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Miriam Katherine McDonald (born July 26, 1987 in Oakville, Ontario, Canada), better known plainly as Miriam McDonald, is an actress who stars in the hit television show Degrassi: Next Generation. McDonald, (nicknamed Billy), is also an accomplished dancer who has dedicated herself to the practice of ballet, hip hop, tap and jazz dancing. She has worked hard at her craft as an entertainer, taking acting classes with renowned television actor Dean Armstrong. McDonald was awarded a dancing scholarship at the prestigious Canadian Children's Dance Theatre academy in Toronto. Although she was happy to receive consideration for that academy, this was also what has been, so far, one of the hardest moments of her life, as she had to choose between her two passions: acting and dancing. McDonald decided on the former, landing a short time period job in the hit series, System Crash, in 1999. McDonald found a niche as a voice-over actress, after she was cast in 2001 to participate in a cartoon series named Ripping Friends. The change from dancer to full time actress was easy for the young lady, and, soon enough, she found herself doing voice-overs in two other series. She has done a total of 39 voice-overing jobs. Then came Degrassi: The Next Generation, a show that would change McDonald's life: not only was she acting in front of the television cameras for the second time in her career, but she also happened to be participating in a show that became a major hit across Canada, thus her looks becoming known by a wide Canadian audience. The show, which is part of the successful Degrassi series, has lasted five seasons on the air, with McDonald present during each season. McDonald plays Emma Nelson in the series, which is aired on CTV in Canada. In 2002, American youth television giant Nickelodeon bought the rights to air Degrassi: The Next Generation in the United States. The show was one of the first to be placed on The N, Nickelodeon's then-new television network geared toward teenagers. The show is quickly becoming an overnight success, giving McDonald fame in the United States as well. In 2004, she participated as "Dawn Gensler" in the made for television film, She's Too Young.