Warning: Spoilers about Netflix’s Never Have I Ever season 1 ahead. You’ve finished Never Have I Ever season 1. Now what? Well, it’s time to follow Netflix’s Never Have I Ever cast on Instagram, because if Daren Barnet (a.k.a. Paxton Hall-Yoshida’s) shirtless selfies aren’t enough of a reason, we don’t know what is.
Never I Have Ever, which premiered on April 27 and is created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, follows Devi Vishwakumar, a 15-year-old Indian-American girl from Sherman Oaks, California, whose father dies of a heart attack in the middle of her harp recital. When Devi returns to high school (after months of paralyzation from the waist down due to the trauma of her father’s death) she’s reminded of how uncool she was before she left. This time, however, she’s on a mission to be popular. The first step is to find a boyfriend. But not any boyfriend. She wants Paxton Hall-Yoshida, a.k.a. the hottest guy in school. Along with her romantic endeavors, the 10-episode series explores Devi’s relationship with her Indian-American background, her mom and her best friends—all of which she takes for granted on her quest to win over Paxton’s heart.
It isn’t hard to love the cast of Never Have I Ever. And once you follow them on Instagram, we promise that you’ll love them even more.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Devi Vishwakumar)
Ramakrishnan, an 18-year-old from Toronto, Canada, plays Devi. As she told StyleCaster, Ramakrishnan was cast through a tweet that Kaling posted, asking anyone—no matter their acting experience—to audition. Aside from a high school production of Footlose, Ramakrishnan had no acting experience. She didn’t even have an agent or headshots. But it was her personality that won over casting directors for the role of Devi.
Poorna Jagannathan (Nalini Vishwakumar)
Jagannathan plays Devi’s mom, Nalini, who also feels lost after the death of her husband, Mohan. The series explores Nalini and Devi’s tense relationship with each other, as both of them believe that their lives would be better if Mohan was still alive.
Richa Moorjani (Kamala)
Moorjani plays Kamala, Devi’s cousin who moves in with her and her mom after her dad’s death to attend college. Kamala, who has a secret boyfriend, is in an arranged marriage, and each episode counts down to the dreaded day she meets her husband.
Ramona Young as (Eleanor)
Young plays Eleanor, one of Devi’s best friends and another member of the U.N. (as Ben calls them), which stands for the “Unfuckable Nerds.) Much of Eleanor’s storyline follows her relationship with her mother, who left her when she was young to perform on a cruise. When Eleanor learns that her mother was fired from the cruise a long time ago, their relationship is severed.
Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohan Venkatesan)
Ramamurthy (best known for his role on Heroes) plays Mohan, Devi’s father and Nalini’s husband. Mohan is seen in flashbacks or dream sequences where Devi and Nalini miss him. As seen in flashbacks, Mohan was somewhat of the glue that held the family together, as he was often the mediator between Nalini and Devi’s issues.
Lee Rodriguez (Fabiola)
Rodriguez plays Fabiola, Devi’s other best friend and fellow U.N. member. Most of Fabiola’s storyline follows her struggle with her sexuality, as she realizes her attraction to women. The show also explores Fabiola’s relationship with her parents, who have high expectations for her academically.
Darren Barnet (Paxton Hall-Yoshida)
Barnett plays Paxton, the hottest guy in school who Devi has a crush on and wants to lose her virginity to. In the end, Paxton and Devi don’t sleep with each other, but they become close friends. Devi forms a close relationship with Paxton’s sister, an aspiring fashion designer, whom she models for instead of helping her friends.
Jaren Lewison (Ben Gross)
Lewison plays Ben, Devi’s rival and the only student at the high school who can rival her intelligence. Throughout the series, Ben and Devi are at each other’s throats until the final few episodes where they become close friends and Ben helps Devi repair her relationships with her friends and her mom. In the final moments of the show, Ben and Devi kiss.