Jaren Lewison (born December 9, 2000[1] in Dallas, Texas) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ben Gross in 2020 Netflix series, Never Have I Ever.
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Early life and education
Jaren Lewison grew up in Dallas, Texas in a Jewish family. He has one sister named Mikayla. For 14 years, he attended Levine Academy, a Conservative Jewish day school in Dallas[2] where his mother teaches kindergarten but graduated in 2019 from J. J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas.[3] In high school, he was captain of the varsity American football team and was a varsity powerlifter.[4] He also did theater. As a senior, he portrayed William Shakespeare in his school's adaptation of the 1998 film, Shakespeare in Love, and the production was chosen to perform at the 2019 International Thespian Festival.[5][6][7]
In 2019, he began attending college at the University of Southern California, where he is majoring in psychology with minors in forensics and criminology.[8] He filmed Never Have I Ever (TV series)|Never Have I Ever while being a full-time student at USC. He is involved in the Hillel at USC.[9]
Acting career
Lewison began acting at 5 years old, when his after-care had a theatre group come who connected him with representation. After giving his name to a Dallas film and TV agent, he got his first role as Joshua on Barney & Friends, whom he played in various episodes and videos from 2008 to 2011.[8][10] He has acted in various TV series, TV movies, and films since. Some of these roles included playing Adam Sandler's son in the 2014 film, Men, Women & Children.[8] He also played the younger version of the main character Hoagie, whom Ed Helms portrayed, in the 2018 comedy film Tag.[11]
His largest role to date was on the main cast as Ben Gross in Mindy Kaling's 2020 Netflix show, Never Have I Ever.[12]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | Barney & Friends | Joshua | 4 episodes, 3 home videos (2009-2011) |
| 2010 | Lone Star | Young Robert | 1 episode, "Pilot" |
| 2012 | Bad Fairy | Roman DiRizzo | TV movie |
| 2015 | Away and Back | Kyle Peterson | TV movie |
| 2020 | Never Have I Ever | Ben Gross | Main cast |
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Men, Women & Children | Jack Truby |
| 2015 | Beyond the Farthest Star | Young Adam |
| 2015 | A Horse Tale | Jackson |
| 2018 | Tag | 18-Year-Old Hoagie |
| 2019 | 90 Feet from Home | Young Tommy |
References
- ↑ 18 Things to Know About Jaren Lewison from ‘Never Have I Ever’
- ↑ Got Mitzvah? Yeah we do!
- ↑ Jaren Lewison Tells Us How His ‘Never Have I Ever’ Role Is a Dream Come True
- ↑ Never Have I Ever’s Two Heartthrobs Are Team Each Other
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