Drake Threatened to sue if his character on "Degrassi" wasn't "healed and taken out of his wheelchair" because he was concerned it made him "look soft."
According to a former writer, Drake had threatened to leave the program if his colleagues in the music business thought his character, who is in a wheelchair, made him seem weak.
You're probably familiar with Drake, the multi-platinum recording artist.
However, the 34-year-old rapper was better recognized as an actor before he became a music artist.
To refresh your memory, Drake (born Aubrey Graham) appeared as Jimmy Brooks in the first seven seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation as a Canadian high school student.
The A.V. Club released an oral history of Degrassi on Thursday, in honor of the program's 20th anniversary, in which former cast members and crew members reminisced about their time on the show.
Although Drake wasn't there for the conversation, his name was brought up a number of times.
The cast and crew reminisced about one of season four's most talked-about plotlines, in which Drake's character Jimmy was shot and crippled at school.
Later, they addressed reports that Drake, at the time, was not pleased with the narrative — especially with regard to the fact that his character later became wheelchair-bound, as they spoke about the "intense" and "scary" scenes of school shooting.
Drake allegedly threatened previous writer James Hurst with legal action over Jimmy's situation because he was insistent that he did not want his character to be confined to a wheelchair.
James started by saying, "There was a letter from a Toronto legal firm, and it was from Aubrey. Aubrey Graham will not return to Degrassi season six as Jimmy Brooks until his injuries has healed and he is no longer in a wheelchair, according to an unusual letter.
The author remembered saying, "Get him down here." " "What letter?" [Aubrey] exclaimed as she walked in. "I'm not sure about that," I said. And I said, 'All right, I understand. How about the wheelchair, though?'"
Apparently, Drake was worried that being in a wheelchair would make him seem weak, as he told James that "all my buddies in the rap business think that I'm soft because I'm."
To this, James had the following to say: "So, inform your rap peers that you were shot. How much harder do you think you can push it? You were wounded and now find yourself confined to a wheelchair."
In spite of his strong emotions regarding his character's wheelchair, Drake eventually backed down and remained for another two seasons on the program..
"He was very kind and sorry for everything that had happened. He immediately conceded, "According to a previous show writer,
Jimmy's experience was essential to the program and its viewers, particularly wheelchair users, who have been underrepresented in mainstream media for a long time, according to James.
After that, I was adamant that James know about the plight of disabled children who are seldom shown on television or otherwise given the representation they deserve. "'I need your services to represent this individual. Being in a wheelchair doesn't make you any less awesome than the other kids on the program, and you may say as much."
Degrassi's writers did make some adjustments for Jimmy, who had stem cell surgery and was able to stand with crutches in the season seven finale, despite Drake's apparent change of heart
""Is there any operation Jimmy can have?" was a common question. Can we find a way to save him?' There were many iterations of the concept. Eventually, we had him start getting up and walking with crutches again "actor and director Stefan Brogren was quoted as saying.
Degrassi cast members recently shared their thoughts on why the actor may not have wanted to perform in a wheelchair despite Drake's claimed concerns about his public image.
Lauren Collins, who portrayed Paige Michalchuk, said that Drake "struggled" physically with the wheelchair as well, adding that he even tipped the chair over a few times on the set. Lauren Collins:
When Aubrey was confined to a chair for the duration of the competition, she felt physically exhausted. "That was a difficult situation for him to cope with. I do recall him tipping the chair over and tumbling down of improvised ramps that they'd built for him."
In addition, she brought up the larger topic of media representation, saying that it was maybe confusing for Drake that Jimmy was shot and ended up in a wheelchair as one of only two Black characters on the program.
The fact that Aubrey was one of only two Black characters on the program, and he ended up shot and in a wheelchair, is clearly part of a much bigger discussion," Lauren went on to say.
Shane Kippel, who portrayed Jimmy's closest buddy Gavin "Spinner" Mason, speculated that Drake was worried about playing a crippled character since he was able-bodied.
Apprehension of having one's character in a wheelchair or even not feeling like it's appropriate to represent someone who is in a wheelchair if oneself is completely capable, as Shane said, are common concerns for disabled actors. "However, that's about [Aubrey] and his reaction to it."
Even though he missed the reunion's 20th anniversary, Drake hasn't forgotten where he came from despite his absence.
The cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation reunited in 2018 for Drake's music video for "I'm Upset," which many of you may recall.
Fans of the program are still talking about the cameo-filled film, which has racked up over 108 million views on YouTube.
For many, Drake will always remain Jimmy from Degrassi even if he has a successful music career.
Post a Comment