You know Stacey Farber as Ellie Nash on the hit series, Degrassi. I know that I have the latest interview with her that I am going to share with you right now!

I am so grateful to have had the chance to interview Stacey because she really is busier than anybody I know – filming in Canada and going to school in NY! Right here at HTWW, Stacey talks Degrassi, a new pilot that she is attached to, and more!

What would you say has been the biggest change for your character on Degrassi throughout the years?
I’ve been lucky enough to work on Degrassi for the last seven years and so I’ve truly grown up with my character. I was introduced as Ellie when I was fourteen and I’m now twenty one—physically, I’ve changed a lot and for better or worse, it’s been documented on film. Emotionally and intellectually, I think the biggest change for my character came with her move from high school to college. While attending Degrassi, she was more reserved and standoffish, and generally regarded as an “outcast.” In her first year of college, she began writing for her school’s paper and she dated an older guy. Onscreen, she interacted with a different set of people and so she appeared to be a lot more sociable. I think this was a realistic character development, proof of Ellie’s maturation as a result of a change in setting. But it also could have just seemed like a big change in behavior because the storylines shifted from focusing on Ellie’s difficult home life to highlighting her romantic relationships and the experiences she shared with her friends.

After working on Degrassi for so many years, how would you say you have grown not only as an actor but as a person?
I’ve grown as an actor because I’ve had to portray a range of scripted experiences, handed to me by Degrassi’s Writing Department. I’ve had to cry, console, confess, laugh, and fall in love— many times since I began working on the show. It’s been difficult at different points (acting drunk, for example, is something that I both struggle with and dread), but I enjoy each challenge. My professional life is definitely abnormal, but my personal life is quite tame; I don’t experience much drama. Because Ellie’s life is so much more complicated than mine, I take pleasure in living hers whenever I’m on set.

How often when you are not working do you have moments where you instinctively do things as your character would?
It depends where I am. Often, if I’m in a room full of people, I instinctively behave how I imagine Ellie might: I keep quiet and observe those around me. If I’m with my best friends, I’m more assured and so I’m talkative, sometimes even vulgar. At a party, however, though I’m still confident, I’m usually detached from the heart of the action.

Regarding the Degrassi cast, how does everyone get along?
It’s clichéd but we’re like a family. We’ve all shared this distinctive experience—working on a hit Canadian TV show—and so our bond is inherent and I don’t think it’s something we’ll ever lose. I’m better friends with some people than others (because of our age and because I’m almost always working only with them on set), but everyone is friendly and we’re always to happy to reconnect at meetings and events and parties.

Degrassi has touched on pretty much every issue possible so how do you hope that the show stays fresh and does not exhaust all of the issues that a teenager may face?
I have complete faith in Degrassi’s writers. New writers join that team annually, which helps to keep both the storylines and dialogue “fresh”. Teenagers experience so many different issues that vary depending on their cultural background, their sexuality, their relationships with family members, and their health, etc. Recognizing that fact is what makes it possible for the writers to readdress issues raised earlier in the series, from an alternate angle.

As the cast continues to gets older, does this mean that the audience can expect a whole new group of kids to take over the halls of Degrassi?
Yes! Viewers will be introduced to some new, younger characters this season.

Is it true that you interned at Teen Vogue in NY and if so, what was that experience like?
It is true! I interned in Teen Vogue’s editorial department (I worked on the magazine’s website), during my junior year of college in New York. I could not have asked for a better internship experience. My boss, EJ, assigned a lot of exciting tasks like reporting from fashion week, attending industry events, and maintaining an online blog. I loved contributing to the production of a publication that I admire so much.

For years to come, do you see yourself continuing to act, doing acting and journalism, just journalism, or do you see yourself on another path?
Like most college students, and graduates, I’m so lost at this point! I hope to graduate this year with a degree in Creative Writing/Journalism, but I don’t want to start working in that field immediately. I think I’d like to devote some time to auditioning for acting projects because I love working as an actor. I’ve been a full time student all my life and so I haven’t yet given that objective much effort.

Do you currently have any upcoming projects outside of Degrassi?
I shot a pilot called 18 to Life, this summer in Montreal, Canada. It’s a comedy and it’s adorable so I’m hoping that it will go to series.

What do you have to say about thoughts that true journalism is dying?
If “true journalism” correlates to print, then I know what you mean. Online publications are less costly and more accessible and so I understand why they are thriving. I can’t imagine my life without the internet; I’m always browsing various sites, emailing, and reading blogs and articles. Still, I’ll always love printed magazines—fashion magazines, in particular. I flip through them in stores, I buy them, and then I study their content from cover to cover. Reading lengthy articles and examining the photos in a magazine is an experience that cannot compare to scrolling through whatever information (recorded like sound bites) is onscreen. For that reason, I don’t think “true journalism” will ever die completely.

Do you have a Myspace or official website that fans can reach you at?
I do not have an official website or a MySpace account. I never had MySpace so please don’t encourage the fakers by adding them!