

The ex-principal of Degrassi, and former teacher to the adult cast members back during Degrassi Junior High/Degrassi High. He was a stern principal to the student body, and sometimes was seen as uncaring. He badly handled Rick's bullying issues leading up to the school shooting and was transfered to another school.

Daphne Hatzilakos

Daphne Hatzilakos (Seasons 2-9)

Played by Melissa DiMarco

"How was your quality time with Ms. Hot Sauce?"

Former science teacher at Degrassi who became principal in season 4 after Principal Raditch was transferred. Despite her good looks (and some of the male students lusting after her, giving her the nickname of "Hot Sauce"), she is an effective principal, stern and fair. She is the mother of Peter, and while she loves him, due to his past behavior, she seems like she is coming down on him a lot.

Mikerty "The Shep" Sheppard

Mikerty "The Shep" Sheppard (Season 8)

Played by Kevin Jubinville

"Still think he deserves Principal of the Year? Someone who thinks Degrassi would be better off without kids who are a little different?"

Former Principal of Lakehurst, took over for Ms. Hatzilakos at Degrassi, putting in effect a few changes. Unlike his predecessors, The Shep was very quick to put his view of high school into effect. His view involves supporting popular and mainstream choices, playing favorites with the students as he saw fit, and generally not being nice to students who were gifted in academics in place of athletics. His reign was short-lived as Ms. Hatzilakos took back her position after only half a year. He was also the only principal not to be put in the main credits.

Winnie Oh

Winnie Oh (Seasons 10- )

Played by Cory Lee

"Oh girl you make my heart burn, you've got so much to teach and I've got so much to learn!"

Ms. Oh is the new Media Immersion teacher after Snake is promoted to principal. Despite her youth and good looks, she is still a gifted teacher. Dave tries sucking up to her to gain favor, but to no avail until he comforts her about her breakup.

Audra Torres

Audra Torres (Season 10- )

Played by Ramona Milano

“Degrassi’s on our school board’s watch list. Bullying, low test scores, and now a prank that caused my sons to miss an exam. One more incident and that could be another principal’s problem.”

Mrs. Torres is Drew and Adam's mom. She's on the school board and throughout the Boiling Point, frequently at odds with Mr. Simpson. She is fiercely protective of her sons to the point where she comes off as overbearing, and although she loves Adam, she is still coming to terms with him being transgendered. As time goes on, however, she does come to terms with this. She also begins to treat Bianca like a surrogate daughter, due to being in a similar 'troubled teen' situation when she herself was younger.

  • Education Mama: Oh, yes. Especially when it comes to Drew.
  • Fan Nickname: Bitch, Mama Torres.
  • Good Parents: She's very stern with Drew and Adam, but she's really just doing what she thinks is in their best interest. One case is her convincing her husband to look into jobs in Boston so Drew can finally get closure after his gang beating. She also warms up to the idea of Adam being a transgender male after she realizes that he can't stand being Gracie.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: Mrs. Torres storms into the school and seems overbearing to Principal Simpson and Coach Armstrong...but c'mon, her son just got hazed, she has every right to be pissed off. And when Armstrong says he's going to investigate the matter, Mrs. Torres quite correctly points out that schools often brush these incidents under the rug so that their teams can keep playing. And that's almost quaint compared to what happens to Adam just a few weeks later!
    • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Once she finds out that Bianca helped her sons, she considers hiring a lawyer for her out of pocket.
  • Mama Bear: Most definitely. Lampshaded in a Boycott the Caf episode review where after Drew is hazed, the reviewer notes "Mrs. Torres has arrived, and she is in total Mama Bear mode!" She also is livid that Drew played a part in Anson's murder, but she immediately hires a lawyer for him regardless.
  • Meddling Parent: Helicopter Mom, to be exact.
  • My Beloved Smother: Regarding Drew. Seems to be less effective on Adam.
  • Parental Substitute: To Bianca.
  • Pronoun Trouble
  • Stage Mom
  • Took a Level In Kindness: Big time.
  • Why Couldn't You Be Different?: To Adam.

Laura Kwan

Laura Kwan (Season 1-9)

Played by Linlyn Lue

An English teacher at Degrassi. Over the years she's been witness to a lot of classroom disruptions caused by all the drama between her students. She was slightly exasperated by the antics of J.T., Jimmy, and Spinner (though she did seem a bit amused at times). In more recent seasons, she wasn't quite as strict (possibly because J.T. and Spinner were no longer in her classroom). As of Season 10, Ms. Dawes, the former art teacher, is now teaching English classes, and Kwan hasn't been seen. It's unknown whether she's no longer teaching at Degrassi or if she's simply teaching English class periods that the main characters aren't in.

  • Reasonable Authority Figure: She was a bit strict, but it was only because she genuinely cared about setting a good classroom environment. After Spinner famously rebelled in "Pass the Dutchie" she apparently gave him a third chance to pass the class.

Bullfrog Goldsworthy

"Bullfrog" Goldsworthy (Season 10-)

Played by Tufford Kennedy

Radio DJ and perhaps the Degrassi parent who's changed the most as a parent in the shortest time, circumstances having pushed him from being okay with being permanently locked out of his son's room to checking under Eli's tongue to make sure he's swallowed his medication, in just under six months.

  1. ↑ His most famous quote, which begins with "Let's recap the Jeremiah summer (of 1992)... and ends with ...Tessa Campanelli" can't be repeated in full here
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