'Never Have I Ever' star Darren Barnet is from Florida. Details about 'Paxton Hall-Yoshida'

Never have I ever ... known that Darren Barnet (aka Paxton Hall-Yoshida in the global sensation "Never Have I Ever") is from Orlando.

He's been called an Asian American heartthrob. Or, just a heartthrob.

He has a legion of #TeamPaxton fanatics (don't worry, we see you, #TeamBen fans).

An actor since 2017, Barnet's popularity reached global status with the hit show "Never Have I Ever." The comedy's fourth and final season was released June 8 on Netflix. In a day, it reached No. 1 on Netflix's "Top 10 most-watched in the U.S." list and has been trending on social media since May.

Well, really, since season 3 ended last summer, when Barnet's character graduated from the fictional Sherman Oaks High School in California.

The USA TODAY interview: Darren Barnet opens up about Paxton H-Y, what's in store for his "super hot" character

Which one did she choose? Is Devi with Ben or Paxton in the "Never Have I Ever" series finale?

Here are things to know about actor Darren Barnet, his ties to Florida and one of Netflix's most successful shows. Warning: Spoilers about "Never Have I Ever" are listed throughout the article.

What is "Never Have I Ever" about?

The high school comedy focuses on super smartie Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and her best friends robotics fiend Fabiola Torres (Lee Rodriguez) and a theatrical Eleanor Wong (Ramona Young) as they navigate their formative teenage years. The self-proclaimed nerdy trio weather high school drama, love triangles, family conflicts and teen angst. Lots of teen angst.

Like her character, Ramakrishnan is Indian American and was raised in a multigenerational home. The show, created by Mindy Kaling (Kelly from "The Office" and Mindy from "The Mindy Project") and Lang Fisher, gives viewers a peek into Indian American life. "Never Have I Ever" has been a critical darling with its whipsmart humor and a trailblazer among shows featuring a diverse and inclusive cast. Along with Ramakrishnan, the show stars actors Jaren Lewison (Ben Gross), Darren Barnet, Richa Moorjani as cousin Kamala, and Poorna Jaggannathan as Devi's mom, Dr. Nalani Vishwakumar.

Who is actor Darren Barnet?

The 32-year-old actor is best known for playing hot shot swimmer Paxton Hall-Yoshida in the Netflix series "Never Have I Ever." Fans of the show know he's the boy of Devi's dreams. As of June 13, he has 3.2 million followers on Instagram.

When he was 12 years old, Barnet moved to Orlando. Like his "Never Have I Ever" character, Barnet played sports in high school. Instead of swimming, though, he played lacrosse and eventually became lacrosse captain, according to high school prep sports coverage.

A Max Preps report on Barnet shows his Dr. Phillips High lacrosse team beat Melbourne Central Catholic 9 to 8 in a March 2008 game. (Dr. Phillips was down 4 to 6 in the third quarter against MCC and scored five goals in the fourth to clinch the game, the site's stats show.)

In 2009, Barnet graduated from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.

Dr. Jamie Ryan on "Never Have I Ever." Actress Niecy Nash discusses queerness, marriage and joy, "having the time of my life"

How old is actor Darren Barnet?

Barnet was in his late 20s when he was cast for "Never Have I Ever." He was 32 when the series wrapped in June 2023. Is it the first time an actor in their 30s played a high school student? Not really. Just ask the cast of "Grease" and "Beverly Hills, 90210."

In a USA TODAY interview, Barnet addressed comparisons to his character and insecurities about playing a high school senior: "I've (experienced) being a book judged by my cover. A lot of people have said to me, 'I thought you were going to be mean,' 'I thought you were going to be dumb.' It's very interesting. I've dealt with that a lot in my life. Haven’t let it hold me down. It's a backhanded compliment, I guess. So I take it in stride, and I definitely have a lot of my own insecurities that some people may not expect.

"I'm playing a very much younger character. I've never been so critical (of myself)," he told USA TODAY. "Sometimes when I get to makeup, I'm like, 'Did I shave close enough? Am I taking care of my skin enough to make this believable? Am I in shape enough?'"

Is Darren Barnet multilingual?

Barnet, whose mother is of Japanese descent, occasionally uses Japanese phrases in "Never Have I Ever." In real life, the actor is said to speak Japanese, conversational Spanish and some French.

Where did Darren Barnet graduate high school?

Barnet graduated from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida. His character, Paxton Hall-Yoshida, graduated from the fictional Sherman Oaks High School in California in "Never Have I Ever." The high school mascot was a cricket. Dr. Phillips' mascot is a Florida panther.

What are actor Darren Barnet's acting credits?

In addition to "Never Have I Ever" on Netflix, Barnet co-starred in the holiday rom-com "Love Hard" with Nina Dobrev ("Vampire Diaries") and Jimmy O. Yang ("Crazy Rich Asians").

He guest-starred on "This is Us," "Criminal Minds" and "S.W.A.T."

Barnet also appeared in season seven of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Is Darren Barnet a model?

In spring 2023, Barnet was chosen to be an ambassador for Victoria's Secret PINK, the first celebrity male ambassador. According to USA TODAY, Victoria's Secret PINK said Barnet's involvement was "part of the brand's continued focus on inclusivity." The actor will promote PINK's gender-free collection and curate a list of his favorite products. PINK's CEO Amy Hauk called Barnet "a positive role model for teen and young adults."

Who 'voiced' Paxton Hall-Yoshida on 'Never Have I Ever?'

A big part of "Never Have I Ever" is tennis superstar John McEnroe or the voice of Devi. Actor Andy Samberg of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "Saturday Night Live" lends his voice to Lewison's character Ben Gross, and supermodel Gigi Hadid narrates Barnet's character in two Paxton-focused episodes.

Fun fact: Days after Barnet was chosen to be an ambassador for Victoria's Secret, Hadid, who narrates his storyline in "Never Have I Ever," celebrated her 28th birthday at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Darren Barnet, 'Never Have I Ever' actor, graduated from Orlando school