Rebecca Haines Interview by Natalie Earl

NE: Tell me about your B.A. from McGill University in Montreal, and M.A. in Sociology from York University in Toronto. Should we anticipate a Rebecca Haines, Ph.D?

RH: I am planning on doing my PhD in the fall of 1999, at the University of Toronto.
I am applying to the School of Public Health Sciences, for a degree in "community health"-the area I am working in right now at a children's hospital in Toronto. The program is the social science/health policy division of U of T's med school. For a while I had a dream of going to med school, but I find I like academia and research a lot and it seems to suit me. Right now I work as a Project Analyst in Community Health/Mental Health. My major thesis research was on adolescent parents, specifically young mothers of biracial children. I plan to pursue this topic further at the PhD level.

NE: What are your future career objectives? What jobs, other than Degrassi, have you held in the past (i.e. the record store). Any internships or apprenticeships?

RH: I had a research job through McGill University on something called the Services to Young Mothers Project. My undergraduate thesis entitled "Break North-Rap music and Hip-Hop Culture in Canada" is being published in an academic book this fall by the University of Toronto Press. At York I was a research assistant and teaching assistant while I was doing my Master's. I have also presented papers at many academic conferences and symposia.

NE: Are you married? engaged? Do you have any children?

RH: NO, no AND no! And I am not planning on any of the above until I am at least 30!

NE: Kathleen was a bitter, hardened character who shut people out rather than allow herself to be vulnerable. Did this personality have anything to do with Rebecca's insecurities or low self esteem?

RH: Perhaps it was a side of me-but I think that I just had the capacity to play a strong role. In general I like to think that I am a much more open and kinder person than Kathleen, but like everyone I can be "bitchy" and sarcastic when I want to.

NE: Do you still hang out with any of the Degrassi actors? How does it feel to watch reruns on Showcase?

RH: Like "real" high-school I have lost touch with many people over the years since the show has ended, but I do bump into people around Toronto from time to time. I like watching the re-runs because there are a lot of shows that I have not seen or do not remember watching so it is fun for me.

NE: I understand that you grew up in a rough neighborhood, lived on Welfare, and had let's say "free spirited" parents. What were some of the toughest obstacles you had to conquer in order to achieve your current success?
RH: I have had a colorful life I think, which has made me more sensitive to other people's hardships. Despite some of the circumstances of my growing up, I always had strong family support and a lot of people in my life who loved me. I think the hardest thing for me was to let go of my dislike and disdain for people who I feel have "had it easy", and realize that no one's growing up or family life is without problems.

NE: If you could write some fictional Degrassi episodes what would you have like to have happened for Kathleen? For example, would she finally date Rick?

RH: I would have liked to see her laugh some more. I always said that I wanted to do a more comedic episode. Kathleen was really too stern a character-people laughed at her rather than with her. And no, I think that Rick was too short for her, she would have just pushed him around!

NE: Did your income from Degrassi help your family get ahead? Were you allowed to buy anything special for yourself?

RH: Sure, being on the show helped me a lot and paid for my University as well as a lot of other things (like clothes and trips) that my mother would have never been able to give me otherwise.

NE: What advice would you give to women who are trying to avoid date rape or abusive boyfriends?

RH: It is a different process for everyone, and you can't really tell a woman what to do in these situations. I think that it is important to know, that when you decide that you want to take that first step (i.e. telling someone, leaving) there are lots of people who have been there and who will listen without judging you.

NE: How did you possibly handle Ballet Academy and Degrassi filmings?

RH: Eventually I had to put ballet classes on the back-burner, but like lots of other teens I was just involved in a lot and very active. Now I wonder how I did it, but I like to keep busy. I am not really the couch potato type!

NE: Tell me about your achievements (awards, trophies, volunteer positions, professional affiliations, community service, self-enrichment goals).

RH: Right now I am on the Board of Directors of a centre for teenage mothers in downtown Toronto, in the Regent Park neighborhood not too far from where I grew up. I have always volunteered and I think that it is important to give back to the community. And the show allowed me a lot of opportunities to do this, too.

NE: If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would you do differently?

RH: I have no regrets-maybe I would have saved more money, though!

NE: What are your favorite movies, television shows, and music groups?

RH: The last movie I saw was Good Will Hunting, which I loved. The shows I watch are Ally McBeal, NYPD Blue and ER. I listen to mainly Hip-Hop and R & B. The last CD's I bought were Brian McKnight and Big Punisher.

NE: What is your most cherished Degrassi memory? Were there any catasportophy days?
I have a lot of fond memories of just hanging out between scenes and cracking jokes. We used to make up songs, and we had a lot of inside sayings and jokes. We did some "unofficial" Degrassi year-books which I edited, and they were full of all of our little Sayings and stuff.

RH: There were long filming days and times when a scene or a shot just wasn't going right, but overall the good far outweighed the bad.

NE: Did your classmates or co-workers ever resent you because of your celebrity status?

RH: No, in fact it made me more popular in high-school since everyone knew who I was.

NE: What opportunities did Degrassi provide that might not have otherwise been available?

RH: The chance to feel like you really touched people's lives-especially when they come to you and tell you that they had a personal experience similar to your character's. That really means a lot to me and it still happens all the time.

NE: Describe what it was like working with Kit Hood, Linda Schuyler, and Kate Taylor.
RH: I only met Kate a few times. Kit and Linda were very supportive and generous with us, and for many of us they were very important people in our lives for the period while the show was running.

NE: Did you go through a withdrawal or anticlimactic period when the show ended? Or were you happy to go on with your life?

RH: I really enjoyed going to University and was happy to go to school away from home. I hated having to work for 7 or 8 dollars an hour after making so much more on the show, but other than that I feel very satisfied with where I am, what I have accomplished for someone who is 25.

NE: What are some little known facts about Rebecca Haines? For instance, do you have any tattoos?

RH: As a matter of fact, I have 2 tattoos. I just got my second one a few weeks ago. It is a gothic-type of cross on my left upper arm (like the one Tupac had on his back). I also have an angel on my right calf, which I got in 1993 with my younger sister (her's is on her arm). I love them and wish I could get more!

NE: If you could update Degrassi for the year 2000, what new concepts or issues would you incorporate?
RH: I would like the show to deal with the struggles we still face as young women who have decided to put a career before marriage and family, as most of my friends are mid-twenties and going through this dilemma. Also maybe biracial children, since that is my area of research-like if BLT and Michelle had a kid together!