CATHY KEENAN (LIZ O'ROURKE) INTERVIEW by Natalie Earl

NE: Compare Cathy Keenan with Liz O'Rourke, what are the differences and similarities?

CK: I was shy and quiet like Liz but my personality depends on the environment I am in. Sometimes I take control and organize things. I am more extroverted than Liz. On the opposite side I don’t share Liz’s pain and trauma.

NE: Did you get the skinhead hairstyle and clothing especially for the part of Liz or did you look that way in real life?

CK: I was punk in real life, so I did not go through any changes to play Liz. In fact when I wanted to grow my hair long, the producers wanted me to keep it short. They said that my hair made me recognizable from the other characters.

NE: How do you look now? Include tattoos and body piercing.

CK: I look quite normal now. Well not exactly normal, I do have my own distant, creative style but I no longer look punk. I have reddish blonde, shoulder length hair with short bangs. I have one tattoo on my baby finger and one on my foot. My piercings include my ears, belly button and nose.

NE: Are you of British or Irish ancestry?

CK: My mom is British and my father is American, but I consider myself Canadian.

NE: What was it like having your sister Anna Keenan (Rainbow) on the show?

CK: Back then my sister and I never hung out. We had different interests, tastes, and friends. It did not really make a difference that we were on the show together, however we are a lot closer now.

NE: How did the students at your real high school react to your celebrity status? Were they resentful or did it make you more popular?

CK: When I was a teenager I was very shy and insecure. I was uncertain that the show was any good and that I was any good. Seeing myself on TV made me feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. But now my association with Degrassi is a positive quality. It makes me more noticeable. It is a good icebreaker when I meet new people. They can identify with Degrassi and are familiar with Liz. I definitely meet more people because I was on the show.

NE: When you and Amanda Stepto hang out around Toronto do fans get excited about seeing "Spike and Liz" together?

CK: They are happy to see us together but not surprised. Amanda gets recognized first because her character was so popular. Then they spot me because they automatically associate Spike with Liz. People assume that because Spike and Liz were inseparable on Degrassi that Amanda and Cathy must be inseparable. Which is not true, we do not see each other every day, we have our own lives. When Amanda and I worked together at Shakti we hung out a lot more.

CK: Degrassi was so popular, people were surprised that the cast members were not approached with more acting offers. Some of the cast members are still acting but as far as I know, none of us have made it into the big time. Maybe it’s because Canadians do not know how to toot their own horn. We are not aggressive about pursuing attention and publicity. Canadians are embarrassed about seeing their own county [streets, landmarks, cultural images] on television. We are so used to seeing images of Hollywood that it is weird and embarrassing to see ourselves.

NE: Did you like Patrick (Vincent Walsh), Tim (Keith White) or Joey (Pat Mastroianni) in real life?

CK: I had no romantic interest in them but Vincent Walsh and I went to the same high school. I knew him in Grade 09 before he was on Degrassi.

NE: Liz was anti-abortion, how does Cathy feel about abortion?

CK: I am definitely Pro Choice

NE: Were you a victim of child abuse in real life? Did you face any other hardships?

CK: I was not a victim of child abuse, and I did not experience any real hardships beyond the typical problems and adjustments that teenagers face.

NE: Give me a summary of your life from 1992 until now. Tell me about your education, travels, and work experiences.

CK: I have traveled to Venezuela, Cuba, and Dominican Republic. I backpacked through Europe with the semester abroad program at my university. I took a road trip that spanned Canada, the United States and Mexico.

CK: I studied Media Arts at Ryerson University, the program included all aspects of the media, including film, video, computers, and photography. My career path is film and television production. Hopefully my position will include the creative and business aspects of the business. I used to work for a low budget, sci-fi film company in publicity and casting.

CK: Casting was interesting because it was my turn to sit on the other side: I was the one interviewing actors. Now that I have experience the other side, I understand what is expected and I see the audition process as being less intimidating.

NE: Are you married and do you have any children?

CK: No and no

NE: Let's pretend that you had a daughter that turned out like Liz or Spike, would you allow her to look and act rebellious?

CK: Yes being rebellious is an important part of finding yourself. I would give her the freedom to explore and experiment but it would depend on how far she wanted to go.

NE: What are you favourite television shows and music groups?

CK: I don’t get any of the good channels, like The Discovery Channel and The History Channel, because I don’t have cable. My favorite music in the last few years has been Hip-Hop.

NE: How does it feel to be a diva?

CK: I am flattered that fans admire me but it seems unreal. I don’t get caught up in fame. I do not walk down the street wearing sunglasses and a big hat and having my picture taken. When fans compliment Liz I don’t think it is me they are talking about. The issue of stardom does not change the way I think. If no one were to ever come up to me again, it wouldn’t be a big deal. I don’t let it guide me; I am not attached to it.

NE: Each year as the new characters were auditioned for the show, was there a rivalry between the original cast and the new recruits?

CK: There was no rivalry between the old characters and the new ones. I never felt threatened that the new characters were pushing my ground.

NE: Once the show became a hit, were local teenagers beating down Playing With Time’s door to audition?

CK: Towards the end of Degrassi’s publicity tours, Toronto was the least receptive. We would get more responses in the suburbs. But the fans would get wild about some of the characters. I truly understand the phrase "15 minutes of fame" and I certainly know what mine was. When people made a big deal about Liz it made me feel really good.

NE: When the actors read the scripts for the first time, was there laughing when you read the embarrassing parts (such as the condom scene with Liz and Joey)?

CK: I never felt embarrassed because I felt incredibly comfortable with the other cast members.

NE: What can you tell me about the other actors?

CK: Bill Parrot (Shane) was on a commercial for Eaton’s Department store. The Deiseach Twins (Heather and Erica) are professional Flamenco dancers. They are fascinated with the Latin culture and music. They both speak Spanish fluently.

NE: If you could write some episodes of Degrassi what would you want to happen for Liz?

CK: I would like Liz to get over all her baggage. To keep the story lines focused on Spike and Liz, they would move into the same apartment complex. Liz becomes a film director. They travel to other countries, maybe New Zealand.

NE: Do you have a special message that you would like to share with your fans?

CK: I am honoured that they wanted to know more about me and that they are still interested in the show after all this time.