Daren Kagasoff (born September 16, 1987) is an American actor best known for starring as Ricky Underwood on the ABC Family teen drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Biography[]
Daren Kagasoff was born in Encino, California to a designer mother and a wholesale diamond dealer father. He is the middle child of the family, having an older brother, Justin, and a younger sister, Natalie. Kagasoff is Jewish. While attending school at San Francisco State University, Kagasoff decided to become an actor.
After deciding to move back to Los Angeles, Kagasoff landed the lead role in a local theatre production of Suburbia, a play based on the 1996 film of the same name. After taking acting lessons, Kagasoff began auditioning for television and film roles. On one of his first auditions, he impressed producer Brenda Hampton so much that she hand-picked him to star as Ricky Underwood in the ABC Family television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. During his time on the show, Kagasoff was nominated for 5 Teen Choice Awards, winning one - the Male Choice TV Summer Star in 2009.
Kagasoff co-starred as Trevor in the 2014 supernatural horror film Ouija which was directed by Stiles White and co-written by Juliet Snowden and White. He also had a recurring role in Fox comedy-drama Red Band Society playing Kara's love interest Hunter Cole. In 2019, Kagasoff was cast as Gabe Nopalitano on the NBC drama The Village, however the show was cancelled after only 1 season.
He is set to feature alongside Joe Jonas, Spencer Neville, Nick Hargrove and Thomas Sadoski in Black Label Media's Korean War drama, Devotion.
Filmography[]
- The Secret Life of the American Teenager as Ricky Underwood (2008-2013)
- Ouija (2014) as Trevor (film)
- Blue (2014) as Daren (web series, 2 episodes)
- Delirium (2014) as Alex Sheathes (unsold television pilot)
- Stalker (2014) as Eric Bates (episode "Pilot")
- Red Band Society (2014-15) as Hunter Cole (recurring role, 7 episodes)
- Paradise Pictures (2015) as Wyatt Osborne (unsold television pilot)
- S.W.A.T. (2017) as Gordon (season 1, episode "Imposters")
- The Village (2019) as Gabe Napolitano (main role)
- Devotion (2021) as Bill Koenig (film)#
Awards[]
Teen Choice Awards[]
Nominated
- Choice TV Breakout Star: Male (2009)
- Choice TV Actor: Drama (2010)
- Choice Summer TV Star: Male (2010)
- Choice TV Actor: Drama (2011)
- Choice Summer TV Star: Male (2012)
Won
- Choice Summer TV Star: Male (2009)