News broke Thursday that Degrassi star Neil Hope has been dead for five years, Canada's National Post reports. Several sites reported that Hope's death was made official on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012.

TORONTO (AP) — Actor Neil Hope, who starred as Derek "Wheels" Wheeler on the popular 1980s TV series "Degrassi Junior High" and had little contact with relatives and friends in his final years, died ...

TORONTO (AP) — Actor Neil Hope, who starred as Derek "Wheels" Wheeler on the popular 1980s TV series "Degrassi Junior High" and had little contact with relatives and friends in his final years, died ...

Actor Neil Hope, who starred as Derek “Wheels” Wheeler on the popular 1980s TV series “Degrassi Junior High” and had little contact with relatives and friends in his final years, died alone in an ...

Neil Hope was a Canadian actor known for his role as Derek Wheeler on the TV series "Degrassi Junior High" and "Degrassi High." His portrayal of Wheels, a troubled but sensitive character, resonated ...

TORONTO -- Actor Neil Hope, who starred as Derek "Wheels" Wheeler on the popular 1980s TV series "Degrassi Junior High" and had little contact with relatives and friends in his final years, died alone ...