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14 Darren Barnet Facts Every Never Have I Ever Fan Should Know
15 July 2021, 16:33 | Updated: 15 July 2021, 16:39
Gigi Hadid previews her narrated episode of Never Have I Ever in season 2
Mindy Kaling's hit Netflix series starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is back for a second series - along with the Internet's boyfriend, Darren Barnet.
First landing on the streaming site back in 2020, Never Have I Ever has fast become a fan favourite.
Following the life of teenager Devi Vishwakumar (played by Ramakrishnan), the comedy drama is an emotional, yet hilarious coming-of-age story.
Devi is not only negotiating the loss of her father, but she's also trying to navigate high school life...and her major crush on Paxton Hall-Yoshida.
But who is the actor that plays Devi's love interest? Here's 14 facts about Darren Barnet you need to know right now.
1. He is 1.8m tall
(That's 5'9" to you and us).
2. Despite playing a teenager, Darren is actually 30 years old
Yup! Darren was born on April 27, 1991.
3. Darren is a Taurus
Which means he's most compatible with Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn and Pisces signs.
4. Before starring in Never Have I Ever, Darren appeared in American Pie Presents: Girls Rules
He also played a young version of Milo Ventimiglia's character Jack in NBC series, This Is Us.
5. Darren receives a helluva lot of naughty DMs
This might not come as a surprise, but Darren revealed to Page Six some of the most shocking messages he's received from fans since starring in Never Have I Ever - including one which read "get naked or I will unfollow you"!
6. His girlfriend is American actress, Mikaela Hoover
The actor confirmed his relationship with Hoover on Instagram on July 12, posting a photo of the two of them cuddled up.
He captioned the post: "Happy birthday, love. Today is for you." Adorable!
7. Darren auditioned for the role of Jughead Jones in Riverdale
During a virtual game of impressions in which he went head-to-head with Ramakrishnan, Barnet revealed that he had auditioned for Cole Sprouse's part in Netflix's hit mystery drama.
8. Barnet was born in Los Angeles, California
...but he relocated to Orlando, Florida with his mother aged 12.
It wasn't until after he graduated in 2013 that Barnet returned to LA to pursue a career in acting.
9. Darren is mixed heritage
The NHIE actor's mother is of Swedish and Japanese descent, while his father is of German and Cherokee Indian heritage.
10. Mindy Kaling changed the name of Darren's character
After hearing Barnet speak Japanese on set, Kaling decided to rename Paxton's character to reflect the actor's heritage.
11. He was once a billboard model
Chatting to Interview magazine, Darren revealed that before becoming an actor he had a job at SoulCycle on Sunset Boulevard, and was also plastered all over billboards after meeting rapper Common.
12. He once dressed up as Fight Club's Tyler Durden
...and did a pretty good job of it, we might add!
13. Darren loves boxing and martial arts
Speaking to Just Jared in 2020, Darren also revealed that he used to play basketball and lacrosse in high school.
14. His grandfather Charlie was a world-famous jazz saxophonist
He also led an orchestra, with whom he released hits such as 'Cherokee' and 'Skyliner'.
