Why Drake’s ‘Degrassi’ Reunion Video Doesn’t Include Sean And J.T.

Drake’s “I’m Upset” music video is one giant “Degrassi: The Next Generation” reunion. Literally. It features many alums of the series, but there were a few favorites missing, including Daniel Clark (Sean) and Ryan Cooley (J.T.).

Drake starred on the popular Canadian drama as Jimmy Brooks during almost all of the 2000s. The video takes place at the Class of 2007’s school reunion, though not all of the attendees graduated that year. Some of the fan-favorites that do return, include Shane Kippel (Spinner), Miriam MacDonald (Emma), Cassie Steele (Manny), Stacey Farber (Ellie), Adamo Ruggiero (Marco), Lauren Collins (Paige), Jake Epstein (Craig), Andrea Lewis (Hazel), Nina Dobrev (Mia), Sarah Barrable-Tishauer (Liberty) and more.

“Degrassi: The Next Generation” had an incredibly large cast, with actors coming in and out over its 14-season run, making this massive reunion video a pretty incredible feat. That said, fans are wondering on social media about a couple of main characters who didn’t happen to make it in. One of those was Emma’s first (ahem, true) love, Sean.

Clark portrayed the character for eight years on the Canadian series, making his way into fans’ hearts with every episode. So, why wasn’t he at this reunion? Perhaps it was because he wasn’t part of the Class of 2007? But then again, not all of the characters who took part in the music video were either.

It turns out Clark wasn’t asked to be in it, despite staying in touch with the cast and reuniting with Drake just a few years ago, along with Ruggiero and Collins, at the screening of the web series, “We Are Disorderly.”

“Honestly, the first I even heard of this reunion music video was when I woke up this morning at 6:00 a.m.,” Clark told International Business Times in an email.

He continued to IBT: “A part of me is really happy, and the other really sad. I’m happy the fans are getting a reunion they all want to see, but sad because I didn’t get to see the cast — we really were like family back in the day.”

It’s a bit surprising that Clark wasn’t invited to the reunion since he was a major part of the cast, especially when Ephraim Ellis, who played Rick, was brought back. Rick died in the series after shooting Jimmy and putting him in a wheelchair. He was killed by Sean.

Rick decided to go after Emma with the gun after she rejected him, and Sean tackled him in an attempt to get the weapon away. During the tussle between the two boys, the gun went off and killed Rick. So, Sean saved Emma and accidentally killed Jimmy’s shooter, but he wasn’t involved in this reunion? He could’ve been a part of the crew that went after Rick in the video, though Sean’s probably still trying to get past the fact that he played a part in Rick’s death.

The “silver lining” for Clark in all of this, though, was watching the video and seeing “how happy everyone seemed, which made me smile and remember our past together.” Still, he was a bit “shocked” that no one said anything to him about it, especially “with all the people involved.”

Though Clark, who now produces feature stories and co-owns meal service eFresh Meals, missed out on the big event, he doesn’t have any hard feelings about it. “I wish I could say there was a huge scandal or beef, but there really isn’t — just a blast from the past I sadly missed.”

So, now we know why we didn’t get to see Clark’s character in Drake’s music video, but what about the much-loved J.T., who was stabbed to death in Season 6? If Rick was killed in Season 4 and was brought back to life in this timeline, why not J.T.?

Apparently, Cooley, who is now the VP of Operations for digital consultant company Konrad Group, thought the reunion was a scam. When asked about J.T.’s absence on Instagram, that was the reason Drake gave. International Business Times has reached out to Cooley for comment.

Still, that means he was asked to be in the video in the first place. But Clark? “I never thought it was a scam, never said no, no one ever reached out about the video,” he said.

Had he been asked, Clark “would have 100% done the music video.”

That said, Drake’s “I’m Upset” music video features the reunion of a lot of other great “Degrassi” characters and deserves the love it’s receiving from fans. Perhaps there will be a part two in a few years and Clark, Cooley, and more will appear.