Ryan Cooley

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, actor Ryan Cooley is best known for his role as J.T. Yorke on the teen juggernaut "Degrassi: The Next Generation." His laidback, nice-guy character went through several dramatic changes over the six seasons he was on "Degrassi"--from nerd to teen father to drug dealer--and his death in the episode "Rock This Town" was a stunner: after casually exchanging words with two teenage boys from a rival high school outside of a party, J.T. is stabbed to death. Before launching into teen stardom on the popular show, Cooley had been known for his role as the alien Pleskit on the madcap science fiction kids' show "I Was a Sixth Grade Alien." He also appeared on the science fiction show "Lexx" for three episodes as the deranged, psychopathic schoolboy Digby, in the Showtime series "Queer as Folk," and in the independent film "The Tracey Fragments," starring Ellen Page. Post-"Degrassi," Cooley attended the University of Toronto, where he majored in theater.