Entertainment
That Guy Brushing His Teeth In “Thank U, Next” Knew Ariana Grande From Her Acting Days
In the Bring It On section of Ariana Grande’s new video, we see our heroine and a young man fight over a sink as they tend to their pearly whites. And that isn't just any young man. The actor who plays the guy brushing his teeth in “Thank U, Next” is none other than actor Matt Bennett. If you watched Victorious, then you know him as Hollywood Arts High School's resident ventriloquist who had a long-standing crush on Grande's character. Yes, that is The Robbie Shapiro and The Cat Valentine paying tribute to Jesse Bradford and Kirsten Dunst's legendary toothbrush flirting scene. And what a gift this tribute is.
"I've practiced brushing my teeth every morning and night for 27 years in preparation for this moment," Bennett tweeted shortly after the "Thank U, Next" video dropped on Friday, Nov. 30. And boy, did all of that toothbrush practice paid off. Cat and Robbie really did right by this classic Bring It On moment, leaving no stone unturned and no toothpaste glob unspit.
Maybe it has been a minute since you last watched 2000 cheer-omedy Bring It On. Maybe the details of the scene where Dunst's Torrance and Bradford's Cliff share a sink as they spend tens of seconds brushing their teeth and stealing glances are a little fuzzy. Maybe you need to brush up with a minty fresh refresher.
Or hey, maybe you remember every plaque-fighting millisecond of the scene but are always stoked to revisit it. Well, whaddya know? The Bring It On scene that inspired Grande and Bennett to spit toothpaste down a sink for the "Thank U, Next" music video is on the World Wide Web.
Wow, that is some good stuff, eh? Speaking of good stuff...
Thank u, Rex (Rex). Thank u, Rex (Rex). Thank u, Rex. I'm so spittin' grateful for the puppet called Rex. And for Ari. And for Matt. And for "Thank U, Next." And for toothpaste.
It's been nearly six years since Victorious ended (and over four since spinoff Sam & Cat was cancelled), but "Thank U, Next" moment is not Bennett and Grande's first onscreen reunion since their Nickelodeon days. Heck, it isn't even their first time showing up in one of Grande's music videos together. The pop singer's Victorious co-star appeared in the video for "One Last Time," the fifth single off of 2014's My Everything.
But wait, there are even more Victorious cameos in the "Thank U, Next" video. The actors who played Trina and Jade on the live action Nickelodeon series also show up in the clip. You can spot Elizabeth Gillies as Cady Heron in the Mean Girls part of the video, and Daniella Monet as one of the Rancho Carne Toros cheerleaders in the Bring It On segment.
Thank u, Bring It On. Thank u, Mean Girls. Thank u, 13 Going on 30. Thank u, Legally Blonde. Thank u, mini Victorious reunion. Thank u, "Thank u, Next" music video. And once again, thank u, toothpaste.