as Paxton Hall-Yoshida started off with a splash. Well, sort of. They were filming the scene that introduces him in the new Netflix series as the hottest guy at Sherman Oaks High School, where he climbs out of the gym pool wearing Nike jammers and shakes his wet hair, water dripping off his abs and Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” blasting in the background.
“[Director] Tristram [Shapeero] was like, all right, ‘Let's get your hair a little bit wet, rub your hands through your hair, really flex your chest when you get out of the pool, really milk the moment.’ It was kind of hysterical,” Darren tells. “The set was a very creative space. I have zero complaints, the cast got along so well, every director that we worked with was absolutely incredible.
It’s quite the debut, solidifying Paxton as the target of protagonist Devi Vishwakumar‘s thirst. Then it goes from simple thirst to the real shebang when Devi approaches Paxton at the end of the first episode, asking if he’d ever consider having sex with her. The jock obliges, however, Devi’s plan doesn’t go as planned. We end up getting to know Paxton a bit more – beyond peeling off his shirt,also peels away his aloof exterior.
Darren moved from California to Florida when he was 12 and grew up in a lower-income neighborhood on the outskirts of Orlando. Upon entering high school, he was accepted into a rigorous program at a school 30 minutes away that required students to keep a 3.5 GPA and take college-level classes. His mom was also diligent about getting him involved in sports to keep him busy, playing pretty much every other sport except for Paxton’s and eventually becoming the lacrosse team captain.
While auditioning for the role of Paxton, Darren was so flabbergasted by creator Mindy Kaling that when he walked in the first thing out of his mouth was, “Oh wow, Mindy Kaling. I’m low key freaking out right now.” It might have been word vomit, but thankfully it broke the ice for what can usually be a high-pressure situation. Additionally, Mindy and showrunner Lang Fisher changed up the character of Paxton once they chose Darren.