Daren Kagasoff tried different career hats before pitching his tent in the movie industry. Born and raised by a designer and a diamond dealer, the American actor didn’t have any background in the performing arts but found his passion in the arts against all odds. Kagasoff made his acting debut in 2008 and his first project shot him to the spotlight. He became a teen star and attained prominence following his stellar performance.
While he is best known for his starring role in The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Kagasoff has made several appearances in other notable projects. He played the role of Trevor in Ouija (2014). He also appeared in The Village as Gabe Napolitano and Devotion as Bill Koenig. Explore these facts to learn more about the actor.
1. Daren Kagasoff Is Jewish
Daren Kagasoff was born and raised in Encino, California, on September 16, 1987. He is the middle child of three children born to Elise (Levy), a designer, and Barry Kagasoff, a wholesale diamond dealer. While his nationality is American, Kagasoff mostly has Russian-Jewish and Polish-Jewish heritage. He grew up with a brother named Justin and a sister, Natalie.
2. He Played Baseball in High School
Perhaps Daren Kagasoff would have carved a niche in baseball if acting didn’t win him over. He was part of the baseball team at Montclair Preparatory High School where he graduated in 2005. However, he lost interest in the sport and went off to college with a different vision for his future.
3. Daren Kagasoff Studied Business Management In College
After high school, Daren Kagasoff didn’t want to pursue baseball as a career anymore. Subsequently, he enrolled at San Francisco State University to study business management. However, he was still having trouble trying to figure out what he really wanted to do. Eventually, Kagasoff decided to become an actor and his parents gave their blessings. He promptly went back home and joined an acting class for eight months. Kagasoff began going to auditions and landed his breakthrough role in no time.
4. His Acting Debut Was Made in the Theater
Before Daren Kagasoff became the screen sensation he is today, he was a stage actor. Kagasoff moved to Los Angeles once he decided to pursue acting professionally. He landed a role in the theater production of Surburbia as Tim. A 1996 film of the same title was based on the Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Center production. Though the play didn’t make him popular, it provided the platform and experience for Kagasoff to launch his screen acting career.
5. He Hit The Jackpot With His TV Debut Role In The Secret Life of the American Teenager
With his screen debut, Daren Kagasoff solidified his stance as a talented actor. He began attending auditions after completing his acting studies. After a few auditions, Kagasoff was singled out by show creator, Brenda Hampton for the role of Ricky Underwood in the ABC Family show The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Five seasons and over 100 episodes later, the show wrapped up in 2013. Playing a main role in the ABC Family series made Kagasoff a household name among TV fans. More so, he began to land more spots on television.
In 2014, Daren Kagasoff got five roles in film and television projects. He played Trevor in the supernatural horror film, Ouija, and appeared as Eric Bates in the pilot episode of Stalker which ran for just one season. He also played the male lead in the television adaption of Delirium, Lauren Oliver’s New York Times best-seller trilogy. However, the pilot failed to get picked up. Kagasoff wrapped up 2014 with a recurring role in Red Band Society – he played Kara’s love interest, Hunter Cole in the teen medical comedy-drama. The show was canceled in 2015 after one season. Other notable projects under Kagasoff’s belt include S.W.A.T. as Gordon, The Village as Gabe Napolitano, and Devotion as Bill Koenig.
6. Daren Kagasoff Is a Multiple Teen Choice Award Nominee
For rendering a stellar performance on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Daren Kagasoff scored six Teen Choice Award nominations and one win. He received the first two nominations in 2009 in the categories – Choice TV Breakout Star: Male and Choice Summer TV Star: Male and won the latter. In 2010, he received two more nods for Choice TV Actor: Drama and Choice Summer TV Star: Male. Additional Teen Choice Award nominations he received are for Choice TV Actor: Drama and Choice Summer TV Star: Male in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
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