For Jiao, a day on set would involve getting up as early as 5:30 a.m. for her parents to drive her to the studio, also in Toronto. Hair and makeup preparation took about an hour, during which she would review any last-minute changes to the script.

For each scene, the actors went through blocking, rehearsals, and shooting, working on about eight scenes in a 12-hour workday. Interspersed throughout the process were hours for homework, meals, and socializing with the rest of the cast.

“It’s a very laborious process, actually,” she said.

At first, Jiao said she found it difficult to play Leia, who was meant to be dominant, gossipy, and a pathological liar. Jiao, on the other hand, came on set timid and inexperienced. Though she gained confidence in portraying Leia, Jiao said the writers made Leia’s insecure side more visible to better fit her personality.

“I was way too quiet—not insecure, but too scared to meet new people and be outgoing,” Jiao said. “Degrassi definitely changed that because I was forced to meet new people everyday—new directors, new producers, new writers.”

In her second episode on Degrassi, Leia goes to a party with her friend Mia Jones, but leaves when alcohol and sex are involved. Later, she discovers that Mia slept with a man to further her modeling career, and must decide how that will affect their friendship.

Such dilemmas are typical of the experiences portrayed in Degrassi, which has dealt with issues such as teenage pregnancy, gang violence, and sexual identity. Jiao said the show is known for discussing controversial subjects, but also offers a positive message on overcoming challenges.

“I certainly knew people in high school who had issues with drug abuse, who had issues at home, who dealt with relationship problems and who had insecurities,” Jiao said. “I think in that sense, Degrassi was really able to resonate with a far-reaching audience of people.”

MEETING DRAKE

Although Jiao received inspiration from her high school classmates, she also chose not to inform most of them about her acting role. Jiao said she did not want too many people to know about her new lifestyle, and only told a few of her closest friends, who helped her catch up on material she missed in school while filming.

Jiao was constantly meeting new people in the studio, becoming close friends with Charlotte Arnold and Annie Clark, who play Holly J. Sinclair and Fiona Coyne. Jiao said she continues to visit them every time she returns home.

Soon after she started filming, one of Degrassi’s former actors, Aubrey Drake Graham, visited the studio and met with Jiao. Graham played Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi before leaving to pursue his music career under the stage name Drake.

“He was incredibly nice—very, very sweet guy, very down-to-earth,” Jiao said.

Just as Drake had moved on from acting to music, Jiao decided she would no longer act with Degrassi when she was accepted to Harvard. Although other cast members have attended college while continuing to appear on the show, Jiao decided to focus on her college experience.

“I miss acting a lot, and it was a really big part of my life. There is definitely a creative side to me that needs to be expressed,” Jiao said.