Liz O'Rourke

Liz O'Rourke
Information
Nickname(s)	Dumb Jerk (by Shane) Jerk (by Lucy) Self-Righteous Pig (by Erica)
Gender	Female
Date of Birth	1974
Hair Color	Orange (DJH) Bleach Blonde (DH)
Network
Family	Mrs. O'Rourke (Mother) Unnamed Cousin
Relationships	Tim O'Connor (One Date) Joey Jeremiah (One Date) Patrick (One Date)
Job	Student (former) Nurse or Midwife (current)
School(s)	John A. Macdonald Intermediate School Degrassi Junior High School Degrassi High School
Production
First Episode	Great Expectations (DJH 203)
Last Episode	I Against I (DTNG 514)
Reason	Storyline Ended
Portrayed By	Cathy Keenan and Brooke Madigan

Liz O'Rourke was portrayed by Cathy Keenan and Brooke Madigan (as young Liz in Crossed Wires). Although Liz appears as a new character in season 2, Cathy Keenan is an uncredited extra throughout season 1, starting with the first episode, Kiss Me, Steph.

Degrassi Season 2-5 (Original Degrassi)

Starts as: Grade 8

Liz O'Rourke was a former student at Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High School. She is a new student in Degrassi Junior High in January or February 1988, and Joey Jeremiah hears rumors that Liz is a wild sex girl. He tries to have sex with her, and she angrily refuses, but later forgives him. Liz becomes best friends with Christine "Spike" Nelson, and they are inseparable. Liz has strong feelings about animal rights.

She helps Caitlin do some research on her animal testing article in the school paper and shows her a video and invites her to a rally. Catlin finds out that her epilepsy medicine was tested on animals and tells Liz so Liz thinks she should stop taking it and their friendship is pretty much over. In a later episode we find out she was an unwanted pregnancy and her mother almost had an abortion which led to her pro-life/animal rights interests.

Liz posted pro-life posters in school washrooms and on lockers when she found out about Erica Farrell's abortion. This leads to the first Degrassi girl fight ever. Erica grabs Liz's hair, and pulls her to the ground. The two fight until two teachers pull them off each other. Although Liz and Spike were best friends, they have had problems in their relationship, like when Spike and Patrick broke up, and Patrick asked Liz out to a concert. Liz agrees, and Spike is jealous. Liz cares so much about her and Spike's friendship, she tells Patrick that she cannot see him anymore.

Joey and Liz

In another Liz featured episode, Tim asks her to go the The Pogues concert and she turns him down. After talking with Spike, who convinces her Tim is a nice guy, she changes her mind and they go out. At the end of the date Tim tries to kiss her and she freaks out, screams, and slams the door in his face. Tim begs her to forgive him and is confused why she cannot. She tells Spike about it and asks for her advice. We find out through flashbacks and a heart to heart with Spike that she was molested as a child by her mother's boyfriend (not her father who was long gone by that time) which is the reason she is terrified of Tim giving her a peck and men in general. She starts to cope with it at the end and Tim and her decide to just be friends.

Although Liz's character was a new student to Degrassi in Great Expectations, Cathy Keenan can be spotted in earlier episodes including Kiss Me Steph and Revolution as an extra.

Parents

Liz's mother was played by Laine Williams. Liz's father was never in her life. However, in flashbacks of abuse she suffered as a child, the mother's boyfriend, who committed the abuse, was played by Les Porter, who is mis-identified in the closing credits as "Liz's Dad".

Liz delivering baby Jack

Degrassi: The Next Generaton (Season 1, 3, 5)

On the Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 1 special features, in a reunion video she says she now works with the developmentally disabled. She also helps her best friend, Spike, give birth to her second child, Jack. When Liz's best friend Spike needs a pick-me-up during her separation from Snake, Liz is there comforting her. She is present along with other Degrassi alumni, when male strippers arrived to cheer Spike up.

Liz at Spike's male strippers party.

Trivia

• Liz, along with fifteen other characters, was sexually assaulted:
  • She was molested by her mother's ex-boyfriend as a young girl.
  • Emma was held captive in a hotel room by a pedophile and almost raped.
  • Paige was raped by Dean at a party.
  • Darcy was raped by a serial rapist who spiked teenage girls' drinks at a party.
  • Jane was molested by her father, Mr. Valieri.
  • K.C. was almost forced to have sex with a hooker hired by Coach Carson against his will as well as had him watching porn.
  • Connor was almost molested in a car by his internet stalker.
  • Bianca was forced into sex with Vince on numerous occasions and was almost raped by her ex-boyfriend Anson.
  • Clare was sexually harassed by her former boss, Asher.
  • Maya was sexually harassed following being cyber bullied and slut shamed online.
  • Zoë was raped by Luke and Neil at a party.
  • Tristan was statutorily raped by Grant Yates.
  • Winston was almost groped by Grant Yates.
  • Wheels was almost molested in a car by a random stranger while he was hitchhiking.
  • Both Lucy and Susie were sexually harassed by the same teacher at Degrassi Junior High School.
• She is the second character to have an abusive father, the other four being Rick Munro, Craig Manning, Jane Vaughn, and Miles Hollingsworth III.
• Liz and Erica had the first female fist fight in the Degrassi Franchise.
• In A New Start, it was revealed that she was pro-life. In Everybody Wants Something, she says that she is against abortion because when her mother fell pregnant with her, her father demanded that she have an abortion. Her mother didn't want to have an abortion so he beat her until she became unconscious. Her mother never went back to her father, but if she had then Liz wouldn't be alive.
• She had the back of her head shaved during Degrassi Junior High.
• Liz was the first character who was a background character before her first appearance. The second was Zane.
• Liz shares similarities with future characters Emma Nelson and Jane Vaughn.