Caitlin Ryan

Caitlin Ryan is a fictional character from the Degrassi series portrayed by Stacie Mistysyn. Caitlin is a main character on both Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, which chronicle her maturation from a seventh grader to a high school graduate. Mistysyn returned to play an adult Caitlin on Degrassi: The Next Generation, in which Caitlin is a recurring character.

Development

Mistysyn was taking dance lessons when she received a flyer advertising auditions for the series. Unaware of what to wear to the audition, Mistysyn auditioned in shorts and a tank top; she believed that this helped her in the process because the producers "were looking for kids just being kids". When Mistysyn failed to land the role she was auditioning for, writer Yan Moore created Caitlin specifically for the actress. The character was initially named Amanda, but was renamed "Caitlin" after someone in show publicist Kathryn Ellis's family.

Caitlin became the favorite Degrassi character of American screenwriter and film director Kevin Smith, who named the character "Caitlin Bree" from his 1994 movie Clerks after her. Smith's enthusiasm led the series's producers to create a three-episode story arc for him on Degrassi: The Next Generation, in which Smith develops a relationship with Caitlin. Mistysyn has earned three Gemini nominations for her portrayal of Caitlin, "including a win for best performance by a lead actress in a continuing dramatic role."