Amanda Arcuri had to graduate from Degrassi before playing Mickey’s (Morena Baccarin) troubled daughter Skye in “Sheriff Country.” The Canadian actor’s big break was on “Degrassi: The Next Generation” Season 14 as Lola Pacini, Frankie Hollingsworth’s (Sarah Waisglass) loyal best friend with bright, colorful hair.
The fourth iteration of “Degrassi” remains one of the most notable of the teen franchise, kick-starting the careers of Drake, Nina Dobrev, and Shenae Grimes-Beech. The series was also known for cutting through the noise and raising awareness about teen pregnancy, sexual assault, suicide, and school shootings. Nothing was off limits on the show, and that’s why it resonated with audiences on a deeper level.
Lola might’ve been a recurring character in the final season of “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” but her arc didn’t wrap up after the final episode aired. Arcuri went on to lead “Degrassi: Next Class,” a Netflix revival that was on from 2016 to 2017. It was through the spin-off that she became a fan-favorite and was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for best performance, children’s or youth.
Amanda Arcuri had a groundbreaking abortion storyline in Degrassi: Next Class
Much like its predecessors, “Degrassi: Next Class” didn’t hold back when it came to taboo subject matter. Lola became the fourth character of the “Degrassi” franchise to have an abortion in Season 3, Episode 8. The franchise had previously portrayed characters who either decided to carry their pregnancies to term or terminate them during high school.
Yet, different from previous depictions, audiences join Lola inside the clinic while she is having the procedure. As is hinted in the episode’s title, “#IRegretNothing,” Lola has no reservations about terminating her pregnancy, despite her friends’ disapproval early on. Given that “Degrassi: Next Class” was a Netflix production, it had the opportunity to push the envelope even further with Lola’s storyline in Season 3. The character even opens up about her abortion experience through a confessional video that she uploads online.
Years after the series wrapped (with no continuation in sight, after an HBO reboot got scrapped), Arcuri joined “Sheriff Country” in a much grittier role. Despite the excitement to broaden her horizons in the CBS drama, she still credits “Degrassi” for helping her find her footing as an actor.
“I’m very grateful for it. I’ll always be grateful for Degrassi … it gave me a place to go. I really thought that I wasn’t gonna go anywhere,” she told The Nerds of Color in 2023. “I was failing all my classes in high school, so I didn’t know what path I was going to take in university or college if I were to go. And finding Degrassi really helped me. Some might say it saved my life.”
