21 Facts About Amanda Stepto

Amanda Stepto was praised for her performance and was nominated for a Young Artist Award and a Gemini Award.

Amanda Stepto was born on 31 July 1970 in Montreal, Quebec, the daughter of a young local woman and an "American jazz musician just passing through".

Amanda Stepto recalled that she was transfixed by the punks in the audience and developed an interest in the genre and aesthetic.

Amanda Stepto attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts for three years, where she majored in dance and minored in drama, and later a school in Mississauga while on starring on television.

Amanda Stepto did not have a resume or professional headshots, and was required to send in a photo of herself to the production company.

Amanda Stepto's parents felt her punk hairstyle was not suitable for television, and she argued with them over it.

Amanda Stepto was critical of the BBC's decision when speaking to the British press.

Amanda Stepto later said that the English press tried to make her "talk shit" about the BBC.

Amanda Stepto was among the cast of Degrassi that were named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors by the Ontario branch of UNICEF Canada in 1989.

Amanda Stepto served as the narrator for the UNICEF video The Degrassi Kids Rap On Rights.

In 1991, Amanda Stepto was one of the main six actors to host an episode of Degrassi Talks, a documentary series in which cast members interviewed teenagers and young adults across Canada about various topics.

Outside of Degrassi, Stepto appeared on stage in the play Flesh and Blood, written by Colin Thomas, about several young adults dealing with AIDS; the play won a Floyd S Chalmers Canadian Play Award for playwriting in 1991.

Amanda Stepto visited Calgary as a representative of the organization in September 1992, and that same month, appeared in television, radio, and print advertisements promoting the "Just Talk About It" campaign.

Amanda Stepto eventually left the acting business to concentrate on school.

At the 2022 Toronto Comicon, Amanda Stepto explained that she had extreme difficulty pursuing a career in acting following the show; the roles she was offered were usually similar to Spike, and she was directly rejected for being too well-known as Spike.

Amanda Stepto reprised her role as Spike on Degrassi: The Next Generation, of which primarily featured her character's daughter, Emma Nelson, as a central character; she made occasional appearances as Spike until the 2010 television film Degrassi Takes Manhattan.

Amanda Stepto would receive threats of violence from other girls whose boyfriends were attracted to her.

Amanda Stepto stated that she developed the hairstyle years before Degrassi, citing Colin Abrahall, vocalist of the UK82 band GBH, as her chief stylistic inspiration.

Amanda Stepto graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor's degree in history and political science.

Amanda Stepto is an advocate for animal rights and a vegetarian.

Amanda Stepto appeared as a celebrity presenter at the ceremony.