Sarah Barrable-Tishauer
Sarah Barrable-Tishauer has played Liberty Van Zandt on Degrassi: The Next Generation from the very beginning. Despite her character's original good girl, brainiac image, fans have seen Liberty endure her own share of problems and come into her own as one of Degrassi's most lovable characters.
The Star Scoop:
How is the new season of Degrassi: The Next Generation going for you?
Sarah Barrable-Tishauer:
It's great. We're getting ready to film some of our last few episodes. It's pretty amazing, and they're [the fans] gonna be pleasantly surprised.
The Star Scoop:
Your character, Liberty, has had a lot of ups and downs over the course of the show. What have you done to prepare for the different emotional turns that you character has taken?
Barrable-Tishauer:
I think the key is just to sort of equate things in your own life that maybe aren't as dramatic but definitely have affected you in similar ways and just try to keep those in mind. When I'm acting the difficult scenes, I think, even when J.T. was murdered, one of the main things, we were all really upset that Ryan himself was leaving, so kind of taking those emotions and using them in the scene where he's stabbed. So, yeah, it's just sort of thinking as much as possible about the situation and what it would be like to be in a situation like that kind of helps.
The Star Scoop:
Degrassi: The Next Generation has been on such a long time, and so few shows are doing so well at this stage of being on. Why do you think it has been so successful for so long?
Barrable-Tishauer:
I think it just has to do with the fact that Degrassi fills a void that no other show has actually been able to fill, which is just having a really real show that is actually talking about the things that are happening in schools, and not being afraid to bring up the issues that may be controversial and may be difficult to swallow. The reality is that they're actually going on, and kids are going through them now. It's not been afraid to talk about things that maybe other shows and the media shy away from.
The Star Scoop:
The story lines seem to get more intense and more real as time goes on. Whose character story lines do you like to follow? Who has made an impact on you?
Barrable-Tishauer:
It's hard. I think there are a lot of characters that have really progressed as they've entered the show, like Darcy, for instance, who came in just sort of as a side character to Spinner, and she has really progressed in the show. This season, definitely keep an eye on her. Any character that has really showed a lot of progression, and we all have. That's, I guess, the nature of a show where we start out when we were 11. There's definitely different kinds of issues that are affecting 11 year-olds versus as you get into your late teens where things become a little bit more complicated, a little bit more difficult. Definitely I've seen first hand the experiences that many of the characters go through in my peers in school, that this is actually happening. It's a real mirror. I can see it just as much as kids who are in school and watching the show as well.
The Star Scoop:
You're part of such a huge cast. What do you like about being part of this kind of cast?
Barrable-Tishauer:
I think it's number one for this show's integrity. It's great because we're able to develop so many different kinds of story lines. If you have a cast of five characters, there's really a limit to what you can do. You can't have one character have all these horrible things happen to them. It's a great opportunity to have a large, large diversity of story lines and types of characters you would see in school. What's great as actor is just you get to meet a lot of interesting people. All of us come at it from completely different angles. I think you can learn a lot from your peers. I was able to learn a lot. It's great, and we all get along, which is a tall order, but it's nice to go to work and have friends there.
The Star Scoop:
As far as your own character goes, how much of yourself does go into your character?
Barrable-Tishauer:
I think from season one, what was really amazing about the show, and the writers and the producers is that they really gave each of us this skeletal model of our character, and each one of us really put the flesh and blood into them. Many of the characters when they were written were actually very different from where they are now, and a lot of that comes from us putting our own back-story into our characters, and giving parts of ourselves to our characters that have made them become these real flesh and blood characters. One of the main traits that I put into Liberty is that she has a tough skin and doesn't want to show her vulnerability. In every situation that she deals with, it makes her tougher. The moments where she does break down, where you do see that she's not as tough as she would like to be seen makes them that much more emotional because she's just this tough person. I definitely like to put that strength that I have into this character, and I think about that when I'm thinking about how she would deal with a situation.
The Star Scoop:
What do you want to tell your fans?
Barrable-Tishauer:
I think in terms of when you're watching the show, there's a message that we want to show as much as we can, is just, get help. If you're going through anything, it's not worth it to go through it alone. You see it through episodes where characters think that they can do it on their own, and it usually doesn't have the best outcome. If you can find someone that you trust, who you can talk to, whether that be your parents, or a teacher, or a guidance counselor, or a good friend, then, I think it puts things so much more into perspective when you can talk to someone. I think that's what I would say for people who are going through difficult times. As far as the show, watching, it's getting better. We're continuing to deal with the tough issues. This season is gonna be great. Fans will be pleasantly surprised by story lines of this season, and the continuing intensity that we provide.
The Star Scoop:
Will there be any other places for fans to see you in the future?
Barrable-Tishauer:
Not as of yet. I'm actually in University right now. That's taking up quite a bit of my time. Right now juggling Degrassi and University, that definitely has taken up quite a bit of my time, but, yeah, just stay tuned.