Jaren Lewison of Netflix hit ‘Never Have I Ever’ has more than acting on his plate
Jaren Lewison, the nerdy kid on ‘Never Have I Ever,’ maintains a USC class load along with an acting career
Jaren Lewison is a student at USC with a pretty good offcampus job: He co-stars as Ben Gross, the nerdy rival and potential love interest for Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), the protagonist of the acclaimed coming-of-age Netflix hit, “Never Have I Ever.”
The dramedy starts in the aftermath of the death of Devi’s beloved dad and follows her as she struggles with adolescence, especially with a demanding and traditional mother.
Co-created by Mindy Kaling, the series, which is about to launch its second season, features tennis legend John McEnroe doing voice-over commentary on the action. The one exception in the first season was the sixth episode, which revealed that beneath Ben’s obnoxiously confident rich boy persona lurked an insecure, desperately lonely child ignored by his parents. That show was narrated by Andy Samberg, one of Lewison’s idols.
Ben and Devi’s relationship gradually shifted toward the end of the first season.
So while Lewison is majoring in psychology at school (and taking enough courses to graduate a year early), he is the rare college student to earn (with Ramakrishnan) a nomination for an MTV Movie and TV Award for best kiss.
He spoke by Zoom recently about his acting dreams, juggling college and a career and living in Los Angeles. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q
You started acting at age 5. Was it just for fun or something you always dreamed of doing for a career?
A
I never wanted to be a football player or an astronaut. I told everybody I wanted to be a professional actor. I trained for 10 years at Cathryn Sullivan’s Acting for Film in Texas. Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez and others have come out of there. It’s a pretty rigorous acting school. I even worked there for three years as well, coaching actors, which gave me a little insight into what it would be like if I ever went into directing.
Q
Did you apply to schools in New York or just Los Angeles?
A
I mainly applied to schools here. I got into UCLA and Chapman too, but USC was my first college tour, and the moment I stepped on campus I just knew that was the place for me. I wanted to be a Trojan.
Q
But you’re not studying acting.
A
I wanted a bit of a separation. I felt I could learn a lot on the job — I ask so many questions on set and everyone is so kind and willing to offer me their expertise. Plus I love psychology and it helps me as an actor because I can get into a character’s mind and understand why they behave the way they do.
Q
Was it difficult juggling acting and your courses?
A
The first season started shooting in July so I had a month to get acclimated, but the second season shot from late October last year to March across two semesters.
It’s just about time management. I keep channels of communication really open and I’m extremely honest with my professors and show that I take my academics really seriously.
With the show, production helps out, too — if I let them know early enough, they make it
so I don’t work on a certain day if I have a midterm or a final. This allows me to pursue my dreams and get an education.
Q
Your character, Ben, would love that you’re doing this ultimate in extracurricular activities, but he would worry about maintaining his perfect grades.
A
I’ve always been so motivated — I do share some of that Ben Gross mentality. My parents always said, “Just do your best,” and in my mind my best means, “Oh, I can get an A.”
If I had to take an advanced calculus class, we would not be striving for an A. But I’m passionate about psychology and do hold myself to a high expectation. But if I get an A-minus, I’m not going to freak out over it the way Ben would. I’m very happy with my grades.
Q
What of yourself did you recognize in Ben?
A
There are a lot of similarities. I definitely could relate to his academic focus. He’s very extroverted as am I, although he doesn’t have the ability to make friends as easily as I do because his home life has had a tremendous effect on who he is as a person.
I am also a bit short and have hairy forearms, which will be a joke in the first episode of Season 2. That’s something I brought to the role.
And to tell you the truth, while the basketball-shooting scene in the first season was a little exaggerated, I am a horrific basketball player. I am also a huge “Rick and Morty” fan and expressed that when we started talking about Ben’s interests.
Q
What are some of the differences?
A
I did come from a really supportive family. I’m so close to my parents, and my older sister is one of my best
friends in the entire world. It was really difficult to portray that loneliness since I hadn’t quite experienced that, but I was a new kid in a public high school freshman year and it was a little lonely at times and that helped me relate.
I am a better driver than Ben. I was not supposed to drive that Porsche Cayenne in the season finale — it was supposed to be one of the transportation guys, but I talked my way into it.
Q
Do you feel like an L.A. kid yet?
A
I’m still a Texas boy at heart, although I grew up in a city, so it’s not like I had horses and cows and that stuff. But I’m learning my way around Los Angeles a little bit more and there are a lot of parts I’ve fallen in love with. The beach is something I’ve never had access to and every time I go it feels like it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it. It has a crazy, calming effect.