Jamie Johnston plays bad boy turned nice guy Peter on the hit show Degrassi: The Next Generation. We loved to hate him early on, but now we just plain love him, and so do his fans.
Photo Credit: The N
THE STAR SCOOP:
Tell us a little about the real you.
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
I’m going into grade 12 this year. I have to do a lot of school work. I’m on Degrassi, that’s probably why you’re talking to me.
THE STAR SCOOP:
You’re new to the show. How did you get the job?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
I’ve been an actor in Toronto. I auditioned for a little role. They liked me, and so became a regular cast member.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Why do you think your character, Peter, likes Emma so much?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
She’s a challenge. At first she liked him, and then she hated him. Settling down with a girl, I think Peter gets a little bit bored.
THE STAR SCOOP:
In the beginning Peter started out as a bad boy. Now he’s calmed down. Which version of Peter do you like playing more?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
The nice Peter came more naturally, more my personality, so it’s easier to play. I think I enjoyed playing the bad guy, but I wouldn’t want to do that all the time.
THE STAR SCOOP:
The previews for the new season show some competition for Peter.
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
The episodes are really good ones. Filming them, I did a lot of things that I’ve never done before, can’t really tell you what, but a lot of firsts for Peter, let’s put it that way.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Which of the Degrassi guys, as characters, are you most like in real life?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
I think maybe a mix of J.T., and Spinner. J.T because he’s a nice, kind of fun guy. He’s not a prankster in a bad way. A little bit of Spinner, because he’s kind of intense. I think that’s a pretty good mix.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How would you describe your Degrassi experience? Has it changed your life?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
Oh, definitely. It’s a great experience being on Degrassi. All the people there are so nice, even though when I started, no one knew who I was. It feels good to be accepted like that. It’s also really fun acting wise.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What about the aspect of being part of an ensemble cast?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
It’s cool because you get to talk to a bunch of different people, get a bunch of different points of view, but also you don’t get to work as much, and one thing an actor wants is to work. It’s good and bad, but mostly good. You go to work, and you get to hang out with cool people.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Peter likes Emma. What kind of girl is your dream girl?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
I first meet her, I don’t feel romantically about them at all. We’re friends, get along. Somebody that just slowly progresses, and we end up falling in love. Someone cool I can talk to.
THE STAR SCOOP:
One of the big story lines Emma had was a battle with an eating disorder. Why is this an important issue for the show to cover?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
Degrassi is like real life, and [in] real life, people get diseases like that. There are so many shows out there that don’t really go through as much stuff as that. That’s the show.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What are you most excited for in the next season?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
Definitely most excited to see the first and second episodes. [They're] really cool, so first, second episodes, definitely what I’m looking forward to.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Give us a pitch for the next season, to get viewers interested (in case they aren’t planning to watch the next season).
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
Well, Degrassi is constantly evolving. It gets more and more intense. I don’t know why anyone would stop watching now. Now would be the worst time to stop watching. Really good stuff lined up in the next season.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Do you have your own official website so fans can get more information?
JAMIE JOHNSTON:
I do have a website. www.jamiejohnston.com.
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