Spencer MacPherson | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Spencer MacPherson June 12, 1997 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Spouse | Paige MacPherson (m.2024) |
Spencer MacPherson (born 12 June 1997) is a Canadian actor. [1]
MacPherson first rose to notability at the age of 17 first appearing as Hunter Hollingsworth in Degrassi: The Next Generation and its spin off Degrassi: Next Class from 2014 to 2017. Degrassi: The Next Generation ran on MTV in Canada and TeenNick in the United States. Following its cancellation in 2015, Netflix picked up Degrassi: Next Class which ran for 4 seasons.
In addition to his role on Degrassi, MacPherson is also known for playing King Charles in the CW show Reign , Scout West on the Canadian drama Northern Rescue , and Sparrow on the Canadian supernatural teen comedy-drama Astrid and Lilly Save the World . In addition to his television roles, MacPherson has appeared in several movies including the 2019 Canadian period drama film Brotherhood .
As of 2025, he was starring as Xavier Baxter in the Paramount+ supernatural teen drama television series School Spirits alongside Peyton List and Milo Manheim.
John Spencer MacPherson was born on June 12, 1997, and grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. [1] His father, Bobby MacPherson, is a businessman and his mother, Cheryl MacPherson, is a home-maker. He has two older sisters Meagan and Rebecca. [1]
He graduated from Cawthra Park Secondary School in 2015 and went on to begin a professional acting career.
Beginning in 2013, MacPherson was cast in season 13 of the Canadian teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation as the recurring character of Hunter Hollingsworth. MacPherson was promoted to a series regular for season 14. Following the shows subsequent cancellation and television movie Degrassi: Don't Look Back, Netflix picked up the series as Degrassi: Next Class . MacPherson reprises his role as Hunter Hollingsworth in all four seasons before its cancellation in 2017.
In season 3, MacPherson took over the role of King Charles IX of France from Peter DaCunha on The CW historical romantic television drama Reign . Having been a recurring character in season 3, he was promoted to a main character for season 4.
In 2018 he was cast as Scout West in Northern Rescue alongside Amalia Williamson and Taylor Thorne. [2]
Beginning in 2021, he has been playing Xavier Baxter in School Spirits on Paramount+ of which the first season premiered March 9, 2023 [3] and the second season premiered on January 30, 2025. [4] School Spirits also stars Peyton List as Maddie Nears, Kristian Ventura as Simon Elroy, Milo Manheim as Wally Clark, and Josh Zuckerman as Mr. Martin.
In 2024 he played the adult Jacob Landry in the series The Way Home for the Hallmark Channel. To prepare for the role, MacPherson watched the entire first season in an attempt to dive into the 1814 time period.
Spencer began acting in musical theatre productions at a young age which led to him pursuing a professional career in television and film. He attended Cawthra Park Secondary School of the Arts for Drama and graduated in 2015. [1]
In July 2023, MacPherson announced on Instagram that we was engaged to his longterm girlfriend Paige Excell the founder and owner of Patti Jane Swim. On October 24, 2024, the pair married. Excell taking on the surname MacPherson. Former Degrassi castmates Sara Waisglass, André Dae Kim, Ehren Kassam, and Jamie Bloch were in attendance. [5]
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Sorry for Your Loss | Shawn (Photo) | Short Film |
| 2017 | Reflection | Jeremy | Short Film |
| 2018 | Extracurricular | Ian Gordon | |
| 2018 | Honey Bee | Zach | |
| 2019 | Midnight Marathon | Robbie | Short Film |
| 2019 | I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain | Short Film | |
| 2019 | Resolve | Same | Short Film |
| 2019 | Brotherhood | Vernon Clark | |
| 2019 | Transfer | Luke | Short Film |
| 2020 | Retrograde | Mason | Short Film |
| 2022 | Secrets at the Inn | Elijah Miller |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–2015 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Hunter Hollingsworth | Main cast (Seasons 13–14) [22 Episodes] |
| 2014–2017 | Doki | Sticks Bamberg (voice) | Guest Cast [4 Episodes] |
| 2015–2017 | Reign | Charles Valois | Main cast [30 Episodes] |
| 2015 | Degrassi: Don't Look Back | Hunter Hollingsworth | TV movie |
| 2015 | Defiance | Ranikar | Guest Cast [4 Episodes] |
| 2016 | American Gothic | Cam Hawthorne (Age 17) | Guest Cast [3 Episodes] |
| 2016–2017 | Degrassi: Next Class | Hunter Hollingsworth | Main cast [29 Episodes] |
| 2018 | Killer High | Tom | TV Movie |
| 2019 | Northern Rescue | Scout West | Main cast [10 Episodes] |
| 2019 | Titans | Ellis | Guest cast [1 Episode] |
| 2021 | American Gods | Derek | Guest cast [5 Episodes] |
| 2021 | Nine Films About Technology | Dan | Guest cast [1 Episode] |
| 2021 | Murdoch Mysteries | Lyle 'Junior' Anderson | Guest cast [1 Episode] |
| 2022 | Astrid and Lilly Save the World | Sparrow | Main cast |
| 2023–Present | School Spirits | Xavier Baxter | Main cast |
| 2024–2025 | The Way Home | Jacob Landry |
