‘Degrassi’ Star Lauren Collins Used to Pay Homage to that Paige Michalchuk Meme Every Year
Like all good TV shows, Degrassi: The Next Generation inspired plenty of memes. From the Manny Santos thong moment (later memorialized in a #BussItChallenge) to the moment where Drake (err, Jimmy) got shot, few Canadian teen dramas made such an impact internationally. Original star Lauren Collins made her mark as Paige Michalchuk. And like her famous co-stars, she paid homage to the character with a popular meme.
Lauren Collins starred as Paige Michalchuk in ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’
Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered in the early ’00s. A continuation of the ’80s series Degrassi High, it showcased a generation of students dealing with sex, pregnancy, drug use, domestic violence, self-harm, suicide, and much more. The series ran for fourteen seasons and ended in 2015 before the network rebooted it as simply Degrassi.
The original stars include Miriam McDonald, Cassie Steele, Daniel Clark, Ryan Cooley, Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, Stefan Brogren. And, of course, there’s Aubrey Graham, now better known by his stage name, Drake.
Lauren Collins brought the character of Paige Michalchuk to life for 100 episodes in Degrassi: The Next Generation. Her character may have started as a mean girl, but Paige eventually won the hearts of fans.
In the series, her character faced serious issues, including sexual assault, panic attacks, exposure to HIV, and much more. Even when Paige didn’t control the main story, she always voiced an opinion or quick quip to help out the other students of Degrassi with their problems.
Collins embraces the Paige meme
One of the most popular Paige moments from Degrassi: The Next Generation inspired a meme that’s lived on past its time. In the second season’s first episode, Paige enters the school, meeting her frenemy Ashley in the hall. “New year, new look, new Paige,” she says with a smirk.
Not only do fans embrace this quintessential character moment, but Collins has her fun with it as well. For many years, she’s reposted the meme many years on January 1, giving fans even more of the character they love. She embraces the positive attitude and confidence that Paige brought to the moment and throughout the show.
At a 2021 ATX Fest panel, Collins expressed her hope for a Degrassi revival. She wants her son to grow up with a show where characters face real issues that aren’t as “intense” as those currently on the air.
What is Lauren Collins doing now?
After Degrassi: The Next Generation, Collins continued to act. She appeared in shows such as Being Erica, Long Story Short, The Strain, and Impulse. In 2018, Collins married Jonathan Malen. They have a son, Charlie.
More recently, Collins played Ms. Brenda in the Netflix series Sex/Life. And she’s acted on shows like What We Do in the Shadows and Hudson & Rex.
In 2018, Collins reunited with some of her former Degrassi co-stars. She appeared in the Drake music video “I’m Upset,” which filmed on Degrassi set and featured several other castmates, including Nina Dobrev.
