She was wearing a cobalt blue peacoat that brought out her stunning blue eyes, and a pair of leggings that were neatly tucked into a pair of sand-coloured Uggs. Annie Clark looks like your typical teenager, and in this casual outfit, paired with her genuine and friendly personality, it’s hard to believe that she plays the part of snobby and elite Fiona Coyne on the hit Canadian television show, Degrassi.
Clark, who only turns 18 in June, was added to the ensemble cast of Degrassi in its ninth season. A Toronto native from the Lawrence Park area, Clark is getting experience on numerous Canadian TV series. She starts filming for the 10th season of Degrassi in the last week of March. The Degrassi movie, set in New York City debuts July 16, on Much Music. Degrassi fans will be seeing a lot more of Fiona in season 10, and with the show’s move to Much Music, Canada will be seeing more of Clark at events, like the MMVA’s in June.
“She was the one who sent me to that audition for Roxy Hunter, and I ended up getting the part. And from then on, that first day on set, I knew that this was what I was going to do for the rest of my life,” says Clark, taking a sip from her Starbucks cup.
Clark always knew she was going to become an actress. She would ask her parents everyday to get an agent to help her break into the business. Her friend’s mother was a casting director, who sent her to audition for Roxy Hunter, a small TV movie. She got the part, which launched her career. Clark took acting classes at Dean Armstrong Acting studios, where she honed her skills and was recommended to her agent, Norbert Abrams, who she’s been with for two years.
She lives at home with her parents, and likes to think of herself as an only child, since her brother and sister are a lot older. Acting unexpectedly runs in the family though, Clark says, “My aunt was an actress when she was a lot younger though. She did commercials and this CBC show called The Littlest Hobo, but the funny thing is my parents never told me that until I started acting, I’d never even heard of that. But other than that, my dad’s a judge and my mom’s a teacher.”
The filming schedule for season nine of Degrassi took Clark in and out of school for a six month period, but in season 10, they will be filming for nine months. Clark has a tutor on set because she is still underage, but has decided to put off university and concentrate on her career and travel.
Clark definitely exhibits a New York state of mind. “I mean, it makes more sense for me to live in LA, because that’s where all the film stuff happens, and New York’s more for theatre, but I’m just drawn to New York, I just love the city. I went there to film the Degrassi movie in November, and I completely fell in love with it. It was my first time there and I could just see myself living there someday. I’m hoping that after my contract is up with Degrassi, I might apply to some theatre schools down there, so I could live there, but still be pursuing acting,” says Clark.
Clark loves to work on Degrassi, she describes it as a very welcoming cast and team that is supportive and inclusive. “And it’s such a reputable Canadian show too to be on, and I’m so glad to be associated with that. It’s such a good launching pad for a lot of people, even if you’re staying in Canada or going to the States. Believe it or not, it’s actually more popular in the States than it is in Canada! When we went to New York to film the movie, we had to have bodyguards because there were kids just swarming us,” adds Clark with a laugh. In America, the TV station Teen Nick’s main program is Degrassi, and they run Degrassi marathons on the weekends. Degrassi alumni have gone on to become very successful south of the border, like Shenae Grimes, who is now on CBS’s teen drama, 90210.
In season 10 of Degrassi, viewers finally get to see more of Fiona’s character. Clark couldn’t reveal everything, but Fiona has the A-plot in the first four episodes of the new season. Her character goes through many changes, and some of her attention-seeking habits begin to come out. Clark says, “That’s when you get to see her true colours, her inner bitchiness comes out.”
Clark admits to be similar to her character on Degrassi. She believes that Fiona is sort of an exaggerated version of herself. She participates in the Drama Department at her high school, Lawrence Park. This year, she finds her character in the school play to be very similar to her character on Degrassi. “The past few characters I’ve played on these different shows have been that mean girl. It’s fun to play, but I just hope I’m not like that in real life,” says Clark. Fiona is known as the fashion plate on the show, and at the end of the season, Clark gets to go through her “Fiona closet” to pick out pieces she’d like. Although she describes her everyday style as being more casual, she still enjoys dressing up. Clark says, “Now I find myself going into stores and thinking, ‘Oh, that’s so Fiona.!’”
Clark’s favourite movie is Titanic, which coincidentally has her two favourite actors in it; Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. She also admires Canadian actress, Rachel McAdams. Clark says that she would love to have a career similar to Winslet’s and admires the way both actresses stay out of the media, but still manage to produce great work. She adds, “I’d love to get into movies. I think that that’s what every actress kind of wants to get into.”
Trained in numerous styles of dance, Clark jokingly says that she could be a “double threat” but would eventually like to take singing lessons one day, because she is obsessed with musicals. “I definitely wouldn’t say no to Broadway!” says Clark.
In the meantime, she hopes to gain more experience in the Canadian TV industry and guest-star on shows like Flashpoint and Being Erica, if the opportunity would arise. “I’d like to conquer the Canadian industry, work a bit more here, and then eventually go to the States when I’m ready. I want to make sure I’m ready for that competition. And hopefully be in a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio one day, even if he is playing my dad.”
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