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‘Degrassi’ Jimmy-Mia Reunion: Former Co-Stars Drake And Nina Dobrev Reunite At AMAs

By Anshu Shrivastava
Published on: 05:54 PST, Nov 21, 2016

Former Degrassi co-stars Drake and Nina Dobrev reunited at the 2016 American Music Awards (AMAs). While accepting his Favorite Album — Rap/Hip-Hop award for Views, Drake gave a big shout-out to his ex-co-star Dobrev, acknowledging that they have come a long way since their Degrassi days.

On Sunday night, Dobrev and her best friend Julianne Hough presented Drake with his first ever American Music Award. After receiving the award, Drake took a moment to remember his Degrassi roots, telling the audience that Dobrev and he were together on the long-running Canadian series. He also congratulated his former co-star on her success.

“Me and Nina were on Degrassi together by the way. We’ve come a long way, you know? Congratulations on all your success.”

Dobrev, who will soon be seen in the movie xXx: Return of Xander Cage, later took to Twitter to congratulate Drake.

Degrassi: The Next Generation is the show that catapulted both Drake and Dobrev into the limelight. The two starred together in the high school musical series for three years, but they never got a chance to share a scene. Drake played the role of Jimmy Brooks, a basketball player who, after getting shot in a school shooting, was confined to a wheelchair. After playing the role for seven seasons, the rapper quit the series in 2007.

Dobrev, on the other hand, played the role of a single teenage mother, Mia Jones. She joined the series as a recurring character in Season 6, and for Season 7 and 8, she was upped to series regular. Dobrev left the long-running series in 2008. Degrassi: The Next Generation aired its final episode on August 2, 2015.

Soon after leaving Degrassi, Dobrev signed on for The Vampire Diaries, while Drake — whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham — made music his focal point. In 2015, Drake told W Magazine that he was also making music while starring on Degrassi: The Next Generation, and it was one of the reasons why he was asked to quit the show.

He told the magazine that at the time, he would spend the whole day on the set, and after that, he would go to the studio to make music. He would be in the studio until 4 or 5 a.m. and then sleep in the dressing room. And by 9 a.m., he would be in front of the camera.

“Eventually, they realized I was juggling two professions and told me I had to choose. I chose this life.”

Drake and Dobrev’s reunion at AMAs sent social media into a frenzy. Degrassi fans flooded Twitter with their comments.

Sunday night was a big night for Drake. He was up for a record-breaking 13 nominations at the 2016 AMAs, and he took home three awards. In addition to Favorite Album-Rap/Hip-Hop, the Canadian rapper also won in these two categories: Favorite Artist — Rap/Hip-Hop for Views and Favorite Song — Rap/Hip-Hop for “Hotline Bling.”

In addition to Dobrev, Drake also gave a shout-out to his fellow artists who are making rap/hip-hop music.

“I want to give a big shout-out to my brother Future, and Fetty, of course, for making incredible music. I want to thank Kyla, who’s here all the way from the UK. Without her, I never would have made the song ‘One Dance,’ so shout out to her.”

He also said that for his genre, he would like to keep things “exciting” and continue making music. And he gave out a shout-out to those who are trying to do that. The former Degrassi star also hinted that there is more coming.

“More life is coming soon, and more tune for your head top, so watch how you speak on my name, you know?”

[Featured Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

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