Yes, look at Paul Peterson from The Donna Reed Show, he saw how cruel the Industry can be towards Kids so he created a Support Group called "A Minor Consideration" where Child Stars Of The Past counsel the "Current" Crop on how to handle Fame. When New Kids On The Block were in their Prime, alot of Past Teen Idols who were where they were in the not too distant past gave them words of caution. From staying on top of their business, learning to do things like cooking and Laundry something that Jon Knight only learned to do after New Kids broke up. I wish Paul could have talked to him, it could have made a world of difference, did you know that he even lived in Detroit, MI for a hot minute and worked for Motown Records.
This is so heartbreaking knowing he passed two years later. And thinking that maybe if the show had gone on it could’ve saved his life. He was an amazing actor and sounds like he was a wonderful person. Rest In Peace Neil. 😢❤️
So sad to hear about his death and when they showed the clips of 'everybody wants something' and he sang along it brought tears to my eyes. He had a tough life and in particular his childhood was tragic. Alcohol wrecks so many lives on the sly. May he rest in peace.
I really looked like Neil Hope when I was a teenager (hair, glasses, nose, etc)... Oddly enough, we both went bald young... Its so strange to look at him in this interview because in 2005 we pretty much still looked the same even into adulthood. Still thinking about you in 2019 bud.
I've watched all the episodes and I would say he was the best to watch. He portrayed emotions well and the writers knew this. He had some of the best scenes and episodes.
So glad i found this little interview! I also wish there was another season after school's out. It made me sad how Wheels Snake and Joey's frienship ended 😑
I just found out he died. I was watching Degrassi and wondering what happened to some of my favorites. Neil seemed like a super likeable guy. Handsome too. ❤
I always thought it would've been cool if they had brought Wheels back as a recurring character on TNG like they did Snake, Joey, Spike, and Caitlin. It would've been great to see Wheels interact with the kids on TNG.
You can hear it in his voice that he wasn't healthy. It sounded weak, tired and weathered and he was really thin. Poor guy was living in shelters and died not long after this interview, at the age of 35, which is VERY young.
What I would like to know is if the cast knew about his problems and his home life, did they try to get him help with AA or something like that... or did they just ignore it????
know what is weird? I'll be turning 35! feeling old but know what? still young. also most of the original degrassi tng cast all us millennials are in our 30s now! yikes! i still feel the same as 21 at times though lol
@miap What people in his life are you referring to exactly? Do you go around checking on the physical and mental health of your old coworkers and neighbours and then do whatever is necessary and pay whatever costs are required to get them the help they need? If you are not doing those things; why not? “SoMeBOdY SHoULD HaVe DoNe SOmEtHiNG!!!!” lol!
I started watching this show in middle school in the United States. I never knew that the show was being filmed in Canada. I just felt close to the characters and the storylines were relatable, and the characters felt more like my classmates/friends than the ones I really had in real life. I love this show. It will forever be a part of my childhood. Rest in Peace Neil 🙏
I just finished "Degrassi Junior High"/"Degrassi High" two days ago. And I felt like they did the character Wheels so dirty! He was like the only one that had a really bad ending, besides Lucy. I also saw another interview where the guy who played Joey Jeremiah didn't have a positive experience with Zit Remedy/playing that one song over & over again either. Also RIP Neil
Flash forward to now, . you know what's painful is is knowing the fact that Neil died the way he did in a rooming house... alone in Hamilton Ontario, Only seconded by the fact that his family and their grief process process forgot about the fan base and we found out over a year later ,..after Neal's passing. Painful situation all the way around ,and yes Neil we do miss you, Rest in peace.
Rest In Peace Neil hope (Wheels) I do miss him whenever I watch the older degrassi always will be apart of degrassi family and yes he really played wheels amazingly very talented.
amazing that you found this little gem........Neil looked quite the same back then as when he played Wheels......except for the lack of hair ha ha ha ( just like Joey "Pat Mastroianni" Jeremiah ) just a pity that he passed away two years after this interview.......and even got totally forgotten for about five more years.
Neil Hope was one of the originals from "Kids Of Degrassi Street". No wonder he said he worked 10 years. The DJH/DH series were about 6 years. KODS was about 4 years.
Actually, KODS ran for 7 years, from 1979 to 1986. I don't think he was there in the first episode, but probably was as of 1982, so year, a good decade with the "Degrassi" franchise.
By some accounts, Neil wasn't the easiest guy to be around towards the end of the show and shortly after it wrapped up. The rest of the cast were apparently fine and Neil would join them at parties but problems would arise. It sounded like enough negative situations happened to where it got to the point that Neil wasn't really invited around to future gatherings and Neil's tether to Degrassi was ultimately severed. As we now know, things went downhill from there. It would have been wonderful if they had tried to give Neil a bit more of a chance on TNG other than a couple of cameos. What an absolute shame for both him and us. He'd definitely still be here if he could have been brought back into the Degrassi fold. It's totally understandable that anyone would want to escape from their adolescent stereotype, but this interview shows that he was clearly ready to make amends. Hell, I wouldn't want to be pigeonholed as Wheels either, but he was ready to do it again. Sadly, he got a bit too big for his britches and didn't treat people properly when he was younger. Many of us have made similar mistakes. It would have been nice of the producers to be a bit more forgiving. It would have also lined their pocketbooks more heavily if Wheels was brought back as a main character.
His cameo (the first of only two) in the reunion show (first and second episode of the next generation) was actually omitted/cut entirely when aired in the US. It was only shown in Canada.
One of the best characters actor on old Degrassi high drama show i was surprised to hear he passed away at age 35 . Way to young seemed like a good soul didn't know Neil Young. But enjoy watching the 1988 89 90 91 episodes with Neil playing the character Derek/ wheels wheeler de Grassi jr high not a bad actor 4 the cheapest budget show Canadian film media. Not United States of America lol rip
My tribute to the legend...I grew up watching the re-runs in the late 90s, early 2000's and remember thinking when I got to high school I would be cool like Joey but sadly my life almost sort of mirrored the tragedy of wheels so I think a lot about the character now that I am graduated college, in university and have a good job and am settled in my life but hard to forget the tragic background bad times don't last if you work hard! RIP..
His voice is harsh, sounds like he's been hitting the bottle for some time two years before his death here. Pretty tragic - he leaves a legacy that's still going strong as a Degrassi universe founder.
The last time I saw Neil was probably 2002. He did lead a tough life after Degrassi. It's nice to see this video of him smiling and laughing, the way I would like to remember him. THe last time I saw him he wasnt very happy. RIP Neil.................to the good memories!
I used to watch Degrassi when I grew up and I had no idea that Neils life ended so tragically. He was only 35 when he died, he was an alchoholic and worst of all.. no one knew that he had died alone, not his family,no one from the degrassi cast, no one knew until 5 years after his death. He looks so healthy here, 2 years later hes dead. Its really sad to see that the social heritage continues in generations. Not everyone are lucky to have a stabile home with suitable parents. Life is so unfair.
He was also a diabetic, required 4 insulin doses a day, and he didn't manage it, combined with the alcoholism When he has found dead, there were unused insulin vials strewn around the room.
It would be very nice if Oprah or A&E did a documentary about his life. I do agree with you GlamRoomGirl, especially since Neil would have been 50 years old this year.
Our angel in heaven would be turning 50 years old this year. It would be nice if the cast did a tribute to him. I tried messaging Pat twice, but never got a reply.
I can relate to Neil. My father was an alcoholic. He would get off the streetcar and go directly to the legion hall to drink. He would then come home and go directly to bed. He would sometimes yell at us and one time punched a hole in a wall. He was very hard on my brother who as he grew up would become an alcoholic himself. As for me I turned away from alcohol as I saw what it did to my father. Fortunately for my brother he cleaned himself up. It's true how a parent can influence their children. The only memories of my father is him being an alcoholic.
Too bad Joey wasn’t there. He looks like he was happy to see Stefan. I read after this his life went downhill and he ended up passing away two years later
Talented actor. Really like the scenes with Wheels, as they were relateable and showed a lot of emotion. In the series when he becomes a pathological liar is my favorite, as it was accurately delivered.
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Wheels was awesome and Neil portrayed him perfectly. RIP Neil Hope
Oops you hear that the engine just died
Two years later, Neil would be gone....sad end to a great casting
on DH.
totally agree , he would have done well in Hollywood as an actor, he was very talented
Support would have been ideal with such cases, similar to Neil.
Fidel Yes it would , If he had support he would have probably been alive and acting today and possibly living in the USA
And nobody would know about it for nearly 5yrs.
Yes, look at Paul Peterson from The Donna Reed Show, he saw how cruel the Industry can be towards Kids so he created a Support Group called "A Minor Consideration" where Child Stars Of The Past counsel the "Current" Crop on how to handle Fame. When New Kids On The Block were in their Prime, alot of Past Teen Idols who were where they were in the not too distant past gave them words of caution. From staying on top of their business, learning to do things like cooking and Laundry something that Jon Knight only learned to do after New Kids broke up. I wish Paul could have talked to him, it could have made a world of difference, did you know that he even lived in Detroit, MI for a hot minute and worked for Motown Records.
My childhood was so wrapped up in this show it seriously hurts my heart to know how it ended up for Neil. RIP
Me too
He will be missed. I grew up watching Degrassi and thought his character was one of the best. He was a great actor.
jakebluethunder he would have done well on American and British television
Best Canadian show ever! So glad I was a kid in the 80’s
Hi I am from the states Duluth Minnesota and this show, Degrassi is the greatest produced show for young people ever in my opinion!
Wheels is one of the best original characters of the Degrassi series. Not to mention he was a great actor. RIP Wheels we love you mann
This is so heartbreaking knowing he passed two years later. And thinking that maybe if the show had gone on it could’ve saved his life. He was an amazing actor and sounds like he was a wonderful person. Rest In Peace Neil. 😢❤️
Indeed. Hurtful to know!
So sad to hear about his death and when they showed the clips of 'everybody wants something' and he sang along it brought tears to my eyes. He had a tough life and in particular his childhood was tragic. Alcohol wrecks so many lives on the sly.
May he rest in peace.
It's so sad to watch this now, knowing what happened. He talks about struggling, but nobody had any idea of just how bad it was for him.
Rest in peace Neil Hope :'(
I really looked like Neil Hope when I was a teenager (hair, glasses, nose, etc)... Oddly enough, we both went bald young... Its so strange to look at him in this interview because in 2005 we pretty much still looked the same even into adulthood. Still thinking about you in 2019 bud.
I don't think he was totally bald he thinned slightly, great actor though
The 3 main male actors all went bald.
Way to focus on the point of the comment, guys (jay and Dan). Lance, I'm glad you didn't end up like him even if you looked like him. Blessings 🙏🏻
I always thought he looked like my cousin. He had the same blonde mullet and huge glasses.
@@Danimal77 men arent judged so harshly for how they look
I've watched all the episodes and I would say he was the best to watch. He portrayed emotions well and the writers knew this. He had some of the best scenes and episodes.
RIP Neil... Woke up this morning thinking about you today and just want you to know we all love and miss you! Rest in peace brother
I'm so sad that he passed on :-(
diabetes
It's extremely sad that nobody knew he died for 5 years.
literally the default end of every human on this planet
@@MrTruth-vk5by whatever that means...
So glad i found this little interview! I also wish there was another season after school's out. It made me sad how Wheels Snake and Joey's frienship ended 😑
Katherine Briggs look up the The Next Generation episode with the three of them reunited !
Here is the clip. ruclips.net/video/ET9dih_yMzA/видео.html
I just found out he died. I was watching Degrassi and wondering what happened to some of my favorites. Neil seemed like a super likeable guy. Handsome too. ❤
He's hiding a lot of pain here. It's obvious to me. He's trying hard not to show it. What a wonderful person he was. RIP, Neil.
He definitely is
It's hard when you feel like you have to lie to maintain a show of strength and positivity when you're in such dire need of help.
Only 2 years later..... Still can't believe it.... Neil Hope
RIP Neil "Wheels"Hope.. you are missed greatly, thank you for the great memories
Such a realistic and open interview.
I always thought it would've been cool if they had brought Wheels back as a recurring character on TNG like they did Snake, Joey, Spike, and Caitlin. It would've been great to see Wheels interact with the kids on TNG.
Robyn Wellman totally agree
Especially if Wheels came back as an at-risk teen counselor and was advising Sean during Sean's downward spiral.
And now he's dead...
wheels could've been a substitute teacher or a music teacher for the band, sadly he passed, rip Neil!
I feel like that could have saved his life..
R.I.P Wheels! We all loved you growing up with Degrassi
You can hear it in his voice that he wasn't healthy. It sounded weak, tired and weathered and he was really thin. Poor guy was living in shelters and died not long after this interview, at the age of 35, which is VERY young.
What I would like to know is if the cast knew about his problems and his home life, did they try to get him help with AA or something like that... or did they just ignore it????
The way his life and ended up and how he died sounds very suspicious to me… It’s like the people in his life left him to self-distrust.
know what is weird? I'll be turning 35! feeling old but know what? still young. also most of the original degrassi tng cast all us millennials are in our 30s now! yikes! i still feel the same as 21 at times though lol
@miap What people in his life are you referring to exactly? Do you go around checking on the physical and mental health of your old coworkers and neighbours and then do whatever is necessary and pay whatever costs are required to get them the help they need? If you are not doing those things; why not?
“SoMeBOdY SHoULD HaVe DoNe SOmEtHiNG!!!!” lol!
I started watching this show in middle school in the United States. I never knew that the show was being filmed in Canada. I just felt close to the characters and the storylines were relatable, and the characters felt more like my classmates/friends than the ones I really had in real life. I love this show. It will forever be a part of my childhood. Rest in Peace Neil 🙏
The show was very good because it was more realistic than most other shows. The characters were not trying to be something that they are not.
wheels was fine back in his day RIP
Wish this guy was still with us . RIP my brother .
Rest In Peace "Wheels"
Yeah. God Bless. I heard that both his parents were Alcoholics in Real Life. Then he's an Alcoholic and Diabetic in Real Life.
RIP Neil Hope. You did an amazing job as a great character. You really are being missed greatly
Yes, he was a very good actor. RIP Neil.
rest in peace Neil, and thank you for all the growth and memories
Happy Belated Birthday Neil. Thank you for all of your beautiful talents that you gave to the world. We love you and miss you!
This is really sad! Rest in peace Neil!
Wow loved this…hard to believe he is gone Rip Neil aka Wheels 😢💔
Miss you Neil!
rip neil hope he was one of my favorites from degrassi so sad to hear what happened to him he will be missed ....
Such a nice guy.
I heard he was a nice down to earth man as well,, im from the UK but i have not heard anything negative , all positive
Such a bittersweet moment. Not long before his tragic and untimely passing. 💔
This breaks; my, heart.
How can, 'The Most Happiness Country'; turn their backs; on such a; kind, soul?
I bought season one of this show years ago. sad was a very young man we just never know we see someone one day their gone the next day...
Wow. He really was an angel in disguise. Now he is up there with the real angels :((( RIP
R.I.P Neil Hope
RIP Neil…Thank You for Your Great Legacy you Gave Us ..As Neil and Wheels ❤❤❤❤❤
Always in our hearts, man. Thank you 💚🙏
wish he'd been back anywhere between s5-s7 like he wanted
They should have crossed the bridge to Detroit and gone to the bar owned by the actor who played Clode.
RIP neil. you are loved.
I always loved the way Wheels said his 'L's
He still said them the same in that video :)
I just finished "Degrassi Junior High"/"Degrassi High" two days ago. And I felt like they did the character Wheels so dirty! He was like the only one that had a really bad ending, besides Lucy. I also saw another interview where the guy who played Joey Jeremiah didn't have a positive experience with Zit Remedy/playing that one song over & over again either.
Also RIP Neil
Degrassi was used to show us all what children have to deal with in their everyday lives not all children are going to escape out to a better life.
He was so cute then and now in this video and relatable
He was my favorite and yes he was very handsome.
RIP Neil "Wheels" Hope!
Some nice shots here of The Ambassador Bridge and Detroit Rock City.
Flash forward to now, . you know what's painful is is knowing the fact that Neil died the way he did in a rooming house... alone in Hamilton Ontario, Only seconded by the fact that his family and their grief process process forgot about the fan base and we found out over a year later ,..after Neal's passing. Painful situation all the way around ,and yes Neil we do miss you, Rest in peace.
Rest In Peace Neil hope (Wheels) I do miss him whenever I watch the older degrassi always will be apart of degrassi family and yes he really played wheels amazingly very talented.
That episode where Wheels's parents got killed was very sad. There were tears in my eyes when I watched that episode.
Rest in peace Neil, one of the best characters on that show.
I agree. He was one of the best characters on the show.
amazing that you found this little gem........Neil looked quite the same back then as when he played Wheels......except for the lack of hair ha ha ha ( just like Joey "Pat Mastroianni" Jeremiah )
just a pity that he passed away two years after this interview.......and even got totally forgotten for about five more years.
I don't agree. He was much thinner in this interview and his voice was weathered.
Neil Hope was one of the originals from "Kids Of Degrassi Street". No wonder he said he worked 10 years. The DJH/DH series were about 6 years. KODS was about 4 years.
Actually, KODS ran for 7 years, from 1979 to 1986. I don't think he was there in the first episode, but probably was as of 1982, so year, a good decade with the "Degrassi" franchise.
@@Danimal77 Neil came on by the 4th or 5th short
By some accounts, Neil wasn't the easiest guy to be around towards the end of the show and shortly after it wrapped up. The rest of the cast were apparently fine and Neil would join them at parties but problems would arise. It sounded like enough negative situations happened to where it got to the point that Neil wasn't really invited around to future gatherings and Neil's tether to Degrassi was ultimately severed. As we now know, things went downhill from there. It would have been wonderful if they had tried to give Neil a bit more of a chance on TNG other than a couple of cameos. What an absolute shame for both him and us. He'd definitely still be here if he could have been brought back into the Degrassi fold. It's totally understandable that anyone would want to escape from their adolescent stereotype, but this interview shows that he was clearly ready to make amends. Hell, I wouldn't want to be pigeonholed as Wheels either, but he was ready to do it again. Sadly, he got a bit too big for his britches and didn't treat people properly when he was younger. Many of us have made similar mistakes. It would have been nice of the producers to be a bit more forgiving. It would have also lined their pocketbooks more heavily if Wheels was brought back as a main character.
His cameo (the first of only two) in the reunion show (first and second episode of the next generation) was actually omitted/cut entirely when aired in the US. It was only shown in Canada.
The memories are pouring back. RIP Wheels.
Neil was a cousin of an ex of mine. I never met him tho. He was already deceased by the time we started dating. Rest in peace, Neil.
He was a good actor - RIP Neil Hope
Rest In Peace Neil
"Let's go to Port Hope, Wheels!"
Wow. That is so sad. So young and talented.
Yes, he was a very good actor. His acting was very believable.
Rest in peace Neil.... 💜
Neil had a rough life. R.I.P. Wheels.
The combination of Wheels and Figurine’s New Mate starting to play at 1:55 made my heart sing.
Sad that he passed. Wheels was my favorite! Snake, Joey and Wheels were the best.
He passed away 2 years later, and nobody knew for 5 years.....RIP Neil
Stefan:"I'm gonna cry"
Me too mate.
It has already been 15 years since Neil has been gone. =(
One of the best characters actor on old Degrassi high drama show i was surprised to hear he passed away at age 35 . Way to young seemed like a good soul didn't know Neil Young. But enjoy watching the 1988 89 90 91 episodes with Neil playing the character Derek/ wheels wheeler de Grassi jr high not a bad actor 4 the cheapest budget show Canadian film media. Not United States of America lol rip
I luv wheels ❤❤❤❤❤❤
“Snake ... relax. Trust me.”
i was six days older than Neil. RIP buddy.
My tribute to the legend...I grew up watching the re-runs in the late 90s, early 2000's and remember thinking when I got to high school I would be cool like Joey but sadly my life almost sort of mirrored the tragedy of wheels so I think a lot about the character now that I am graduated college, in university and have a good job and am settled in my life but hard to forget the tragic background bad times don't last if you work hard! RIP..
Even the fans that just started watching Degrassi in 2013
His voice is harsh, sounds like he's been hitting the bottle for some time two years before his death here. Pretty tragic - he leaves a legacy that's still going strong as a Degrassi universe founder.
Yes, it reminded me of The Late Anne Kirkbride who's voice got very deep but it was due to her Cigarette Smoking.
The last time I saw Neil was probably 2002. He did lead a tough life after Degrassi. It's nice to see this video of him smiling and laughing, the way I would like to remember him. THe last time I saw him he wasnt very happy. RIP Neil.................to the good memories!
mollymabel have you met him? He is meant to be a nice guy
Rest in peace...
Full ADHD and Depression. RIP Neil
I used to watch Degrassi when I grew up and I had no idea that Neils life ended so tragically. He was only 35 when he died, he was an alchoholic and worst of all.. no one knew that he had died alone, not his family,no one from the degrassi cast, no one knew until 5 years after his death. He looks so healthy here, 2 years later hes dead. Its really sad to see that the social heritage continues in generations. Not everyone are lucky to have a stabile home with suitable parents. Life is so unfair.
He was also a diabetic, required 4 insulin doses a day, and he didn't manage it, combined with the alcoholism When he has found dead, there were unused insulin vials strewn around the room.
He did not look healthy here. Neil used to be a muscular guy. Here he was very thin and his voice sounded very rough.
I'm surprised no one's made a documentary about Neil Hope
It would be very nice if Oprah or A&E did a documentary about his life. I do agree with you GlamRoomGirl, especially since Neil would have been 50 years old this year.
@@cherieagleson yes absolutely, RIP Neil Hope
thanks for sharing Master
Our angel in heaven would be turning 50 years old this year. It would be nice if the cast did a tribute to him. I tried messaging Pat twice, but never got a reply.
Neil looked and sounded great here.
No he didn't. His voice was rough and he was too thin.
I can relate to Neil. My father was an alcoholic. He would get off the streetcar and go directly to the legion hall to drink. He would then come home and go directly to bed. He would sometimes yell at us and one time punched a hole in a wall. He was very hard on my brother who as he grew up would become an alcoholic himself. As for me I turned away from alcohol as I saw what it did to my father. Fortunately for my brother he cleaned himself up. It's true how a parent can influence their children. The only memories of my father is him being an alcoholic.
So talented. So sad. Far too soon to pass. R.I.P. Neil Hope.
rest in peace
Thanks for posting this video. It was insightful. I thought Neil gave off hints that he missed acting and the Degrassi family he grew up with.
He was dead two years after this interview
Too bad Joey wasn’t there. He looks like he was happy to see Stefan. I read after this his life went downhill and he ended up passing away two years later
Neil Hope: Jack of all Trades.
this is unbelivable he died aww Neil omg R.I.P
R. I. P :(. Lovely soul
reading the comments bummed me out! I was very happy living in a world where "wheels" was still alive..
Neil... why did you have to go?
Talented actor. Really like the scenes with Wheels, as they were relateable and showed a lot of emotion. In the series when he becomes a pathological liar is my favorite, as it was accurately delivered.
My friend said he worked with Neal hope at a pizza pizza call center and he said neal was always a great guy.
does anyone know where i can see the whole W5 doc?
What is the episode with the zit remedy playing at the dance, and who is the actress/character in the blue dress at 3:19?
That's Alexa Pappadopoulos played by Irene Courakos.
The episode is Pass Tense from Degrassi Junior High.
This is so sad 💔