🎬 A Night with Alex Harrouch: Watch Party Recap

WOW! Our watch party with Alex Harrouch was incredible! I’m so grateful to everyone who showed up and made it such a fun and memorable night 💛

Unfortunately, despite testing and having two separate recordings set up, the audio did not capture on either file. This means we won’t have a recording of this watch party to share on the podcast.

I know that’s disappointing — it is for me too. But what I can do is share some of the standout moments, behind-the-scenes stories, and the magic that made the night so special.

The good news is that a lot of what Alex shared expanded on stories we already heard on the podcast. If you missed it, you can listen here: Alex Harrouch Reflects on Leo & Alli’s Darkest Storyline in Degrassi

But for now, let’s break down some of the new stories from our watch party!

🎭 Acting with a Green Screen - My Own Worst Enemy

Is it harder to act in front of a green screen when your environment isn’t really there?

Alex shared that scenes like the carnival weren’t actually that difficult to film, because so much of the action is grounded in real interaction between Leo and Alli. The rock wall that Leo jumps over was physically there, and the connection between them carried the scene.

But when it came to moments like standing on the bridge, looking out at a beautiful view of Paris that doesn’t really exist? That’s where things got trickier. Alex told us that actors will sometimes be shown a monitor of what the scene should look like so they can try to ground their reactions into something real.

🔒 The Enraging Lock Scene - Honey

One of the most memorable stories came from the “love lock bridge” in Paris.

What was supposed to begin as a romantic moment between Leo and Alli turned into one of the most frustrating scenes Alex filmed. He shared that he was really struggling with the lock, and take after take, he just could not get it right. Meanwhile, the emotional arc of the scene required him to shift from romantic to upset.

Alex kept forgetting to return Alli's phone to her, so Melinda had to improvise the line about Leo giving back her phone: “Let go, Leo. You’re hurting my hand. Give me my phone back. Go!”

Alex commented on how difficult that scene really was on set:

Even after my tenth take or so, the scene was ruined because I just couldn't master the lock. I turned to Stefan Brogren who was directing and was like "REALLY?!?" Which was completely unprofessional and inappropriate but I just couldn’t believe it wasn’t a more straight forward prop. I was mostly just angry at myself.”

And yet, when you watch the final scene, you would never know anything went wrong.

😂 Moments That Had Us Laughing

There were so many unexpected, funny moments throughout the night:

• We discovered that The Last Supper isn’t even in the Louvre… it’s actually in Italy. Leaving us wondering.. how did that slip by the Degrassi writers? 😅

• At one point, we joked that the entire watch party should be conducted in French. Several times we got to hear Alex put on Leo's french accent for us (swoon)!

• After watching Leo save Alli from a mugger in Paris, I asked Alex if he’d ever been. He said no… but when I followed up with a joking “well, have you ever been mugged?” he casually said yes — by three guys at once (he’s okay, don’t worry, but the delivery made it hilarious in context).

And one of my favorite behind-the-scenes revelations:

• Fans originally thought Leo’s name was Neil. Because of his accent, when he says “you ask for Leo” in the café scene, it sounded like “you ask for Neil.” It wasn’t until Alli says his name clearly that people realized… oh, that’s Leo 😭

👊 A Scene That Changed - Who Do You Think You Are

In the alleyway scene where Leo punches the wall, that moment actually wasn’t originally written for that scene. It was intended for a moment later where Alli rejects his apology. Alex said:

“I can’t recall for sure how we came to the decision, but I think I had suggested to Eleanor Lindo (the director) that we use it in THIS scene to really show just how out of control Leo’s anger is.”

And he's right. Leo's physical anger works so well in this moment. It feels raw, natural, and perfectly placed in the story.

😳 A Slightly Panicked Morning - You Got Me

Alex also shared a moment from filming the studying scene that had everyone laughing.

He took an edible the night before filming… and when he woke up the next morning, it hadn’t worn off.

He described being completely panicked, thinking:

“Oh my god, they’re going to know I’m high right now.”

Luckily, by the time he got to set, everything had worn off — but it definitely made for a stressful start to the day. 😶‍🌫️

🎬 Leo Compared to Past Abuse Storylines

When asked about other Degrassi storylines involving abuse, like Rick and Terri, Alex shared that he was familiar with them.

He specifically mentioned Ephraim Ellis’ performance as Rick Murray and how impactful it was, but also that it made him want to approach Leo differently.

"I mostly tried as much as possible to keep the audience guessing about whether or not we can trust Leo. I wanted to lean into every single moment the character could be likeable, because it’s important to understand how Alli could fall for him in the first place. And then of course, commit fully to the violent side so as to break everyone’s heart who thought they were end game (for a hot second)."

💬 Degrassi Fan Questions

We were also joined on stage by some Degrassi fans, who got the chance to meet Alex and ask their burning questions. Emmelia, Stephanie, and Kyleigha joined us, and it was such a fun part of the night.

One fan asked: If you could choose a different ending for Leo, what would it be?

Alex said he was happy with Leo's ending and it's what he deserved. But, it would be interesting to see what his therapy sessions looked like. Or, maybe we find out that Leo was lying and never actually went to therapy. At the end of the day, it's really Alli's story and Leo got the screen time he deserved.

🫂 A Full Circle Moment

At the end of the night, Alex shared something that really stuck with me.

He talked about how grateful he is for his time on Degrassi. How meaningful it is that it’s led to moments like this, where he can sit with fans, revisit the work, and see that people still care.

And honestly… that’s exactly what this night felt like. A group of people coming together, years later, to laugh, reflect, and connect over something that still means so much to all of us.

While we don’t have the full recording to look back on, I hope this recap helps capture even a piece of what made the night so special. Thank you again to everyone who came, and to Alex for being so open, funny, and generous with his stories!

We may hate Leo… but we love Alex Harrouch.

🖥️ Watch Alex Harrouch react to Leo's scenes here!