Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Never Have I Ever’s Darren Barnet

The future of television and film looks bright with Darren Barnet leading the way. The versatile young actor hit us in the hearts as Young Jack in This Is Us, made us swoon as Hot Seth in Turnt, and has us laughing out loud in his latest project as Paxton Hall-Yoshida in Netflix’s Never Have I Ever.

Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, Never Have I Ever follows the complicated life of a modern-day first-generation Indian American teenage girl, inspired by Kaling’s own childhood. Darren’s character, Paxton, is the high school heartthrob who’s more than just a pretty face.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with this leading man about his role in Never Have I Ever and his thriving career.

Career

PC: You’re an actor, musician, and writer. How did you discover your passion for the arts? Is there one that you naturally gravitate towards?
Darren: I’ve been interested in the arts since I was very young. I remember I told my parents that I wanted to be an actor at four or five years old. [laughs] I was always doing impersonations, accents, all of that. My parents—understandably so—really wanted to redirect my passions. I’m sure every parent has a fear in them when their kids say that they want to be an actor or an artist for a living because it’s a competitive field and there’s so much uncertainty.

So they redirected it. I always remained a very creative child though. I was always drawing, writing poetry, or acting out a scene. It wasn’t until high school when I got back to it. I started doing plays and short films. My mom was like, “So what are you going to do?” I told her, “I’m going to do exactly what I said I wanted to do my whole life.” To her chagrin, I dove headfirst, and I haven’t looked back. I’m starting to work more consistently, which is amazing, and getting my footing in this industry. Now she’s my biggest fan.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Darren: Gosh, without sounding too cliché, Leo DiCaprio is someone that I’ve always looked up to. Family members would compare me to him as a kid—less so on looks but more so on intensity and my mannerisms. Will Smith and Johnny Depp are two others. I’ve always wanted to be the actor who can hit you in the heart. When I’m watching Will Smith in an emotional scene, I can feel his pain. I want to be able to do that. I also want to be a chameleon like Johnny Depp. I want to get on camera and for people to be like, “Who is that? That’s Darren Barnet? I would have never realized that.”

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Darren: A moment that sticks out is when I booked my first real job in LA, which was as Young Jack on This Is Us. It was a flashback scene, so I was wearing clothing from the 1950s, early 1960s.

I remember getting onto the Paramount lot, which is such a nostalgic studio. You feel like you’re going to see Marilyn Monroe walk out behind a corner at any second. I was relishing in that. I remember walking around the whole set and tiptoeing around it, getting to know it, and really making it my own home. I had a really heavy, intense scene where I’m interrupting my father, who’s physically abusing my mother. Before the scene, I was standing behind the wall in complete darkness and shadowboxing. I was trying to get my blood pressure and energy up so that when I came in, I was heated.

PC:  What’s one thing that you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Darren: I have two! The first is let it go. The second is it’s never personal. I used to go into auditions so nervous and I would compare myself to everyone around me: “That guy’s better looking than me. That guy’s more muscular. He’s taller. He looks more the part.” I would get so in my own head. There are times when I felt I was the best one for the role and I’d leave the audition and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I would check my email every ten seconds to see if I got a call back. I’d be calling my agent and bugging them about it. It can ruin your whole experience as an actor. It can ruin the whole journey if you get tied up on things like that.

And when you don’t get a role, you have to remember it’s never personal. Sometimes they need a blond guy; sometimes you remind them of someone they don’t like from their past. It’s never personal.

Never Have I Ever

PC: Tell us about Never Have I Ever and your character.
Darren: It’s a coming-of-age comedy centered around a beautifully diverse female-driven cast. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is our lead. She plays a first-generation Indian American high schooler. It’s a wonderful journey of her navigating through adolescence, becoming a young adult, but also balancing the scale of being an American teenager who’s trying to stay true to her Indian roots.

I play Paxton Hall-Yoshida, who is—these are not my words—“the high school heartthrob.” He’s the aloof jock, the guy that everything’s come natural and easy to him his whole life. He can come off as somewhat dumb, happy-go-lucky, but there are layers to him that you don’t see on the surface. Those layers come out throughout the development of the story. He has a heart of gold. He was a lot of fun to play and take on.

While it’s a comedy, there are real moments that will hit you in the heart. It’s a Mindy Kaling show, and you automatically think of stuff she’s done like The Office. The best comedies are based on real life, and Mindy Kaling really accomplishes that. It’s a show that will make you feel all the emotions.

PC: Like you said, there are a lot of layers to Paxton. How did you prepare to play him? What can you tease about his arc?
Darren: I can somewhat relate to Paxton in the sense that I was an athlete in high school. I wasn’t as popular, and I was a straight-A student. I’ve had a lot of people tell me, “Hey, before I met you, I thought you were a real jerk, but now I love you.” So I know what it’s like to be judged. It’s funny. Lang Fisher [cocreator] was talking to me and she was telling all of us why they chose us. Among other reasons, she was like, “Darren, we saw so many people for this role, but you’re the only person that can be brooding and have a smolder on your face but still make it lighthearted and funny when you want to.” I love that because in high school, I definitely had RBF. [laughs]

Also, Paxton has a sister with Down syndrome. I have friends with Down syndrome, and I’ve done volunteer work with people who have Down syndrome. I didn’t understand the dynamic of growing up with a family member who has Down syndrome. So I reached out to an old friend of mine. Her brother has Down syndrome. I asked her what it was like growing up with a brother with Down syndrome. She told me about the highs and lows and how it can be enriching but also a struggle.

PC: There are high expectations with the series. Did you feel pressure heading into the project?
Darren: I’ll be honest: I knew I was going to have my shirt off a lot. [laughs] So I did my best to be in the gym all the time and ate clean so I would be ready for those moments. But as far as the role, I didn’t [feel any pressure]. I choose not to psych myself out anymore. One thing I will say, which couples back to a question you asked earlier, is that I’ve had to learn that I’m enough. You can sit there and be like, “Oh my gosh, am I really the right person for this? Am I going to mess this up?” Today, I chose to sit back and be like, “You know what? Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher, Netflix, and Universal all know what they’re doing. How about I don’t insult them and believe in myself like they do?”

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Darren: I love, love, love The Notebook. I don’t know if it’s a guilty pleasure. I can watch that movie over and over and recite the lines. Yeah, I said it! It’s out there now. [laughs]

PC: Favorite book?
Darren: Growing up, I loved Hatchet. These days I’m reading a lot of scripts.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Darren: I’ll say Grease, but musicals aren’t my cup of tea.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Darren: James Brown

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Darren: Whoever is the long-lost brother of James and Dave Franco.

To keep up with Darren, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Binge-watch Season 1 of Never Have I Ever on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Erik Johnson