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It’s fitting that Shari Lewis, the iconic ventriloquist and puppeteer at the center of Lisa D’Apolito’s winning documentary “Shari & Lamb Chop,” never seemed to get too hung up on religion. Another person, someone more compelled by providence or divine fate or what-have-you, would likely have been been far more preoccupied with the origin story behind how they met their most famous partner, their felt-y little soulmate.

For Lewis, it was thus: she was a young entertainer, appearing on an episode of “Captain Kangaroo” in 1956, when someone commented on how heavy and unwieldy her ventriloquist dummies were for a relatively diminutive gal like her. She looked around, found a lamb puppet she “didn’t know,” and the rest is history. Lewis wasn’t very sentimental, but she was open-hearted, and dwelling on how she and Lamb Chop came to be wasn’t exactly her thing. That suits D’Apolito’s doc,...

NYC Web Fest (Nycwf), the city’s first web series festival, is proud to announce the inclusion of podcasts as an official category in its 12th annual celebration of indie storytelling. This year’s festival will take place October 3–5, 2025 in New York City, with submissions open now through July 31st via NYCWebFest.com.

Founded in 2014, NYC Web Fest was the first festival in New York to champion web series. Over the years, the fest has grown to include TV pilots, short films, and micro-episodes. With the rise of narrative and nonfiction podcasting, the festival now expands again — this time embracing audio storytelling.

“We launched NYC Web Fest to shine a light on the creativity we saw exploding online. Now, with the evolution of digital storytelling, it’s only natural we open the door to podcasters too,” said Nycwf Founder Lauren Atkins. “Web series were once considered fringe — now they’re launching careers.

Vertical has acquired North American distribution rights to Matt Tyrnauer’s documentary “Nobu” ahead of its 2025 Tribeca Festival premiere.

Based on the book “Nobu: A Memoir by Nobu Matsuhisa,” the film about the famous chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival.

In the documentary, Tyrnauer examines Matsuhisa’s empire while also chronicling his roots from a delinquent childhood to his emergence as a promising young chef and eventually the man who redefined global gastronomy.

“Nobu is arguably the most successful chef of all time, having invented his own style of Japanese cuisine and achieving mononym/household name status,” says Tyrnauer. “But his story, as I discovered when shooting this film, is a much more textured and deeply moving one than we all know. It’s rooted in family tragedy and wrenching business failures that preceded his explosive late-blooming success. Starting in the punk-food scene in L.

Cadet Kelly is a 2002 Disney Channel film starring Hilary Duff that people have read as containing queer-coded themes for years. In Cadet Kelly, Kelly goes to a military school against her will. Her personality clashes with Captain Jessica Stone, with whom she has a love-hate relationship. The movie contains scenes, motifs, and themes that resonate among the LGBTQ+ community.

The 2000s were filled with many classic romantic and comedy movies about teenage life. Mean Girls is a clear example of a high school-set film transcending time. However, Cadet Kelly, released on Disney Channel in 2002, was a unique approach to the genre. Not only does the film occur in a female military academy, which already goes against gender expectations, but Cadet Kelly also mainly focuses on female relationships, healthy family dynamics, and teenage identity.

Led by star Hilary Duff when she was only 15 years old, Cadet Kelly explores themes of individualism,...

Andrea Lewis is looking back on starring alongside Hilary Duff in the Disney Channel Original Movie Cadet Kelly and the film’s newfound resonance.

In the 2002 film, Duff portrays Kelly Collins, who is forced by her new stepfather to enroll in the George Washington Military School as a means of teaching her discipline. While she struggles to adjust to the new environment and has a rival in her commanding officer (Christy Carlson Romano), Duff’s Kelly befriends Carla (Lewis).

When reflecting on the role in the beloved Disney film, Lewis said she was “very excited” for the project.

“I loved Disney Channel, loved Even Stevens, loved Lizzie McGuire … I was a [The] Famous Jett Jackson fanatic. I loved the content,” she told People magazine. “So when the movie came in — and I guess this is me revealing something about myself — because I was an actor as a kid, I would more so look at the basics.

We’ve guided you through more than 100 new holiday movies since October. As the most wonderful time of the year reaches its climax, we’re here to spotlight the movie that should be at the top of your weekend list and preview why other debuts will make you merry one last time.

The One To Watch

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The Christmas Break

(Premieres Tonight,...

At a San Diego Comic-Con in which nearly everything looks a bit different this year thanks to Hollywood’s first double strike in more than half a century, one pillar did remain: the HerUniverse fashion show. And that’s because HerUniverse founder Ashley Eckstein made sure SAG was entirely on board with it.

This year marked the 9th outing for the fashion show at Sdcc, which brings fans a new line of “geek couture” every year. And while the clothing items are indeed inspired by some currently-struck work, the event itself didn’t violate any of SAG’s guidelines. Eckstein made certain of it.

“I have been on the phone with them, I have been writing emails, they have been wonderful,” Eckstein told TheWrap ahead of the show. “They were so supportive of us doing this show. You know, we just wanted to do everything right. We wanted to support everyone.

As Black History Month runs throughout February, television will celebrate Black voices, icons and stories across entertainment, politics, sports and more.

Throughout February, audiences will be able to keep up with Hulu’s year-long initiative in spotlighting Black stories and storytellers on the platform’s “Black Stories Always” hub. In addition to new series and season premieres, from “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” to “The 1619 Project,” the platform will continue to stream new episodes of “Abbott Elementary” and “Grown-ish,” and feature classic titles from Black storytellers including “Living Single” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

BET will honor Black History Month with a programming schedule that features new unscripted series, including “Black Icons — Past, Present, Future” and “America In Black” as well as the 54th NAACP Image Awards telecast on Feb. 25.

Read a full list of programming to look out for this Black History Month below. (More titles will be added throughout the month.

With Hallmark's Christmas programming over, it's time to look ahead at what's on tap for the network's "Loveuary" event.

That's right, folks.

February will be all about romance on Hallmark, thanks to six movie premieres that are sure to get fans talking. Get the details below.

Sweeter Than Chocolate

Saturday, February 4 (8 p.m. Et/Pt)

Starring: Eloise Mumford, Dan Jeannotte, Brenda Strong

A local bakery is rumored to have the secret recipe to finding true love on February 14th, drawing in a TV reporter to investigate.

A Paris Proposal

Saturday, February 11 (8 p.m. Et/Pt)

Starring: Alexa PenaVega, Nicholas Bishop

Anna (PenaVega) is an account manager for a New York City advertising agency who has the opportunity to land the biggest client of her career - Durand Diamonds.

Much to her chagrin, her boss dispatches her and her colleague Sebastian (Bishop) to the City of Lights to make the pitch and seal the deal.

Nearly 10 months after HBO Max ordered a new series of “Degrassi”, the popular Canadian teen franchise, and also picked up the streaming rights for all 14 seasons of “Degrassi: The Next Generation”, Et has confirmed that reboot is no longer moving forward.

Originally eyed for a 2023 debut, the new “Degrassi” series was going to consist of 10 hour-long episodes and be run by showrunners Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen, with filming set to begin over the summer in Toronto.

The entire library of “Next Generation” episodes, meanwhile, is still available to stream on HBO Max, after first joining the platform this spring.

“Degrassi” is about the high school experience and the roller-coaster journey of self-discovery. Set in Toronto, the updated series explores a group of teenagers and school faculty living in the shadow of events that both bind them together and tear them apart. The show travels deep into the hearts and homes of diverse,...

Exclusive: Comcast NBCUniversal and FaceForward Productions announced their partnership for the upcoming docuseries The Black Beauty Effect, releasing this fall exclusively on the Black Experience on Xfinity channel. From creator and executive producers Andrea Lewis (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Emmy-nominee Cj Faison (Giants & Junebug), Jackie Aina, Kahlana Barfield Brown, and Keesha Boyd of Comcast, the docuseries will closely examine the social change, past and present, within the beauty industry, through the lens of the successful Black women who have led the charge.

The Black Beauty Effect is a three-part docuseries that captures the current evolution, revolution, and disruption taking place within the beauty industry. Black beauty influencers, celebrities, and entrepreneurs have taken up the torch passed down from their pioneering predecessors. Each hour-long episode examines a different aspect of beauty – hair, skin, and makeup – through the lens of some of the beauty industry’s most iconic game-changers. The Black Beauty...

It’s been 20 years since Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered, reviving the beloved ’80s teen drama for a new audience.

In honor of the hallmark anniversary, members of the cast and crew gathered Friday for the opening night of this year’s Atx Television Festival to reflect on the groundbreaking show that gave us so many memorable moments — Emma’s encounter with an internet predator, Manny’s defiant thong display and Craig’s bipolar diagnosis, to name a few.

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Nearly six years after Degrassi: The Next Generation wrapped in 2015, co-creator Linda Schuyler and stars Stefan Brogren, Aislinn Paul, Shane Kippel, Luke Bilyk, Munro Chambers, Lauren Collins and more reunited to celebrate the series’ lasting impact.

The Degrassi: The Next Generation reunion kicked off this year’s Atx Television Festival on Friday. For many of the cast members, reuniting with their on-screen classmates was just like meeting with longtime school buddies as they reminisced on favorite moments from the teen drama.

“What a joy it is to be reminded of those scenes we’ve done together over the years,” Schuyler told her team.

From scenes about sexuality and abortion to mental health issues, Schuyler and the Degrassi cast reflected on how the series unapologetically tackled controversial topics, which often caused more of a stir in the United States than in Canada when they first aired. Today’s shows like Euphoria,...

Whatever it takes, we know we can always use a good update on the cast of Degrassi. Co-creators Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn and a bunch of the iconic series' stars—including Stefan Brogren, Aislinn Paul, Shane Kippel, Luke Bilyk, Lauren Collins, Munro Chambers, Jake Epstein, Daniel Clark, Andrea Lewis and Christina Schmidt—are set to virtually reunite at the Atx Festival on Friday, June 11. Like the show used to say, it's about to get real, hun. It's hard to believe, but Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered nearly 20 years ago and ran for 14 drama-filled seasons, with the spinoff launching the careers of Nina Dobrev, Shenae Grimes-Beech and a rapper you may have...

Whatever it takes, you can make it through to the Atx Television Festival’s 20th anniversary panel for Degrassi: The Next Generation, taking place on the virtual event’s opening night, June 11.

Confirmed panelists for the reunion include co-creator/executive producer Linda Schuyler, executive producer Stephen Stohn, producer/director/actor Stefan Brogren (Archie “Snake” Simpson) and cast members Aislinn Paul (Clare Edwards), Shane Kippel (Spinner), Luke Bilyk (Drew Torres), Lauren Collins (Paige Michalchuk), Munro Chambers (Eli Goldsworthy), Jake Epstein (Craig Manning), Daniel Clark (Sean Cameron), Andrea Lewis (Hazel Aden) and Christina Schmidt (Terri McGreggor).

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Exclusive: The Atx Television Festival will kick off in June with a 20th anniversary reunion panel for the cast and creators of Degrassi: The Next Generation, the popular long-running Canadian teen drama series.

The panel, set to premiere June 11 at the virtual festival to commemorate 20 years since its premiere, has confirms from series co-creator and executive producer Linda Schuyler, EP Stephen Stohn, producer-director-actor Stefan Brogren and castmembers Jake Epstein, Aislinn Paul, Shane Kippel, Luke Bilyk, Lauren Collins, Munro Chambers, Daniel Clark, Andrea Lewis and Christina Schmidt. They will revisit storylines and moments from the series, the show’s groundbreaking approach to young-adult storytelling, behind-the-scenes stories and more.

The 10th edition of the Atx TV Fest, which will run June 11-20, will also feature “Channel Changers: A Conversation with TV’s Leaders,” a conversation with network, studio, and streamer executives about the state of the industry. Panelists will include Sarah Aubrey, Lisa Katz, Tina Perry, Karey Burke. Christina Davis and Jana Winograde,.

Also in the mix in the Atx news revealed Thursday are a pair of panels from the CW, A “Walker Music Showcase” live on June 20 and a panel for the upcoming summer series The Republic of Sarah; the return of Paramount+’s Younger ahead of its series finale with the focus on the series’ fashion; a farewell panel for Freeform’s The Bold Type; a panel on OWN’s original series David Makes Man to preview Season 2; and the cast and creatives of Peacock and Channel 4’s upcoming We Are Lady Parts chronicling the highs and lows of a Muslim female punk band; and a panel on Netflix’s Selena: The Series.

Atx also said it will presents its inaugural Breakthrough Award to actor-writer-producer Angelica Ross (Pose). The honor is designed to “recognize a creative voice who has made a unique and substantial imprint on TV, and exemplifies not only the current moment in television, but the possibilities of its future.”...

Dogwoof has acquired world sales rights to “Faceless,” the directorial debut of Jennifer Ngo, ahead of its world premiere at the Hot Docs film festival, Variety has learned exclusively.

“Faceless” is a behind-the-headlines story of the 2019 Hong Kong demonstrations, seen through the eyes of four young protestors seeking to protect their way of life. Directed by Ngo and produced by Lorraine Ma, it’s a Dissonant Productions film in association with Xtr and Flat-Out Films. The deal was negotiated with the filmmakers by Oli Harbottle, head of acquisitions for Dogwoof.

“I remember watching ‘Blackfish’ in 2013 as an aspiring filmmaker and making a mental note of Dogwoof,” said producer Ma. “For years they have supported filmmakers in releasing urgent stories that speak truth to power. It’s a dream come true to partner with them in bringing ‘Faceless’ to global audiences.”

“Faceless” follows a daughter who loves her police officer father...

A documentary about Black women creating social change through beauty is teaming up with a mega beauty influencer.

Jackie Aina, a beauty influencer and social justice advocate, is set to join forces with actress Andrea Lewis (Degrassi: The Next Generation), director Kwanza Nicole Gooden (Centric’s Being) and Emmy-nominated producers Cj Faison (Giants) and Takara Joseph (Giants and Project Involve Fellow) for an upcoming feature-length documentary called Social Beauty, The Hollywood Reporter can share exclusively.

The documentary is set to highlight "the success and impact of everyday Black women, turned top social media influencers dominating the mainstream beauty market ...

A documentary about Black women creating social change through beauty is teaming up with a mega beauty influencer.

Jackie Aina, a beauty influencer and social justice advocate, is set to join forces with actress Andrea Lewis (Degrassi: The Next Generation), director Kwanza Nicole Gooden (Centric’s Being) and Emmy-nominated producers Cj Faison (Giants) and Takara Joseph (Giants and Project Involve Fellow) for an upcoming feature-length documentary called Social Beauty, The Hollywood Reporter can share exclusively.

The documentary is set to highlight "the success and impact of everyday Black women, turned top social media influencers dominating the mainstream beauty market ...

“Have you no sense of decency, sir?” asked Senator Joseph Welch of Joseph McCarthy and his young colleague, Roy Cohn, during the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings. On the basis of Matt Tyrnauer’s stellar documentary, had the latter been struck by a rare honest impulse, he would have categorically responded in the negative. Inspired in part by the director’s 2018 triumph “Studio 54” (in which Cohn played a part), “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” details the rise and fall of the legal bulldog, who stood by McCarthy and mentored Donald Trump with a ruthless unscrupulousness that knew no bounds, and who died in 1986 of an AIDS affliction he denied to the end. A biographical portrait that doubles as an origin story for today’s amoral political landscape,

The words “manipulate” and “power” are heard ad nauseam in “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” — a fact that speaks to the near-universal consensus about the...

Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics after its premiere at Sundance, Matt Tyrnauer’s Where’s My Roy Cohn? reexamines the life and legacy of lawyer/fixer/conservative power broker Roy Cohn. Taking its title from a quote from President Donald J. Trump, Tyrnauer’s documentary draws a line from Cohn to the present. Via email, his regular editor Andrea Lewis discussed her work on the film. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Lewis: I have worked with director Matt Tyrnauer and producer Corey Reeser on […]...

Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics after its premiere at Sundance, Matt Tyrnauer’s Where’s My Roy Cohn? reexamines the life and legacy of lawyer/fixer/conservative power broker Roy Cohn. Taking its title from a quote from President Donald J. Trump, Tyrnauer’s documentary draws a line from Cohn to the present. Via email, his regular editor Andrea Lewis discussed her work on the film. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Lewis: I have worked with director Matt Tyrnauer and producer Corey Reeser on […]...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired multi-territory rights to Matt Tyrnauer’s “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”, individuals familiar with the deal told Variety.

The film premiered in the U.S. documentary competition from Tyranuer, known for tackling culture-shapers like designer Valentino Garavani, Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager and Hollywood pimp Scotty Bowers. The sale includes U.S. rights, and will include a theatrical release.

Using rare archival footage, “Where’s My Roy Cohn” looks at the infamous New York attorney — a man who represented power brokers, Catholic church leaders, and mobsters. Cohn exploded onto the stage as a top lieutenant of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. He later became a mentor of none other than future President Donald Trump, advising him to always “punch back” when the real estate developer was being sued for housing discrimination. A closeted homosexual, Cohn died of AIDS-related complications in 1986.

“Donald Trump learned literally everything he knows from Roy Cohn,...

Drake’s former castmates from “Degrassi: The Next Generation” had a blast reuniting for his latest video, “I’m Upset,” shot this past weekend in downtown Toronto from the Air Canada Centre, where the rap star’s beloved Raptors play basketball, in addition to the Degrassi set in north Toronto, where the long-running teen drama still films.

He released the video Wednesday night and it already has more than 2.5 million views on YouTube.

From 2001 to 2009, Drake, then known by his birth name Aubrey Graham, played Jimmy Brooks in the series, a rich kid who ends up in a wheelchair after getting shot.

He appeared in over 100 episodes, and again in “Degrassi: Minis” (2005-2007). He also released his first mixtape, “Room For Improvement,” in 2007.

For the video, directed by recent Prism Prize winner Karena Evans, Drake — inexplicably sleeping on a bed at the Raptors’ centre court at the Acc — gets a...

Drake hasn’t forgotten where he came from. The rapper just reunited pretty much the entire cast of “Degrassi: The Next Generation” for his “I’m Upset” music video.

Reprising their roles were Shane Kippel, Stacey Farber, Adamo Ruggiero, Lauren Collins, Jake Epstein, Christina Schmidt, Andrea Lewis, Melissa McIntyre, LinLyn Lue, Stefan Brogren, Ephraim Ellis, Jake Goldsbie, Marc Donato, Dalmar Abuzeid, A.J. Saudin, Miriam McDonald, Cassie Steele, Nina Dobrev, Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, and Paula Brancati.

Even Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith brought back their Jay and Silent Bob characters for a cameo recalling their original cameo.

Also Read: Drake Addresses Blackface Image Used on Pusha T's 'The Story of Adidon'

Next to the rapper, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, Dobrev is the breakout star of the regular group. She starred on The CW’s “Vampire Diaries” from 2009-2017.

Drake/Graham played Jimmy Brooks from 2001-2009 on “Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Drake gets back to his “Degrassi” roots in the new music video for “I’m Upset,” a song which is expected to be included on his upcoming fifth studio album “Scorpion.” Drake appeared as the character Jimmy Brooks for eight seasons on “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” and his new music video includes nineteen actors who also starred on the series during its run.

The following cast members you’ll spot in the video below include (via TVLine): Shane Kippel (Spinner), Stacey Farber (Ellie), Adamo Ruggiero (Marco), Jake Epstein (Craig), Christina Schmidt (Terri), Andrea Lewis (Hazel), Melissa McIntyre (Ashley), Linlyn Lue (Ms. Kwan), Stefan Brogren (Snake), Ephram Ellis (Rick), Jake Goldsbie (Toby), Marc Donato (Derek), Dalmar Abuzeid (Danny), A.J. Saudin (Connor), Miriam McDonald (Emma), Cassie Steele (Manny), Nina Dobrev (Mia), Sarah Barrable-Tishauer (Liberty) and Paula Brancati (Jane).

The music video also features Jay and Silent Bob, played by Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes.

Apparently, Jimmy Brooks learned to walk again. Drake—a.k.a. Aubrey Graham—staged a Degrassi reunion for the class of 2007 in his music video for "I'm Upset," released overnight. The rap superstar recruited many of his former co-stars—including Dalmar Abuzeid (Danny Van Zandt), Sarah Barrable-Tishauer (Liberty Van Zant), Paula Brancati (Jane Vaughn), Stefan Brogen (Archie "Snake" Simpson), Lauren Collins (Paige Michalchuk), Nina Dobrev (Mia Jones), Marc Donato (Derek Haig), Ephram Ellis (Rick Murray), Jake Epstein (Craig Manning), Stacey Farber (Ellie Nash), Jake Goldsbie (Toby Isaacs), Shane Kippel (Spinner Mason), Andrea Lewis (Hazel Aden), Linlyn Lue (Laura Kwan), Miriam MacDonald...

Drake is doing whatever it takes to make sure his latest music video goes viral, enlisting some help from his former Degrassi: The Next Generation co-stars.

The rapper, who played Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian teen drama from 2001 to 2009, stages a high school reunion in the Karena Evans-directed music video for his latest single “I’m Upset,” sending him back to his old stomping grounds.

In addition to Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith (aka Jay and Silent Bob), who appeared on Degrassi for a few episodes in Season 4, the following 19 alumni show up in the video: Shane Kippel (Spinner...

Andrea Lewis served as a co-editor on Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, a 2016 documentary on urban activist Jane Jacobs. The film earned strong reviews for director Matt Tyrnauer, who would hire Lewis to edit his next documentary: Studio 54. The film tells the story of the rise and fall of the iconic ’70s nightclub through the lens of its founders: Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell. Lewis spoke with Filmmaker before the film’s premiere at Sundance about the task of giving shape to this archival-heavy project. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What […]...

Well, whad'ya know, Drake's a sucker for nostalgia just like the rest of us: Back in August, he crashed a screening attended by a few of his old Degrassi pals, posing for a few photo ops with Paige, Sean, and Marco, and just generally melting all our hearts. It was sickeningly sweet. Now he's done it again! Sometime between hanging out with Tyrese and Denzel Washington (what a threesome), he ended up on a couch with none other than Andrea Lewis, whom you might remember as Jimmy's girlfriend Hazel for a couple seasons:While I'll always personally be more of a #TeamJashley fan, his relationship with Hazel was cute while it lasted (which unfortunately wasn't very long, thanks to that shooting and Jimmy's ungrateful ass falling for Ellie). Look how cute they still are! Jazel forever, guys.

The eighth annual New York City Popfest is underway as it continues to bring to light indie bands to people all over the city. Bands from all over the world are invited to join in on this four day event, from May 28th to May 31st.

The fest will prove to be a great hit as there are over 25 bands coming to perform at this year’s event. Bands from New York to California and as far as Spain and Japan are all signed on to come perform. Having such a large selection, it’s only fair we go into detail about each one.

New York City-based bands:

Beverly – Drew Citron and Frankie Rose came together to make their debut LP “Careers” in July 2014 on Kanine Records, and were later joined by Jamie Ingalls (of Chairlift), Caitlin Frame (Frame), and Scott Rosenthal (Class Actress/The Beets). With a band full of guitars,...

A necessary contribution to an ongoing conversation on what we can broadly call "The State of Participation of Black Content Creators in TV and Film."  The below 30-minute videotaped discussion tackles the matter from the Pov of active black women artists whose names you'd be familiar with, especially if you've been a reader of this blog: Issa Rae, Lena Waithe, Ashley Blaine Featherson and Numa Perrier, with Andrea Lewis moderating. Watch, listen and learn:...

You may recall actress Andrea Lewis from her contribution to the What's Your Story? feature on S&A last year. The Degrassi: The Next Generation alum has launched a new project, a mockumentary-style web series that will explore the struggles of black actresses. Lewis was able to raise $20,000 via Kickstarter earlier this year (we featured her campaign in the spring). Many months later, the series premiered yesterday, November 5, on Issa Rae's YouTube channel. The full description: Black Actress will follow the life of "Kori Bailey" played by Andrea Lewis, as she struggles with the pursuit of getting her big break. Having mediocre success on a television series as a teenager,...

You may recall actress Andrea Lewis from her contribution to the What's Your Story? feature on S&A last year. The Degrassi: The Next Generation alum is now set to launch a new project, a mockumentary-style web series set to explore the struggles of black actresses. Lewis was able to raise $20,000 via Kickstarter (we featured her campaign in the spring, and 7 months later, it has an official premiere date of November 5, on Issa Rae's YouTube channel. The full description: Black Actress will follow the life of "Kori Bailey" played by Andrea Lewis, as she struggles with the pursuit of getting her big break. Having mediocre success on a television series as a teenager, Bailey is...

You may remember actress Andrea Lewis from her contribution to the What's Your Story? feature on S&A last year. The Degrassi: The Next Generation alum is now working on a new project, a mockumentary-style web series set to explore the struggles of black actresses. The full description: Black Actress will follow the life of "Kori Bailey" played by Andrea Lewis, as she struggles with the pursuit of getting her big break. Having mediocre success on a television series as a teenager, Bailey is relentless in following her dreams to become a star. Even with auditions being sparse and stereotypes running wild she refuses to get lost in the sauce and classified as just another "black...

You'll remember the What's Your Story? contribution from actress/singer Andrea Lewis, an alum of Degrassi The Next Generation, posted on this site earlier this year. Over the years, Andrea has appeared in parts here and there on film, TV, stage, and also on the web (via an online space called ThoseGirlsAreWild.com); she also released an album  (read her What's Your Story? submission Here if you missed it).  This week, Andrea alerted us to a stage project she's starring in, here in NYC, titled It Takes a Village to Raise...Hell. Description: After readings at The National Black Theatre Festival (N.C.),...

Toronto singer played Drizzy's onscreen girlfriend but is focused on music with the release of independent album 5-4-3-2-1.

By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Matt Elias

Andrea Lewis

Photo: MTV News

On paper Andrea Lewis has a lot in common with her former onscreen beau, Aubrey "Drake" Graham: Lewis is a Toronto native and was once a regular castmember of "Degrassi: The Next Generation." And after her character, Hazel Aden, graduated from the series, Lewis, like Drake, chose to pursue a career in music over acting — at least for the time being.

Now, as Lewis promotes her independent album 5-4-3-2-1, which features ballads and uptempo numbers like the pulsating "Voodoo," she finds herself being compared with her friend.

"I've grown up with [Drake] and we both do music and were both on the same show, so it's natural for people to say, 'Oh, you should do a song together,...