STARS OF THE N’s DEGRASSI WITH JAY AND SILENT BOB IN RED BANK FOR DVD RELEASE

by Casey Tay

RED BANK, NJ - Fans waited from as early as 4:30 am at Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash in Red Bank, NJ for the DVD release of Jay & Silent Bob do Degrassi. Degrassi is a television show shot in Canada about a group of teens and their struggles with school, relationships, and other teen issues. Not only were Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes at the release, but Stacey Farber and Jake Epstein from Degrassi were there as well. This DVD is 3 episodes long and stars the whole Degrassi cast and features Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes.

Jake Epstein, Stacey Farber, Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith sign autographs for fans.

You might be wondering, “What are Jay and Silent Bob doing in Canada, and why are they at Degrassi Community School?” Well Kevin and Jason head north to make Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, eh? which is being filmed at Degrassi. “I was a big fan of the original Degrassi High, and I always wanted to be a part of it,” said Kevin Smith. Some of Kevin’s other directing and acting credits include Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma. “It took a couple of years to make the whole Degrassi thing happen, but we finally did it, and it was amazing,” noted Kevin.

Samara Jordan wept as she described meeting her role model.

While a lot of fans were at the release November 20 to meet Kevin and Jason, a number of them were there to meet Degrassi cast members Stacey Farber and Jake Epstein. “Degrassi is an amazing show that helps kids deal with issues,” says 15-year-old Maddie Woods. Maddie is a very dedicated fan that traveled from Maryland to meet Stacey and Jake. “My friends and I have been waiting here since 7:30 in the morning, but it’ll be worth it when we meet Jake Epstein!” Another fan was very emotional about meeting Stacey Farber. “Her character and I have had a lot of the same problems, and she has helped me deal with them,” says 13-year-old Samara Jordan from Long Island, NY. “She’s my role model. Not just because she’s a celebrity, but because she has helped me in so many ways. It was such an honor to meet her.”

Casey Tay interviewed the Degrassi stars at Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.

This reporter had a chance to talk to Stacey and Jake and found them to be two typical teenagers who just happened to be the stars of one of the hottest teen television shows on air. “Both of us are complete Kevin Smith fans and we were freaking out when we found out he was going to be on,” says Jake Epstein. Jake’s character Craig Manning is a bipolar musician who was abused by his father as a child. “Yeah, it was great shooting with Kevin and Jason. They’re both so funny!” Stacey Farber explained. Stacey’s character Ellie Nash cut herself because of her mother’s addiction to alcohol. Now that Degrassi is finished shooting, both Stacey and Jake plan on attending college in Toronto where the show was shot. Both of them also plan on continuing with their acting career. “I could really relate to Degrassi because it’s all about problems that every teen has to deal with,” Jake said.

Kevin Smith talked briefly about his experience as a student at Henry Hudson Regional School in Highlands.

Jake Epstein, Stacey Farber and Jason Mewes pose for a photo before the signing.

Catch Jay and Silent Bob do Degrassi on DVD in stores now.

And watch Degrassi on the N on Fridays at 10:00 p.m.