Amanda Stepto

rdf:langString Amanda Stepto

rdf:langString Amanda Stepto

rdf:langString Amanda Stepto

rdf:langString Montreal, Quebec, Canada

rdf:langString A woman with blonde hair smiles.

rdf:langString Amanda Felicitas Stepto

rdf:langString Stepto promoting Degrassi Junior High in the United Kingdom in 1988

rdf:langString Playing Christine "Spike" Nelson in the Degrassi franchise

rdf:langString Actress, DJ

rdf:langString Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, Degrassi: The Next Generation

rdf:langString Amanda Felicitas Stepto (born 31 July 1970) is a Canadian former actress who gained nationwide fame for her role as teen mother Christine "Spike" Nelson in the Degrassi franchise. Having no previous acting experience, Stepto rose to national prominence in the late 1980s portraying Spike on Degrassi Junior High (1987-89) and its follow-up Degrassi High (1989-91), of which were critical and commercial successes for the CBC. Spike's controversial teenage pregnancy storyline, as well as her trademark spiked hair, afforded Stepto a period of significant media attention. Degrassi Junior High was largely truncated and later dropped by the BBC in large part due to episodes about Spike's pregnancy, in spite of a UK publicity tour by the actress. As part of the Playing With Time Repertory Company, Stepto was made a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF Ontario and visited the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City. In the early 1990s, Stepto was a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood and helped promote the organization by undertaking a controversial tour of Albertan high schools. Stepto left acting later in the 1990s due to typecasting and loss of interest, returning to reprise the role of Spike as an adult in the first seven seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-08). Degrassi remains Stepto's only major role. She was praised for her performance and was nominated for a Young Artist Award (as part of an ensemble) and a Gemini Award.

rdf:langString Amanda Felicitas Stepto