Sarah chatted with up-and-coming actor Benjamin A. Norris who stars in the brand new Netflix series by Mindy Kaling "Never Have I Ever". Benjamin gave us the scoop on his role in the show, his acting career, and his love for SNL!
Be sure to watch "Never Have I Ever" on Netflix!
Acting Wasn't The Plan
Although Benjamin knew he wanted to pursue a career in entertainment, acting wasn't the original end goal for him.
"I've always performed. I've aways put on shows for my family. I think i was acting before I even knew I wanted to be an actor. I always really wanted to take the producing and writing route. I wasn't even focusing on acting. The more I realized my true passion is creating and being in fron to fthe camer. I quit my job and started auditiong. I couldn't be happier with my career choice.
Working With Mindy Kaling Was "Goals"
Mindy Kaling is a creator of "Never Have I Ever", and Benjamin was so excited to have to opportunity to work with the comedic genius that is Mindy Kaling.
‘The Office’ is my favorite comedy of all time…Mindy is such an inspiration. She was so young when she got on the show as a writer. They made her an actor on it. Her trajectory is almost exactly what I want. So when I saw her, it was really surreal. I looked up to this woman for the last fifteen years…and here she is, and I’m working on something that she created. On top of that she is an absolute gem of a person…it’s like truly a dream come true.”
- Benjamin A. Norris
Check out Mindy Kaling’s other projects including her book and tv series!
Benjamin Loves SNL
Citing Saturday Night Live actors as his inspirations, Benjamin appreciates the comedic things in life.
“All my idols in the business are all comedians. I have a few that I would love to work with…Kyle Mooney who is on SNL. I’ve actually been a fan of Kyle since he was first on YouTube like years and years ago, and I was hooked on his characters. When he got SNL, I couldn’t be more excited for him. And then Kristen Wiig is one of my other idols.”
- Benjamin A. Norris
His Life Changed
With Netflix's "Never Have I Ever" and a guest role on NBC's "Superstore", Benjamin Norris is definitely an actor to watch.
“People are saying that what I’m doing is inspirational. A lot of things a lot of people are doing are inspirational, especially in a time like this. But it is very flattering, and it is very cool because the whole reason why I do it is because I love entertaining people. That’s what I’ve always loved doing. Just to see the truly positive feedback from this project, it’s just like reassurance that I’m doing exactly what I need to be doing.”
- Benjamin A. Norris
A Natural Born Comedian
Benjamin has turned making others laugh into a full fledged career as a comedic actor on Hollywood.
“I’ve always wanted to make people laugh. I think one of my defense mechanisms growing up was just trying to use humor to get out of things or get out of awkward situations. I was also kind of like a late bloomer. I was a very small, underdeveloped kid for a very long time, although I had a great group of friends, I was definitely teased a little bit…For me, comedy was this perfect tool that I could use in everyday like. The perfect was to disarm someone is to make them laugh or to make them smile.”
- Benjamin A. Norris
Keep up with #NeverHaveIEver on Social Media:
Make sure to watch “Never Have I Ever” on Netflix and make sure to check out more episodes of The Sarah Scoop Show!
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