Before the girls of Euphoria broke the Internet every Sunday night, it was Degrassi legend Manny Santos who ruled the school.
In an instantly-iconic scene from the cult classic's third season, Manny walked the halls of Degrassi Community School with a thong poking out from above her jeans, and impressionable eyes of the era were never the same.
Now, Manny is drawing direct comparisons to Euphoria lightning rod Maddy Perez, played by Alexa Demie. And according to Manny Santos herself, actress Cassie Steele, who played the dynamic leading lady on Degrassi: The Next Generation for nine seasons, the comparison mostly checks out.
In an interview with Nylon, Steele said she had heard rumblings about the Manny-Maddy similarities, so she had to check it out for herself. And what did she find? "She had these pants, and I was like, 'Oh that's so Manny-esque, that's so much fun,'" she said. "Maybe that's why Manny's look is doing a comeback."
Steele, who now works an office job in Colorado, doesn't shy away from her roots. Just last year, she posted a TikTok wearing the notorious thong while doing the "Buss It" challenge.
Not only are Degrassi and Euphoria drawing comparisons, they're also about to share a home. In 2023, HBO Max is set to reboot the Canadian teen drama with 10 hour-long episodes. As for her participation in the project? Steele teased that she's intrigued by the idea of stepping back into Manny's...shoes.
"I will always think about anything if there's a lot of money to be made," she quipped. "I can be bought."
We know she's joking, but her addition to the reboot cast would certainly help us make it through. For now, we can enjoy the adventures of Maddy and the rest of East Highland High School when Euphoria airs Sunday nights on HBO.