Amanda Stepto

Amanda Felicitas Stepto is a Canadian retired actress who played Christine "Spike" Nelson throughout the majority of the Degrassi teen drama franchise. With no previous acting experience, she rose to prominence playing the character on the CBC's Degrassi Junior High (1987–1989) and its follow-up Degrassi High (1989–1991). Spike's controversial teenage pregnancy storyline, as well as the punk hairstyle worn by both the character and actress, gave Stepto significant media attention in Canada. Degrassi Junior High was largely truncated and later dropped by the BBC in large part due to "It's Late", the episode which heralded the storyline. In 1989, she was made a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF Ontario along with most of the cast. In the early 1990s, Stepto was a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood and was sponsored by the organization for a controversial 1993 tour of high schools in Alberta. Having left acting in the 1990s due to typecasting and loss of interest, Stepto returned to reprise the role of Spike as an adult in the first seven seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008). Degrassi remains her only major acting role, and as of 2018, she no longer acts. She was praised for her performance and was nominated for a Young Artist Award (as part of an ensemble) and a Gemini Award.