Thursday, February 13, 2003,
Miriam's story
Hi! I'm Miriam McDonald, a.k.a. Emma Nelson of Degrassi: The Next Generation. For the last two years, I have had a lot of fun juggling my role on the show with going to school, dance classes and everything else that I like to do.
In my "civilian" life, I am just as passionate about dancing as I am about acting. On average, I dance about 15 hours a week. I mainly focus on ballet and jazz, but I also do modern, hip hop and tap. Of course, like any other girl, I love to shop (too much!) and see movies and hang out with friends and swim and play tennis- the list goes on!
Since the series began, all of those things have stayed the same. I'm still friends with the same people, and they don't really treat me any differently. But some things have changed. For one, I get recognized everywhere I go.
When we are filming, a typical day might be something like this:
1. Get up at 5: 30 a.m.
2. Be at production studios by 7 a.m.
3. Get into the wardrobe
4. Go to "hair and makeup."
5. "Block" the scene by 7: 45 a.m.
6. Head back to the studio classroom for some tutoring.
7. Go over my lines.
8. Back to set again for the shoot.
9. Keep doing steps 3 to 8 for different scenes of the episode until lunch.
10. Repeat in the afternoon.
All of the cast members are very good friends. We keep in touch, even when production has wrapped for the season. I go to the same school as three other cast members, and I talk on the phone to pretty much everyone else. There are occasions when we see each other throughout the year, like publicity events and fundraisers.
While I am filming, there are tutors on set to keep me caught up. They are terrific at getting all of us to fit in math, science, English and our other subjects between script readings, gallery photo shoots, rehearsals and filming. When I'm not filming, I go to a school geared toward kids with serious outside commitments, such as professional acting and competitive skiing.
Since the show takes place mostly at Degrassi Community School, it is easy to slip back and forth between being a "real" student and being "Emma Nelson," Degrassi student. I would say I am quite similar to my character. We both have strong opinions and want those opinions to be heard. We act on impulse and like to have fun!
I'm really glad that my dance school began offering acting lessons several years ago, when I was about 10. I loved them, and decided to attend a television open audition call that I read about in the newspaper. I got the part!
One thing led to another and I was signed up to do some voiceover work. Then I got an agent. Soon afterward, my agent called me about the Degrassi producers casting their new show. Five or six auditions later, I was Emma Nelson!
Miriam McDonald, 15, is in Grade 10.
Degrassi's Emma was born to dance