Stacie Mistysyn

Stacie Moana Mistysyn^[1] (born July 23, 1971) is an American and Canadian actress who is best known for her role as Caitlin Ryan throughout multiple incarnations of the Degrassi teen drama franchise, from Degrassi Junior High through Degrassi: The Next Generation. She previously played Lisa Canard in The Kids of Degrassi Street from 1982 to 1986.

She won a Gemini Award for Degrassi Junior High in 1989 and was nominated in 1987 and 1990. She was also named in a Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast nomination in 1990.

Mistysyn was born in Los Angeles to American parents, and was raised in Toronto.^[2] As of 2005, she had dual American and Canadian citizenship, but considered herself Canadian.^[3] She auditioned for The Kids of Degrassi Street at the age of 10 after coming across an audition flyer at her school. She played the role of Lisa Canard from 1982 to 1986, when development began on Degrassi Junior High, where she opted to play a new character instead of reprising her previous role.^[4] Initially auditioning for a "rebellious, punky" character named Annie, she was instead given her own character, Caitlin Ryan, named after a relative of the show's publicist.^[4]

According to the Toronto Star, Caitlin was "arguably its most popular character, whose storylines included her questioning her sexuality, an epilepsy diagnosis and the trauma after an ex committed suicide".^[5] In 1992, Mistysyn appeared as Caitlin at Degrassi High's television movie finale, School's Out!, where she uttered the quote "You were fucking Tessa Campanelli?", the second time "fuck" was said on Canadian television after co-star Stefan Brogren moments earlier in the film.^[6] She appeared in the acclaimed 1990 Canadian film Princes in Exile.^[7]

After Degrassi, Mistysyn was accepted into Ryerson University, but chose to continue acting instead. In 1994, she starred in the television movie X-Rated, produced by the creators of Degrassi.^[8][9] American filmmaker Kevin Smith, a fan of the Degrassi series and of Mistysyn, wanted her to appear in 1995's Mallrats, but Universal Pictures insisted he use a better-known actress; the role Smith wanted for Mistysyn was instead given to Shannen Doherty,^[10] who is seen wearing a Degrassi jacket in the film.^[11]

In 1996, Mistysyn moved to Los Angeles to avoid typecasting.^[12][4] She commuted to Toronto and back for Degrassi: The Next Generation before permanently returning in 2006.^[12] Mistysyn is close friends with Degrassi co-star Amanda Stepto, and in the late 2000s the two had plans to develop their own comedy series, OverXposed, which did not come to fruition.^[13] Mistysyn and Stepto performed as DJs in Toronto in the late 2000s and early 2010s.^[14][15]

Mistysyn is a certified fitness coach.^[5][16]

In 1989, Mistysyn won a Gemini Award for Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for Degrassi Junior High. She was previously nominated for the award in 1987^[17] and again in 1990,^[18] in addition to being nominated as part of an ensemble for a Young Artist Award that year.^[19]

Mistysyn attended Malvern Collegiate Institute while starring in Degrassi Junior High.^[12] She married actor James Gallanders in 2009 and has two children.^[12] In an online article for Medium, she revealed that she struggled with an eating disorder and anxiety near the end of Degrassi's run.^[20] In 1991, it was reported that Mistysyn was rehearsing as the singer of a local Toronto band previously called Dream Design.^[21]

Mistysyn had a brother, Cory,^[7] who died in 2010.^[22] Her sister Kim appeared in an episode of Degrassi Talks, discussing her sexuality.^[7]

• Official website
• Stacie Mistysyn at IMDb