If you’ve never seen Never Have I Ever, then you’re definitely missing out. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (pronounced my-tray-yee rah-ma-krish-nan) stars as Devi in the Netflix hit TV coming-of-age comedy-drama television series created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher.
Canadian actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in a rainbow upcycled fabric dress from Indian designer Ashwin Thiyagarajan at the 19th Annual Unforgettable Gala Asian American Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 11, 2021, in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California (Credit: Avalon / WENN)
She was chosen from 15,000 qualified actors and actresses. Plus, she was only 17 years old at the time she was cast!
Her character, Devi Vishwakumar, is an Indian American 15-year-old student at Sherman Oaks High School in San Fernando Valley, California.
The show follows her as she deals with the death of her father and navigates a tough relationship with her mother, all while trying to figure out high school and falling in love.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, whose parents immigrated to Canada as refugees from Sri Lanka, identifies herself as Tamil-Canadian (Credit: Avalon / WENN)
The show has been a fan favorite, partially because it aired in April 2020, when most people were stuck at home during the pandemic’s quarantine.
Many people enjoyed watching the comedy and drama of Maitreyi’s on-screen life during quarantine, as trouble seems to find Devi wherever she goes.
From Ontario to Hollywood: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s Journey
The 5’6 actress grew up in Ontario, Canada. She fell in love with acting as a child when she acted in plays at her school. She planned to pursue studying acting at York University but landed the lead role for Never Have I Ever instead.
Never Have I Ever” cast members Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Lee Rodriguez, and Ramona Young at The London West Hollywood on February 25, 2020, in West Hollywood, California (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
It was announced on June 2, 2021, that she will also star in the Netflix movie The Netherfield Girls. The movie is a romantic comedy that will be a modern take on Pride and Prejudice. The release date is still unknown.
Rising Star: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s Growing Popularity and Earnings
The actress, who will turn 20 on December 28, 2021, has grown immensely in popularity. As of October 2024, she has 6 million followers on Instagram and 8.3 million followers on TikTok.
Additionally, her net worth is $500,000. In the first season of Never Have I Ever, she was reportedly paid $20k per episode. For the second season, the actress reportedly received $21k per episode!
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was chosen by Mindy Kaling out of 15,000 other candidates who responded to the casting call for Never Have I Ever (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
She was also deemed “Breakout Actor” in Time’s Next 100 Most Influential People for 2021. “When you’re a minority woman with your own show, you gotta represent,” Kaling wrote of the Mississauga, Ontario, native.
In 2019, Today named her one of eighteen “Groundbreakers,” which is “a list of girls who are breaking down barriers and changing the world.”
On-Screen Chemistry: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Darren Barnet’s Friendship
The American actor Darren Barnet stars alongside Maitreyi in Never Have I Ever as Paxton Hall-Yoshida – Devi’s love interest on the show.
You may also have seen Darren in the recent Netflix romantic comedy Love Hard, in which he co-starred with Nina Dobrev.
Canadian actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan earned a spot on TIME’s prestigious Next 100 Most Influential People list for 2021 (Credit: TIME)
As much as fans love it when love interests on a show fall in love in real life, Maitreyi and Darren have both stated they are just friends. Darren is dating one of his older co-stars from Love Hard, actress Mikaela Hoover.
For the time being, it appears Maitreyi is single. However, she could be dating someone and choosing to keep it private.
The Age Gap Debate: Controversy Surrounding Maitreyi and Darren’s Roles
Some fans have made controversial comments about the 11-year age difference between Maitreyi and Darren. However, remember that they’re supposedly playing teenagers in high school.
So, while Maitreyi was born in December 2001, Darren was born in April 1991. But the issue lies with their ages at the beginning of filming; Maitreyi was 17, and Darren was 28.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan stuns in a bold red and black striped bodycon dress paired with minimalist ankle-strap heels at the Liquid Media Group event at Windsor Arms Hotel on September 13, 2021, in Toronto, Ontario
It probably wouldn’t bother you as a viewer if you didn’t know the age difference already. Over the years, plenty of people in their 20s and 30s have played high schoolers (like High School Musical, for example), but the fact that Maitreyi was legally underage at the time the show started filming is viewed as problematic.
Here are just some of the tweets regarding the controversy:
“It’s v creepy that everyone in never have I ever thought it was okay to put 19-year-old Maitreyi with a 30-year-old dude Darren??? Does no one else see how that’s just not a right age gap?” – @YoGurlSimi
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, as Devi, and Darren Barnet, as Paxton, share a scene on the steps in Never Have I Ever, showcasing their on-screen chemistry despite their real-life 11-year age difference (Credit: Netflix)
“I think I said this last time but they really couldn’t find an age-appropriate actor for Paxton in never have I ever?” – @brlytolerable
“I wanna watch never have I ever s2 but I just can’t get over the age gap between the actors.” – @euphoriccazzie
Cultural Pride: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s Tamil-Canadian Identity
Maitreyi’s mother, Kiruthiha Kulendiren, and father, Ram Selvarajah, were forced to run from Sri Lanka to Canada as refugees the same year that Maitreyi was born in 2001 due to the civil war. She also has an older brother, Vishwaa Ramakrishnan.
She identifies as Tamil-Canadian and doesn’t feel Sri Lankan, “I made it very clear to my agent and publicist that Tamil Canadian is very, very important to me…my identity isn’t being Sri Lankan. That’s not my country. My country is Canada. But my culture is definitely Tamil.”
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan shows off her size 8 (US) feet in Jimmy Choo sandals (Credit: WENN / Avalon)
She is proud to represent Tamil-Canadian actors and actresses.
In an interview with TeenVogue, she states, “We need more representation…I love Mindy Kaling so much. I love her so much as a boss, of course, a mentor, but also a friend. I truly do love her as someone I can lean on when it comes to these kinds of conversations. Same thing with Hasan Minhaj, a great guy. But reality is, we still only have a handful of South Asian representation. What I want to see is [more] when you dwindle it down to South Asian female representation, and then you dwindle it down even more to young South Asian female representation, right?”