Jake Epstein

Jacob Lee Epstein (born January 16, 1987) is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Craig Manning on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Epstein was born in Toronto, Ontario and is of Jewish heritage; his father, Ian Epstein, is a lawyer and his mother, Kathy Kacer, is a writer who has written about Holocaust refugees. He has an older sister, Gabi. Epstein attended Earl Haig Secondary School in Toronto and was part of the Claude Watson program. He was the lead actor in several of the school's plays and musicals, the most notable one being the Emcee in Cabaret. Epstein started acting on screen in 1999, appearing in several made-for-television films and television series, including The Zack Files, Quints and an episode of Real Kids, Real Adventures. He became well known among Canadian teen audiences after being cast in the lead role of Craig Manning on Degrassi: The Next Generation. He joined the cast in 2002. After being absent from the show for the latter half of season five, he will return in season six. Epstein is currently attending National Theatre School Montreal. His biggest passion is music, and he has been a member of several bands, such as Mind the Gap, and Funkasaurus Rex, playing many musical instruments, including the guitar and drums. Epstein can now be seen as the lead role, Melchior Gabor, in the National Tour of Spring Awakening.