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Jake Epstein is a Canadian actor and musician known best for portraying Craig Manning, a bipolar musician, on Degrassi: The Next Generation. He joined the cast in 2002, and continued to star as a regular through Season 5. Absent from the show for the last half of Season 5, he returned in Season 6 in a guest appearance for two episodes and also made guest appearances in Seasons 7 and 8. Prior to joining Degrassi, Epstein portrayed the role of Cam Dunleavey on the TV show The Zack Files in which he and Michael Seater co-starred with Daniel Clark's brother Robert Clark. Also Epstein had a role in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Quints in 2000. Epstein attended the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal, graduating in 2008. His biggest passion is music; he has been a member of several bands, such as Mind the Gap, and Funkasaurus Rex, playing many musical instruments including guitar and drums. He had a small role in the 2007 movie Charlie Bartlett. In 2009, Jake starred as Charlie Brown, or "CB", in Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead alongside former Degrassi co-stars, Paula Brancati as "Van's Sister" (Lucy Van Pelt), Adamo Ruggiero as "Van" (Linus Van Pelt) and Mike Lobel as "Matt" (Pig-Pen). He played Melchior in the first national tour of the musical Spring Awakening. Most recently, Epstein was an alternate for Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Broadway production of Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. He starred as part of the original principle cast of the Tony Award nominated musical Beautiful, a musical based on the life of legendary musician Carole King. He would go on to appear on the cast recording, win would the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.


Trivia

  • Jake is a Capricorn.
  • His favorite book is The Catcher in the Rye.
  • If Jake wasn't an actor, he would be a writer.
  • His favorite TV shows are Family Guy and Breaking Bad.
  • He used to be a brown belt in karate.
  • Some of his favorite bands are Pink Floyd, System of a Down, The Beatles, Radiohead, and the Headstones.
  • His favorite movie is Forrest Gump.
  • His favorite food is Japanese.
  • His celebrity crush is Angelina Jolie.
  • His favorite character on Degrassi besides Craig is Spinner.
  • He was in a band with Degrassi co-star, Mike Lobel, called "The Grassi," named after the show.
  • He attended the same school as co-star, Stacey Farber, in grades 4-8.
  • He also guest starred on My Babysitter's a Vampire, playing a werewolf.
  • His maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors.
  • Jake co-starred in a movie along with Alexandria Benoit.
  • He portrayed Spiderman on Broadway.
  • He portrayed Melchior Gabor in the 1st National Tour of Spring Awakening.
  • He was born two days before the premiere of Degrassi Junior High.
  • He was friends with Jake Goldsbie and Lauren Collins before they worked together on Degrassi.
  • In the 2015 interview Straight Talk with Adamo Ruggiero, he admitted that he did not know who Pat Mastroianni was when he read for the Craig auditions as he had never seen the original Degrassi. He also said that people threw condoms at him after Accidents Will Happen (2) was broadcast.
  • He is only one day younger than his The Zack Files and Degrassi Goes Hollywood co-star Michael Seater.
  • He worked with Lauren Collins and Aubrey Graham in both Degrassi and Charlie Bartlett.
  • He worked with Daniel Clark, Deanna Casaluce and Conrad Coates in both Degrassi and The Zack Files.
  • His elder sister Gabi Epstein's former music teacher is Gretchen Helbig, who played Joey Jeremiah's mother Mrs. Jeremiah.
  • He starred in Full Out alongside former Degrassi stars Ana Golja and Sarah Fisher.

Gallery

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