‘Never Have I Ever’ Star Darren Barnet Says Paxton Hall-Yoshida Wasn’t Always Japanese American (Video)

When Darren Barnet first auditioned for his role in the Netflix YA series “Never Have I Ever,” his character’s name was just “Paxton Hall.”

But when creators Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher learned he had Japanese heritage, they asked the actor if he’d be interested in incorporating that into his character. And so, Paxton Hall-Yoshida was born — the handsome hunk with a heart of gold who becomes the object of affection for protagonist Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) in the coming-of-age comedy’s first season.

When wardrobe designer Salvador Pérez Jr. overheard Barnet speaking Japanese to assistant director Yuko Ogata, Fisher approached him to see if he wanted to incorporate his heritage into the character. “I was like, ‘Let’s do it!'” Barnet told TheWrap in a video chat interview. “And the next thing I knew, I had a hyphenated Yoshida at the end.”

Read also: ‘Never Have I Ever’ Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan on Playing a Teen Version of Mindy Kaling

The 29-year-old actor, who has had roles in shows like “SWAT” and “Criminal Minds,” said it’s the first time he’s exploring his heritage on screen.

“The first role I ever played in LA, I was playing a Chicano East LA gangster. I’ve always been ambivalent about where I’ve been cast and calling for roles that are part Middle Eastern (or) part Native American, and I love doing that,” said Barnet, who even played young Jack in a 2017 episode from “This Is Us.”

“But I never had a chance to bring my Japanese into it,” he said, noting that he spoke the language with his grandmother growing up and studied it for two years in school. “It’s something I’m very proud of… I’m very happy they included it.”

Read also: Why ‘Hollywood’ Had a Happy Ending for Everyone, Including the Real-Life People Who Never Got Them

Oh, and Barnet wants to clarify one more thing. While his character is clearly meant to be a bystander, the actor believes Paxton deserves to be seen as more than just a pretty face.

“That was my biggest fear. I didn’t want to just be abs and a thirst trap, you know?” he said. “It was also to throw myself into something I was involved with in high school. I’m not going to say I was a teenage crush in high school – I was actually shy,” he said. “I never went to parties, I never went to the cool events. I was a kid very judged by its cover, I feel. I don’t know how many times I’ve been told, “Hey, before I met you, I thought you were stupid, but now I realize you’re cute.”

“Never Have I Ever” is now streaming on Netflix.

Watch the video interview above.

Read original story ‘Never Have I Ever’ Star Darren Barnet Says Paxton Hall-Yoshida Wasn’t Always Japanese American (Video) At TheWrap