Page 6 - My FlipBook
P. 6

Drake became an instant fan
                                                               favorite when he played the role of
                                                               a star high school basketball player
                                                               in the Canadian television series
                                                               Degrassi: The Next Generation.
                                                               Drake appears here (top, right)
                                                               with other cast members in 2004.




                   Drake learned from his interaction with his wheelchair-bound
               friend that life—any life—is about the choices a person makes. “You
               start down at the bottom of the barrel, feeling loss emotionally. Then
               you rise up, slowly but surely, because you realize that, ‘I could sit
               here, and could not live my life, and I could live in sorrow, or I could
               accept the cards I’ve been dealt.’”  Drake incorporated this insight
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               into his portrayal of Jimmy. It was an acting choice that Degrassi’s
               executive producer Aaron Martin believes was extremely effective.
               “The great thing about Aubrey is that Aubrey never plays it like a
               victim,” said Martin. “Aubrey, I don’t think, ever could play it as a



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