From the giant tongue in the Victorious pilot to “Chicago!” Daniella Monet looked back at some of the show’s most memorable moments — and opened up about returning to Hollywood Arts more than 15 years later.

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In 2010 the world was introduced to Trina Vega, Tori's hilarious older sister, who somehow managed to steal nearly every scene she was in on Victorious. Daniella Monet gave us some of the show's most memorable moments, including the now-iconic "Chicagoooooo!" — a line she tells me fans still sing to her to this day.

More than 15 years later, Daniella is stepping back into Trina's shoes for Netflix's Hollywood Arts, bringing the unforgettable character back to the place where it all began.

To celebrate Trina's triumphant return, we took a trip down memory lane, talking about some of Victorious' most memorable moments, what it was like walking back into Hollywood Arts, and how she's approached playing Trina as an adult.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Daniella: I grew up watching I Love Lucy. I love slapstick, broad, physical comedy, and that's probably why I was drawn to sitcoms. A part of me was influenced by that era, and I hope we can keep it alive because it's such a carefree style. It's so smart and playful, and I really enjoy it.

In real life, I find that I'm pretty chill. With Trina, I get that liberty to just go for it. That's one of my favorite things about work, and also about Trina specifically.

When it came to scenes like Trina's one-woman show, we just put our spin on it and hoped it would land. That scene takes me by surprise over and over again. It's the perfect example of Trina being Trina, and that's how I've rolled into the future with her. That episode is an example of me just going for it. I felt so comfortable with Trina, and it landed.

(Laughs) People still come up to me at the grocery store, and I'll hear, "Chicago! Chicago!"

Daniella: I'm a big sister in my own life, and I'm the oldest of all my cousins as well. There was a similar age gap between Victoria and me as there was between my brother and me, so our connection happened organically.

There was a part of me that always felt a level of protection over our cast, including her. We were in this whole new world together, the show was thriving, and we were getting a lot of attention. I always wanted to make sure everyone was good and felt safe and cozy. That's kind of the way that I played my role on and off screen as well.

We had our dressing rooms set up with me, Victoria, and Avan on one side, and Matt, Leon, Liz, and Ari on the other. That's also where the schoolroom was, where they did real-life school. I remember we would all hang out and play video games in the green room space.

There was this element of camaraderie, and I was always so grateful that we all vibed and really enjoyed being around each other.

Daniella: When we started filming, they asked for pictures of Victoria and me from when we were younger so they could put them in the house. At the very bottom of the staircase in the living room, there's a picture of me and my childhood friend Courtney on the wall.

I remember watching the show and feeling like there was a piece of my real life in the set. That always made me feel really good. On anything I've ever done, they'll ask for pictures from your real life, and something about that is so sweet. I love that you get to look around the set, and even though you're playing in a fake world, there's this realism.

Daniella: I didn't keep anything from the set but Tristan [Dalley], who was in our art department at Victorious and is now the head of our art department on Hollywood Arts, has an archive that any Victorious fan would just die over. He was bringing out things that give me the chills just thinking about them. He has all of Trina's one-woman show posters and tickets. He has old headshots of Trina — he has everything!

It was really, really interesting when we were filming Hollywood Arts, and I couldn't believe how many memories came back every time he pulled something out. Tristan cares in a way that a viewer would appreciate, and it's been really fun seeing the Easter eggs in our sets.

Daniella: With the pilot, I remember feeling like there was so much unknown. I remember being fitted for that prosthetic tongue. I had to go out to this place in the middle of Burbank, and there were these incredible artists that made this tongue. I remember thinking, Even this one element in the script takes so many people and so many brains.

(Laughs) So the thought that comes to mind with the pilot is sitting and getting my actual tongue molded.

Daniella: The RV was actually a set. It was open, and we were on a stage. There was an RV, and we did have those exterior shots in the parking lot, but the inside scenes were on a stage, and we weren't actually hot.

It's funny you say it's your favorite episode, because if you were to ask us for one of our favorites, I feel like that one comes up.

It was so fun playing with the realism of being stuck and the different dynamics, like how the temperature rises, and so does the stress. It's so playful, and we all got to be together. I think those are some of our favorite scenes — when we are all together as a cast.

Daniella: With the Yerba episode, it was actually the first time we were all doing real choreography. So, we had a lot of lessons with some of the best choreographers and we had so many dancers.

I loved that we got to perform, and I remember feeling like we were part of something so cool. I didn't have a huge stint in musical theater growing up but, to me, there's nothing better than the full expression of music, dance, acting, and comedy all in one world. We got to do "I Want You Back," and everything felt really big and exciting.

Daniella: I'll never forget it. I flew in, and a day or two later, they said, "Okay, the stages are ready. I want you to come and see them." I walked onto the stages with the new cast behind me, and I didn't expect to feel such a wave of emotions.

When we started the conversation about doing this show, I knew it was important for these sets to feel very familiar and look almost identical. When I saw the sets, they blew me away. Then I looked behind me, and the new actors were also having their own experience because they grew up watching Victorious.

It was really surreal. I was thinking, I can't believe that we're about to do this.

Daniella: It was really important for me to talk to my Victorious castmates and get their support, first and foremost. I asked them, "Hey, what do you guys think? Are you cool if I take this on?" Now it's a real thing, and it's on Netflix, and I'm sure that they're like, "Whoa!" 

In a way, this experience has felt healing. I'm a grown-up now, and it feels really full circle for me as an actor. I keep saying it's giving "peak energy," and it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Daniella: Coming into Hollywood Arts, I didn't want to lose the Trina that I love so much — that very big and silly, unapologetic Trina. But it felt very natural to have this "teacher" side of Trina that comes out once in a while. At the end of the day, Trina understands where she's at in her life, and she knows her role in these kids' lives. 

She sees what they're capable of, and she wants to support that. I'm sure she wished she had that person in her corner back then, saying, "I get it, and I get you, and I'm gonna be right behind you."

Hollywood Arts premieres on Netflix on October 15. 

Keep up with Daniella on Instagram, @daniellamonet.

- Victoria Justice on Tori and new music