Source: The Star Scoop (Online Archive)
Published: March 2005
Photo: Tim Leyes
Stacey Farber is best known for her role as Ellie on Degrassi: The Next Generation. She is a fabulous actress who fans just can’t get enough of. Stacey chatted exclusively with The Star Scoop and dished on subjects from her personality to her television career.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Why do you think Degrassi has become such a popular show?
STACEY FARBER:
I think that there are a lot of dramas on T.V., like The O.C. and One Tree Hill is sort of like that. I think Degrassi’s really refreshing because we’re not super famous — like you don’t find our pictures in magazines and you don’t see us in L.A. like schmoozing with other celebrities. We’re still a small show — people who have seen it love it and are addicted to it but there are also a lot of people who have never heard of it. And I think that makes it really unique and that’s what makes the fans of the show enjoy it even more.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How would you say that Ellie’s relationships with her friends and family differ from yours?
FARBER:
That’s a good question. Ellie and I are different in lots of ways in the way that we handle situations. One relationship that’s really different from my own life is her relationship with her mother because in season four, this past season, she was struggling with living on her own. And she moved out of her mom’s house and then she moved back and there were all these problems and there was tension between them. But I don’t act like that at all with my mother. We get along great. There’s the occasional fight but overall, we’re actually good friends on top of being mother and daughter.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Why do you think your character Ellie has become so popular with girls?
FARBER:
I think that a lot of girls can relate to Ellie because unlike a lot of the other female characters on the show, Ellie has a totally different vibe to her that a lot of kids have today. Like I know I can relate to Ellie because there are so many days where I just want to stay home and watch TV and be by myself and Ellie’s the one character on the show who doesn’t really have a group of friends. She hangs out with whoever she wants to and she’ll do her own thing and she’s confident in everything that she does.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How much of “Stacey” is in “Ellie”?
FARBER:
At the start of the show, when I started in the second season, there wasn’t much of me in her but because it’s been three years now, every year I kind of put more of myself in her. At the beginning of the show, Ellie was really quiet and the story lines were really emotional — she had the whole cutting episode and it was just a lot of depressing story lines. But because she’s grown as a character and become more three dimensional, I’ve had more stuff to do where she gets to have relationships with boys and we explore her relationships with her friends and she gets to be happy and so through that I’ve been able to put a lot more of myself into her.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What have you learned from playing Ellie?
FARBER:
In terms of acting, I’ve learned so much. I didn’t have much experience professionally before Degrassi, so obviously working on a show for three years has taught me so much about being in front of the camera and I’ve also got to watch the behind the scenes stuff, like writing and producing the show. So that’s been cool. From the way that Ellie deals with things on the show, I’ve learned to be more confrontational and now I can sort of take a look at what Ellie does and how Ellie reacts to situations and I can approach people and be honest with my feelings like she is.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How have you managed your education with Degrassi?
FARBER:
In my family, education was always a priority. So when I first started acting, my parents specifically said that if your marks drop then you’re not going to do this anymore and you’re not going to go to anymore auditions. So I always had that threat (laughs) sort of looming at the back of my head, but I don’t know. I think going to school is really important, whether you’re acting or not. I’ve just tried my best to balance the two.
THE STAR SCOOP:
If you could switch places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
FARBER:
Wow, that’s tough. Anyone in the world? My first instinct is to say someone really famous and just experience a day in the life of them, but I’m going to come up with something better. I’m gonna say one of my best friends, Lindsey, who’s in Switzerland right now going to school. She’s traveling every weekend, meeting all these new people and experiencing a whole other lifestyle that I’ve never witnessed or experienced so I’d love to do that.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What’s the one makeup item you can’t live without?
FARBER:
Whenever I read interviews, I find that most people say lip-gloss, so I’m going to go for something different and I’m going to say mascara because my hair is red but my eyelashes are really light. Mascara makes a huge difference and makes it look like I actually do have eyelashes.
THE STAR SCOOP:
When you’re in the mall, what display usually catches your eye?
FARBER:
That’s a good question because I love window shopping and I’m always drawn to really interesting displays and trendy clothes. I don’t have a specific style — it changes every day.
THE STAR SCOOP:
There’s a lot of pressure right now to look a certain way. Can you offer any advice to your fans about self confidence?
FARBER:
You have to have self-confidence. You should never be upset about the way that you look or the way that people look in magazines if you don’t look like them. You just have to accept it and deal with it and be happy that you have what you have.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Where do you see your career heading in the next 3–5 years?
FARBER:
I’m not sure where it’s heading. I love acting and I’ve decided to stay in Toronto and go to school here so I can keep my acting agent and pursue an acting career. But it’s a tough industry and a lot of it is based on luck.