Joseph Santos is the strict father of Manny Santos and the husband of Julietta Santos. He started out being mean and controlling, going as far as to call Manny a slut, but he later became a much more kind and understanding father. He was portrayed by Von Flores.
Character History[]
Season 5[]
In Venus (1), he is first seen at the Santos house in the evening. He and his wife were upset and furious because they received a phone call that day from a doctor for permission for their daughter to have breast surgery, and to find out Manny made a credit payment for the surgery without his approval. He wanted her to stop acting and just to focus on school and dress properly.
Joseph becomes furious at Manny and began lecturing her about not wanting everything he had worked for and sacrificed in his life to be for his daughter to become a loose girl and he called her a slut, causing her to run out of the house crying.
In Venus (2), he and his wife were still furious with their daughter and at first he would not talk directly to her asking his wife what she wanted.
Manny tried to explain to her parents how much acting meant to her and how much she wanted to keep doing it, but they told her they didn't come to Canada for her to become an actress thinking it wasn't a decent job.
When she contradicted him, he got up and snapped at her telling her that she must do what he and his wife say, but Manny tells him she won't.
He and his wife then kick her out of the house.
Season 6[]
In If You Leave, after the tragedy that happened at a birthday party for Liberty Van Zandt at Emma Nelson's house that resulted in the murder of J.T. Yorke, he and his wife reconciled with Manny and realized life was too short to stay mad at her and hold a grudge on her and asked her to come back home because they felt that it wasn't safe to stay there any longer to which Manny happily agreed to do.
Season 7[]
Julietta and her husband stare at Jay and Manny.
In We Got the Beat, Joseph and his wife prepare to throw their daughter Manny a traditional Philippine debut, to celebrate her 18th birthday and becoming an adult.
He was still reluctant about her already wanting to make her own decisions in Smithdale University and was trying to persuade to get a science major and forget about acting, much to Manny's disappointment.
With Manny thinking that inviting over Jay Hogart who was a bit older and was a school bully who was expelled would upset him and his wife enough to call off the debut, they didn't.
Joseph and his wife really liked Jay. He thought he was a nice ambitious hard working man who was finding his way to make something of himself in the world.
At the debut, he then though that Manny and Jay we're dating and she was in love with him so much that she decided not to go to University and be his maid instead.
Then, he was impressed to find out it was all an act she had put on so he and his daughter made a deal for her to take theatre and science courses at university.
In Owner of a Lonely Heart, he was beginning to come around to the idea that Manny was now an adult and would be taking some theatre classes.
After school that day he comes over to Degrassi Community School to pick up his daughter in a lovely black car and saw Jay again. He was once again pleased and impressed by his manners, and his ambition.
Later that night, Joseph opened the front door to hear Manny was finally home after being out so late worrying him and his wife about her well being.
He wasn't too impressed to see her and Jay kissing, beginning to think Jay was no better than the other guys his daughter has already dated. However, Manny told him as a cover up for her and Jay that they were celebrating their engagement.
Joseph then forgave Jay when he apologized for them getting a little carried away and Jay gave him his word that he would treat her with respect and had them postpone the wedding plans until after university.
Later, he agreed for his wife to arrange a priest to come over for some premartial counseling, still with no clue at all that it was all a lie.
In Bust a Move (1), he was tricked into thinking Jay's grandmother was sick and dying of old age, and her last wish was to meet her grandson's fiancée. So he lent his car for the spring beak weekend for him and Manny to visit Jay's dying grandmother.
The truth was Manny really wanted his car to take her, Jay, Ashley Kerwin, Emma Nelson, and Liberty Van Zandt on a spring break trip to visit Smithdale University for her to give her acting audition to get into the drama program.
In If This Is It, he was seen at school when Manny gave him bags of dirty cheerleading clothes to clean and he informed her that a woman named Bernice called to offer an audition.
He now finally felt ready to let his daughter make her own choices and decisions on whether she wanted to go into acting or go to university and he gave her all his support.
When Manny was confused about whether to go to Smithdale at the time being or just to go into acting, he supported her, knowing she would make the right decisions for her life.
In We Built This City, he was seen sitting with all the rest of the parents at the students' graduation ceremony. He smiled proudly at his daughter and he took a photograph.
Mentions[]
Season 1[]
In The Mating Game, Manny mentions that her father won't let her out on a school night, but her friends are free to come over to her house.
In Jagged Little Pill, Manny mentions that her father would ground her to her wedding day if he knew that she was at Ashley's house to hang out with boys.
Trivia[]
- Joseph had the same first name as Joey Jeremiah, the stepfather of Manny's ex-boyfriend Craig Manning.