Darren Barnet, born on April 27, 1991, is an American actor from Los Angeles, California. He rose to international recognition playing Paxton Hall-Yoshida in the Netflix series Never Have I Ever.
Beyond television, he has appeared in major studio films and holds a real estate license.
Who is Darren Barnet?
Darren Barnet is an American actor, producer, and writer known for his work across Netflix, NBC, and major studio films. His breakout role in Never Have I Ever turned him into one of the most recognized young actors on streaming television.
He also built a strong career in voice acting, lending his voice to Blue Eye Samurai, Skull Island, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, and Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles. That range, across live-action drama, romantic comedy, and animation, reflects the breadth of his work since 2020.
In April 2022, Barnet became the first male celebrity brand ambassador for Victoria’s Secret PINK. He promoted the brand’s Gender Free collection and participated in its mental health awareness initiatives.
His grandfather was swing musician Charlie Barnet, a notable figure in American jazz history. That family tie to the arts runs alongside Darren’s own path, which he pursued from childhood.
Early Life of Darren Barnet
Darren Charles Barnet grew up with a deep interest in performance from an early age. He wanted to become an actor from the age of five, though he did not begin seriously pursuing the craft until college.
His mother, Deborah Barnet, worked as a designer and is of Swedish and Japanese ancestry. His father, Charles D. Barnet Jr., is a retired musician and actor of German and Cherokee descent. Barnet has an older sister named Jennifer and a younger sister named Emily Breidy.
When Darren was 12 years old, he and his mother relocated to the suburbs of Orlando, Florida. That move shaped his formative years, leading him to Dr. Phillips High School and eventually Berry College in Georgia.
Darren Barnet Age
Darren Barnet is 35 years old as of 2026, born on April 27, 1991. His zodiac sign is Taurus.
At 29 years old, he landed the role that would define his early career, Paxton Hall-Yoshida in Never Have I Ever, which premiered in April 2020.
Darren Barnet Ethnicity and Nationality
Barnet holds American nationality, having been born in Los Angeles and raised in Florida. His background is mixed, with Swedish, Japanese, German, and Cherokee heritage.
That multicultural ancestry directly informed his casting as Paxton Hall-Yoshida, a character of Japanese and American descent, in Never Have I Ever.
Darren Barnet Height and Weight
Darren Barnet stands 5 feet 10 inches tall, which is approximately 1.78 meters. His weight is reported at around 75 kilograms, or 165 pounds.
He maintains a fit, athletic build, shaped in part by his background as a high school lacrosse team captain.
Darren Barnet Education
Barnet attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, where he graduated in 2009. During his high school years, he captained the lacrosse team and focused heavily on academics, earning admission to college on a full academic scholarship.
He then enrolled at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, where he graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Communication.
During his time at Berry, he began acting in college plays and short films, which planted the seed for his professional career.
After graduating, Barnet returned to Los Angeles and worked as a bike attendant and front desk associate at SoulCycle on Sunset Boulevard while pursuing acting opportunities.
He later studied Advanced Acting and the Chubbuck Technique at Ivana Chubbuck Studios in Hollywood from 2016 to 2017.
Darren Barnet Career
Barnet’s career began with small television roles before building steadily into feature films and a major recurring television role.
His trajectory from background actor to series regular on two major platforms reflects consistent growth over less than a decade.
Early Career: Television Roles and Film Debut
Barnet’s first screen credit came in 2017, when he appeared in episodic roles on This Is Us, S.W.A.T., and Criminal Minds. Those early guest spots gave him his first experience on major network productions.
In 2018, he starred as Hot Seth in the Facebook Watch series Turnt, produced by Brat. That same year, he made his feature film debut in the Lifetime movie Instakiller, directed by Craig Goldstein, released on December 8, 2018.
In 2019, he appeared in an episodic role in the Netflix sitcom Family Reunion, adding another streaming credit before his breakthrough arrived.
Breakthrough: Never Have I Ever and Growing Film Career
In April 2020, Barnet debuted as Paxton Hall-Yoshida in Never Have I Ever, the Netflix coming-of-age drama co-created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher.
Paxton serves as the love interest of lead character Devi Vishwakumar, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. Barnet reprised the role across all four seasons, appearing in 39 episodes through 2023.
In June 2021, he appeared in Untitled Horror Movie, which landed on Prime Video, iTunes, and Vudu to strong reviews.
That November, he played Tag in the Netflix Christmas romantic comedy Love Hard, opposite Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang.
In August 2023, he starred as Matty Davis in Gran Turismo, a biographical sports drama directed by Neill Blomkamp.
The film, based on the life of real racing driver Jann Mardenborough, also starred David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, and Archie Madekwe.
It grossed over $122 million worldwide against a $60 million budget. That same year, Barnet appeared in Anyone But You alongside Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.
Recent Work: Chicago Med, Road House, and Voice Acting
In March 2024, Barnet appeared in Road House, the action thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which premiered on Amazon. That September, he joined the cast of Chicago Med as series regular Dr. John Frost, beginning with Season 10 on NBC.
He continued in the role through Season 11 in 2025 and Season 12 in 2026, with crossover appearances on Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.
His voice acting career grew substantially in this period. He voiced Taigen in the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai, Kenji Kon in Jurassic World: Chaos Theory across 2024 and 2025, and Mike in Skull Island. He also voiced Jak in the video game Immortals of Aveum in 2023.
In 2026, he has an upcoming voice role in Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Seven Pure Lands and Blue Eye Samurai Season 2.
He is also attached as actor and producer to the psychological thriller Apophenia, which remains in post-production.
Darren Barnet Filmography
- Instakiller (2018, Lifetime)
- Family Reunion (2019, Netflix)
- Never Have I Ever, Seasons 1-4 (2020-2023, Netflix) – Paxton Hall-Yoshida
- Untitled Horror Movie (2021)
- Love Hard (2021, Netflix) – Tag
- Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles (2022, Netflix) – Yuichi Usagi (voice)
- Blue Eye Samurai (2023, Netflix) – Taigen (voice)
- Gran Turismo (2023, Sony Pictures) – Matty Davis
- Anyone But You (2023) – Jonathan
- Road House (2024, Amazon) – Sam
- Chicago Med, Seasons 10-12 (2024-2026, NBC) – Dr. John Frost
- Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024-2025) – Kenji Kon (voice)
Darren Barnet Brand Endorsements
In April 2022, Barnet became the first male celebrity brand ambassador for Victoria’s Secret PINK. He promoted the brand’s Gender Free collection throughout 2022, including shorts, tees, matching sweat sets, and accessories.
He also served as a judge for the brand’s fourth annual PINK With Purpose scholarship, awarding funding to young adults supporting PINK’s core values.
That partnership positioned him as a visible advocate for gender inclusivity and mental health awareness among young adults.
Darren Barnet Personal Life
Barnet dated actress Mikaela Hoover, his Love Hard co-star, beginning in 2021. The couple made their red carpet debut at The Suicide Squad premiere in August 2021.
Their relationship ended later that year. As of 2026, Barnet had not publicly confirmed a new relationship.
He is a polyglot, speaking conversational Spanish, Japanese, and French. Barnet also holds a Los Angeles real estate license, which he obtained in 2015 while working to support himself between acting roles.
Darren Barnet Net Worth
Darren Barnet’s estimated net worth is $2 million as of 2026. His income comes from his acting work across Netflix, NBC, and major film studios, as well as from his brand partnerships and voice acting credits.
Barnet’s Chicago Med contract as a series regular on NBC provides a steady income base from Season 10 onward. His film roles in Gran Turismo and Road House represent studio-level production fees.
His brand work with Victoria’s Secret PINK added a significant commercial endorsement income stream in 2022.
Darren Barnet Social Media
Barnet maintains an active presence on Instagram under @darrenbarnet, where he shares updates on projects, personal photos, and brand collaborations.
His IMDb profile lists his full filmography across acting, writing, producing, and voice work from 2017 to the present.
The Bottom Line
Barnet’s role as Paxton Hall-Yoshida across all four seasons of Never Have I Ever, from 2020 to 2023, brought him global recognition and anchored his transition from guest actor to series lead.
His subsequent film work in Gran Turismo, which grossed over $122 million worldwide, confirmed his place in major studio productions.
His mixed Swedish, Japanese, German, and Cherokee heritage directly connected to his casting in Never Have I Ever, and he has spoken publicly about how his own high school experiences with pressure and insecurity informed the role.
He also made history in April 2022 as Victoria’s Secret PINK’s first male brand ambassador.
Barnet continues as a series regular on Chicago Med through 2026 while expanding his voice acting career across several animated franchises.
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