Neil Hope

Biography

1972–1984: Early life Hope was born on 24 September 1972, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the fourth son and fifth child of his family. His parents struggled with alcoholism and had an unstable relationship, which led to their separation. He and his siblings often moved back and forth from their mother to their father. Hope had a good relationship with his father, who he felt was supportive and loved him and his siblings.

After Degrassi Street, Hope played the role of Derek "Wheels" Wheeler on the teen drama series Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High from 1987 to 1991. In his obituary for Hope, Paul Vitello of The New York Times wrote that "all [the series'] characters portrayed teenagers confronting crises over issues like sexual abuse, racism, unwanted pregnancy and AIDS, but the troubles dealt Wheels made him the Job of the cast";

In 1992, he also appeared in the series Degrassi Talks, where the series' actors encouraged teens to seek help with problems such as addiction and sexuality.

2004–2007: Final years The original Degrassi series was non-union, and its cast were no longer paid regularly when it ended in the early 1990s, even as the series continued to see success in re-runs and syndication in over 50 countries. Christina Boulard, Hope's ex-fiancée, told media: "It made him so upset that they worked so hard on Degrassi and even years later, a whole new generation was watching it in reruns and the cast wasn't getting a dime." At the time of his death, Hope's only income was a disability cheque. His family stated that he continued to call and visit occasionally up until 2005. Hope's father died in 1987, from complications caused by diabetes and cirrhosis, consequences of his alcohol abuse;

Hope, whom neither police nor coroner's office officials recognized, was buried, unclaimed, in an unmarked plot in March 2008. They contacted police once again in January 2012, where it was officially confirmed that Hope had died. The news was first made public by his sister-in-law on a Facebook fan page, before being picked up by Canadian media on 16 February. He recalled being shocked but "not surprised, because I knew he had a lot of health issues and I know that he didn't really take care of himself that way."

Linda Schuyler, co-creator of the Degrassi franchise, said of Hope in a joint statement with Stohn that he had made an "important contribution" to the lives of the producers, cast members and fans of the show, further adding: "His life was not an easy one but the time he spent with us was a shining example of determination, hard work and hopeful optimism and he is sorely missed."

American filmmaker Kevin Smith, an avid fan of Degrassi, expressed his condolences on Twitter.