Snake and Degrassi alumni reunite to celebrate 30th anniversary at Toronto ComiCon

It’s been three decades since Stefan Brogren played Archie “Snake” Simpson on CBC’s Degrassi Junior High. But he will forever be known as the guy who was the first to use the F-bomb on Canadian television.

“I was actually so excited to say it,” says Brogren. “We had two versions. One where I say ‘Screw it.’ The other was when I used the F-word. I didn’t know which one CBC went with until they broadcast the show. There was a huge uproar.”

The scene appeared in the 1992 Degrassi High TV movie School’s Out, when Snake confronts his friend Joey Jeremiah (Pat Mastroianni) about his romantic choices. 

Brogren, 44, is the longest running regular cast member of the franchise, which has had a head-spinning number of permutations including Degrassi High, Degrassi: The Next Generation and the new Netflix Degrassi: Next Class, which is introducing the show to a new global audience.

He’s also been behind the camera, directing many of the Degrassi episodes over the years.

In honour of the 30th anniversary of the show, Brogren, along with fellow Degrassi Junior High alumni Mastroianni, Stacie Mistysyn (Caitlin Ryan), Kirsten Bourne (Tessa Campanelli) and Dan Woods (Mr. Raditch) are having a long awaited reunion at Toronto ComiCon on Sunday.

The Degrassi stars headline the convention, alongside the likes of Ray Park (Darth Maul from Star Wars) and wrestler Bret “The Hitman” Hart.

“It’s the first time that we’re reuniting under this kind of convention experience so it’s super exciting. But another part of me is saying I just hope people show up,” laughs Brogren.

“When the show came out it was kind of a surprise hit. There was no 90210 or Dawson’s Creek back then that spoke to teens. It became very popular very fast in a country with no star system.”

It also didn’t have much of a budget when creator Linda Schuyler, a schoolteacher in Toronto’s east end, thought a teen show about kids facing real-life issues would make a good series.

“There was no makeup department. There was no hair. We used to take clothes out of milk cartons. And they were probably from Value Village. We weren’t living the high life back then,” says Brogren.

Brogren was a 13-year-old at North York’s Claude Watson School for the Arts when producers came searching for teen actors.

“It was a very painful year for me. I was a 120-pound, six-feet-tall kid and all bones. But it gave me a really cool summer job and I made new friends. I didn’t think it would last this long.”

When Brogren first starred in the show (and later as a principal in Degrassi: The Next Generation) he estimates it was already being seen in as many as 50 countries. The reach of Netflix brings the show to almost 200 territories globally.

“I walk down the street and every day someone might come up. It might be a 12-year-old girl who remembers me from one show or her mom from another. It’s incredible to think that this show was so important to so many people and they were touched by it.”

Degrassi pushed the boundaries for teen fare by talking about topical issues such as homosexuality, AIDS, teen pregnancy and bullying. In more recent episodes it has tackled racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I think the success of Degrassi is that it’s relatable,” says Brogren. “If you’re a teenager in Israel or Brazil there may be cultural differences, but you have the same feelings, you frequently have the same issues about growing up. It’s hard at that age.”

Degrassi, of course, has become a training ground for some of Canada’s best known actors including Stephen Amell (Arrow), Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries) and musician Drake.

“Degrassi has been a big part of my life and it’s chronicled all my most embarrassing moments,” says Brogren. “I don’t think we understood the impact of the show then and we’re still figuring it out now.”

How much for an autograph?

Fan conventions have become a lucrative way for stars to earn money.

It’s also a market-based way to gauge the popularity of some stars. The higher the fee for a selfie or autograph, the more in demand the celebrity. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus charges $100 (all figures U.S.) per photo while Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame gets $195 for a photo and an autograph.

Here’s a look at who’s charging what at Toronto ComiCon.