Never Have I Ever newcomer and nonbinary actor Terry Hu stood on the Season 3 premiere red carpet at the Regency Village Theater in Westwood, considering which three words describe the 10 episodes of the teen comedy ahead. “Juicy. Coming-of-age,” they began. Suddenly, the person next to them screamed their name. It was Lee Rodriguez, who couldn’t have been happier to see her pal. “I’m crashing this interview!” Rodriguez, who plays Sherman Oaks High tech genius Fabiola, announced, giving Hu a humongous hug. “You look beautiful,” said Hu. Still, ever the professional, Hu, who portrays Fabiola’s newest crush Addison, finished the task at hand and said the last word to describe Season 3 is “loving.” Clearly.
No one in the Never Have I Ever cast has been able to experience a moment like this before. Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, the coming-of-age comedy launched April 2020 at the very start of the pandemic. Therefore, the Season 3 premiere was the crew’s first chance to celebrate with a public premiere. Like star student Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) with extra credit, they seized the opportunity.
“I’m feeling jazzed. Extravagant. Amazing. Stellar,” Ramakrishnan told Netflix on the carpet. Her on-screen love interest, Darren Barnet, agreed, adding, “It’s crazy to be here. Seeing the support. Seeing everyone here. I’m in love. We haven’t been able to do this ever. I gotta pinch myself.”
The excitement of seeing cast members like Barnet was so intense for fans that some cast members couldn’t hear over the roar of the crowds. “It’s really cool to see everyone. I think they’re cheering ‘Darren,’ ” said Rodriguez, pausing to look into the sea of people around her. “Who is that?! [The fans are] eating! It! Up!” Ramona Young, aka lovable drama queen Eleanor Wong, had to pause answering a question as the screaming around her intensified. “Oh my God, what’s going on?” she said with a smile. “There’s so much energy. Everyone’s so excited to be here.”
Jaren Lewison, who plays Ben Gross, the final leg of Never Have I Ever’s central love triangle, was moved to see the emotional response from viewers. “I don’t think I ever felt that proud or that grateful in my entire life,” he said, reflecting on the moment he stepped onto the carpet. “The amount of people who love this show — it’s the coolest thing ever. This show means so much to so many people. It means so much to me. I’m just filled with gratitude to be a part of it.”
Luckily, everyone will have one more chance to feel the love, as the cast recently finished shooting Never Have I Ever’s fourth and final season; however, good luck getting them to share any details about the concluding volume. “I can’t say what I know,” said Ramakrishan. “But I’m really looking forward to the fans’ reactions. Because I think we really blew it out of the park for a final hurrah.”
In a Never Have I Ever rarity, Ben Gross technically was on the same page as Devi Vishwakumar. “It just keeps getting better and better and better. And Season 4 is going to blow people’s minds,” Lewison promised.
Never Have I Ever Season 3 is available to stream right now.
