| JAKE EPSTEIN |
Jake also became active with the arts at a young age. He developed an acting bug by becoming involved with plays and local drama productions. Jake then moved from the stage to in front of the camera. His first large acting gig preceding a couple small film roles was on a TV show called The Zack Files. After finishing a couple seasons of The Zack Files came the call for a Degrassi audition. When Jake heard the news that they were casting a role for a brooding teen bad boy with an interesting background, he decided that he really wanted to audition for it. After some callbacks and auditions with the current cast members, Jake was able to dance with joy at the news of being cast. Jake joined Degrassi: TNG during the second season of the show and fans immediately welcomed him into the Degrassi family. It didn't hurt that he had the looks and charm of an absolute heartthrob. There was so much more behind him though, than just his heartthrob status. The very first episode that Jake was a part of, he was given the lead storyline, which focused on the subject matter of parental abuse. The challenging storylines that Jake was given didn't end there. Throughout the years, Craig has had to deal with the death of his father, the fallout from his cheating ways, discovering his bipolarity, and most recently an addiction to cocaine. With each of these issues, Jake has handled the serious topics believably and with heart. He performed these storylines so well that it even won him a Gemini award in 2003. Not only does Jake have a knack for the dramatics, but his talent for making his character loveable is pretty remarkable. Jake's acting is so heartfelt that he makes fans want to root for Craig, no matter how much of a jerk he is being. Among these artistic gifts, Jake is a fantastic musician. He plays many different instruments, though his instrument of choice is the guitar, and is overall very involved with music. The producers decided to use these talents in the show and slowly developed an interest of music in Craig. Throughout the years Jake has been able to sing, play guitar and perform in plenty of episodes. His talent is obvious and it lies in many areas. The writers have been smart enough showcase his talents and because of this, Craig's popularity only continues to grow. There is no doubt that Craig would not be the leading man that he is today without Jake's talent, charm and charisma. Articles/Interviews: Other Media:
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