Berry students are accustomed to Hollywood magic thanks to the college’s robust history as a filming location for the likes of Remember the Titans, Sweet Home Alabama, Stranger Things and The Six Triple Eight, but last spring afforded a special opportunity to interact with a homegrown star.
Darren Barnet (13C) visited campus for several days in April, reconnecting with beloved mentors and sharing his story of persistence and determination with students now following in his footsteps at Viking Fusion and the Berry College Theatre Company.
A charter recipient of the Gate of Opportunity Scholarship who got his start as an actor with BCTC, Barnet’s success spans television and motion pictures, including prominent roles in the Netflix hit Never Have I Ever and the NBC drama Chicago Med. He’s also producer and star of Apophenia, a psychological thriller.
His Berry return generated a great deal of excitement, with events such as a Sunday night Q&A drawing an overflow crowd to the Morgan Hall Jewel Box.
“We were swarmed everywhere we went!” exclaimed Brenda Geraldson Jenkins (97C), a Berry staff member who helped coordinate the visit. “He was just so happy to be back.”
Barnet echoed that sentiment in an article written by student Carson Bonner (26c) for the Campus Carrier and Viking Fusion, stating, “Coming back here reminds me why I started. It’s humbling – and I’m proud to be part of this place’s story.”
Crisscrossing campus in search of favorite places and familiar faces, Barnet graciously signed autographs and took selfies while recounting the difference Berry made in his life, offering hard-won perspective shaped by his own Hollywood experience.
“I used to think just making money as an actor meant I’d made it,” he said in Bonner’s story. “But I’ve met people who make ten times what I do and are miserable. So now, success is just staying grounded, enjoying the journey.”
