Cassie Steele has offered her opinion on the comparisons between her Degrassi: The Next Generation character Manny and the Euphoria character Maddy. Alexa Demie stars as the confident popular girl on Sam Levinson's HBO drama. Maddy is always impeccably dressed, unapologetically blunt, and loves attention any way she can get it.
Euphoria fans who watched Degrassi a few decades ago were quick to notice the similarities between Maddy Perez and Manny Santos. Both aren't afraid to push boundaries with their risque fashion or confront someone who has crossed them. Even though Maddy and Manny aren't the main characters on their respective shows, they exude main character energy in everything they do. For that reason, it's impossible to not be totally immersed in watching their stories play out.
Steele recently spoke to Nylon, where she was asked about her feelings on Euphoria and Demie's portrayal of Maddy. She explained that when she first saw Maddy on screen, she enjoyed her "Manny-esque" outfits. In fact, Steele even credited the Euphoria character as the reason why early 2000s fashion trends are currently experiencing a "comeback." However, Steele didn't appreciate comments from viewers saying that Euphoria was a new-and-improved version of Degrassi. She said:
"People kept telling me Euphoria was very much like Degrassi. They're like, 'It's what Degrassi was supposed to be.' I'm like, 'Degrassi wasn't supposed to be like anything, first of all, but let me see this Euphoria.' And I saw the character, Maddy. I think her name is Maddy? And she had these pants, and I was like, 'Oh that's so that's so Manny-esque, that's so much fun.' I feel like possibly that was... maybe that's why Manny's look is doing a comeback."
Both Maddy and Manny totally embody the idealistic cool girl at their respective fictional high schools. They both put up a tough exterior but deep down want to be loved, which can lead to a whole lot of toxic relationships. They also have complicated dynamics with their friends, whether it's Manny fighting Paige Michalchuk (Lauren Collins) or Maddy confronting Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) for hooking up with her ex-boyfriend. Also, their impact on fashion cannot be stated enough — just look at Steele's viral take on the "Buss It" TikTok challenge inspired by Manny's infamous thong outfit.
Both Euphoria and Degrassi: The Next Generation have unique takes on tackling topics relatable to young people, whether it's addiction, violence, or peer pressure. The major difference between the two really is the time period that each show is set in — Degrassi was to millennials what Euphoria is to Gen Z. So it will be particularly interesting to see how HBO Max's upcoming reboot of Degrassi will keep the spirit of the series intact with updated stories that will translate to a modern-day audience.
Source: Nylon