Drake revealed he was blindsided by his Degrassi script where Jimmy Brooks was paralyzed, calling the episode one of his hardest moments.
Drake recently opened up about one of the most intense moments from his acting career on the hit Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation.
The Grammy-winning rapper played Jimmy Brooks on the show from 2001 to 2009. In a new documentary called Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, Drake talks about learning his character would be shot and paralyzed in a school shooting episode.
The two-part episode “Time Stands Still” aired in October 2004. It showed Jimmy getting shot by Rick Murray, a bullied student seeking revenge.
Drake says he had no idea what was coming when he sat down for the script reading.
“I didn’t know about the end of ‘Time Stands Still’ until I was in the read-through,” Drake explained. “Somebody told me to mentally prepare for today’s script, but they didn’t tell me there was going to be a shooting at the school and that it was me.”
The news hit the cast hard. Drake remembers the emotional reaction in the room.
“There was shock and sadness. We were holding hands and crying in the read-through. It was dark. It was intense,” he said.
Drake worried about his character’s future on the show. He didn’t want Jimmy to be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of the series.
“My question was ‘What now? I don’t want to spend the rest of my years in a wheelchair. I want to be with everyone else, what do you mean?’ Unfortunately, that’s not how life goes,” Drake continued.
The episode addressed serious topics, including bullying and school violence. Drake believes this made the show special.
The “Time Stands Still” episode was groundbreaking for teen television. It aired during a time when school shootings were becoming more common in North America.
The show’s creators collaborated with bullying experts to ensure they handled the topic accurately.
Director Stefan Scaini won an award for his work on the episode. The cast and crew took extra care during filming because of the serious subject matter.
Drake has moved far from his Degrassi days. He’s now one of the world’s biggest music stars. He’s currently working on his ninth studio album called ICEMAN.
The album’s release date has not been announced yet, but fans expect it sometime this year. He’s already released two singles from the project: “What Did I Miss?” and “Dog House.”