Overview

• Drake says he first learned at a read-through that his character would be shot, calling the moment “dark” and “intense.”
• Creator Linda Schuyler says the decision to depict a school shooting grew from the 1999 Columbine tragedy.
• The 2004 two-part episode permanently altered Jimmy Brooks’ trajectory, which Schuyler intended to show as lasting consequences.
• Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, produced by WildBrain and Peacock Alley, is screening at TIFF through Sept. 14 during the festival’s 50th edition.
• The filmmakers say securing Drake’s participation took persistence, with an interview conducted at his Texas ranch in June.