Trent Harrison (Benjamin Norris) arrived in Never Have I Ever fans’ lives like a cool breeze, all flowing mane and enviable nonchalance. The kid can goof around anywhere — a supermarket entrance, the Sherman Oaks High courtyard, class, it doesn’t matter. In Season 1, everywhere is Trent’s playground. In fact, Trent is so busy horsing around, we don’t even get to hear him speak until the YA comedy’s third episode, when he offers BFF Paxton (Darren Barnet) and sudden class project partner/series protagonist Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) a “shitload of Uncrustables.” 

Trent has a way with words. 

Across the four seasons of Never Have I Ever, Trent’s low-maintenance charm serves him well as he levels up from background best friend to romantic hero. It’s quite a journey from passing out junk food to courting proud drama queen Eleanor (Ramona Young), and even Norris is surprised by his character’s ascent. The actor tells Tudum he initially only expected to have a four- or five-episode stint as Sherman Oaks High’s chillest hang. While Trent was billed as “the really silly best friend to the hot guy” — which is exactly how Norris portrayed him in auditions — he also decided to tap into the teen’s earnest and genuine side. 

“I wanted my entire MO as Trent to be to support Paxton no matter what,” says Norris. “Now here we are on Season 4, and Trent really is his own living, breathing entity. He has his own life and his own desires and his own insecurities.” 

So how did we get here? Just in time for Never Have I Ever’s fourth and final season, Norris is stoked to take you inside the mind of an icon. 

Lara Solanki/Netflix 

When did you start seeing glimmers that Trent could be a scene stealer?  

I knew I wanted to bring the whole “I’ll do anything for Paxton” thing to the character because that was on the page. But when we were shooting a scene in Episode 3 in Season 1, I was already in the motion of delivering an improv line as they called cut. I just looked Darren in the eyes and said, “Well, I’ll do anything for you, man.”

Crew members after that started quoting that line to me. It really did make me realize, “Man, what a fun ingredient to the character. We’re going in the right direction here.” So I leaned into that as much as possible. 

Lara Solanki/Netflix 

How did that realization affect your performance going forward? 

There’s a moment in Season 4 where, in Episode 7, Paxton and Trent do a little high-five thing, and then they bring it in for daps. I put my head on Darren’s shoulder because I was like, “Anytime Trent is physically embracing Paxton, he needs to give it a hundred percent.” 

That really shows how much Trent is always thinking, even if the people around him underestimate him.

We tend to put people in boxes of smart and dumb, which is completely bullshit. There’s more to Trent than just his book intelligence. There’s a depth to him, and the writers started pulling on that thread. They started giving Trent these lines that I kind of had to read two, three times over to be like, “Wow, Trent’s actually saying that.” But you know what? Yeah, Trent is saying that! There is more than what you see. 

He’s one of the most honest people in the whole show. 

And that makes it more fun. The thing is that he’s not choosing to be honest. He doesn’t know anything else.  

Lara Solanki/Netflix

That earnestness brings him to Eleanor. He pours his heart out to her in the Season 2 finale before even learning her actual name. When did you realize the writers were planning to turn the spotlight on him? 

There’s a scene in Season 1, Episode 6 where Trent smacks Ben in the face. That scene wasn’t in there until the shooting draft of the script. It was really kind of the first time that I got to be Trent in his own space without Paxton. To be honest with you, I was just so excited to be there and so appreciative that it hadn’t even crossed my mind that maybe Trent could live in his own ecosystem as well. 

And I didn’t know about the Eleanor relationship until we got that script. I showed up to set one day and Maitreyi came up to me and she was like, “Dude, did you read the new script?” And I was like, “Not yet.” And she was like, “Well, I’m going to tell you everything that happens.” It got me so excited because I was like, “Oh, I would love to explore what Trent is like when he’s falling for someone,” you know?

Eleanor & Trent Deceive Each Other | Never Have I Ever S3E3They're like a real celebrity couple!

What was it like to film one of Trent’s biggest romantic moments: his entrance into the Season 3 bodice-ripper scene? 

It was everything that you would imagine it would be like on set. There was an energy during that scene that was very heartwarming because a lot of the crew was really excited for Trent to have this moment to shine. 

[Co-creator Lang Fisher] was there making sure that the walk was right because you really have to do it justice. They were doing a leaf blower in my hair — it was just the whole nine yards. The hair and makeup team never got to do this kind of glamorous shot of Trent, so they’re just as much a part of that scene as I am. That whole sequence has to be a top-three scene for me. 

Isabella B. Vosmikova/Netflix

Trent and Devi’s frenemyship is one of Never Have I Ever’s funniest relationships. How did you find that comedic chemistry with Maitreyi?  

She’s like that in real life. Maitreyi loves to joke around. She loves to give jabs — and I’m the same way too. I felt a pretty strong connection with her from Season 1. I love it because in Season 1, you never think that they’re going to have many scenes together or even joke around. But that’s the thing about high school: You never know when two people from two different worlds are going to have some funny moments together. 

They really do become friends by Season 4. 

In Season 3, when Trent is a part of their group, he still doesn’t even know Ben’s name. But he knows Coyote Girl. 

Once I was asked the obvious question of, “Are you Team Paxton or Team Ben?” I’m always going to root for Paxton. But, by Season 4, I think Trent is Team Devi. He’s like, “Hey, I see a little bit of Devi in myself.” Throughout high school, Trent really learned to respect that Devi is unapologetically herself. And that’s exactly who Trent is too.

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

How Mindy Kaling Brings Her Childhood To Never Have I EverPlus, see Maitreyi Ramakrishnan's audition tape.