Playing 'a hot mess' in Never Have I Ever, Canadian actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan wants to shake up conventions

DeviVishwakumarcontinues to be "a hot mess" in Season 2 of Never Have I Ever,but Canadian actorMaitreyi Ramakrishnanisrelishing every minute playingthe impetuous teen at the centre of the Netflix comedy series.

"She makes the worst choices," Ramakrishnan, 19, said of her character.

"It is so fun to play a hot mess I'll be honest but sometimes it's so hard because in my brain I'm like, 'This is so absurd.' "

Despite having no previous professional acting experience,theMississauga, Ont., performershot to fame with the April 2020 debut of Never Have I Ever.Created by Mindy Kaling, the series is about an ambitious Indo-American teen tackling high school concernsas well as the loss of her father.

The streaming comedy provided escapist laughs early on in the pandemic. In Season 2, Ramakrishnan's character facesnew challenges, including navigating romantic relationships, potential new rivals and an impending move to India.

Iconic roles 'don't have to be white'

Playing Devi, a complicated character who tends toward selfish and hot-headed decisions, has whet Ramakrishnan's appetite for more.

The young South Asian-Canadian actor recently signed on to play Lizzie Bennett in The Netherfield Girls,a forthcomingNetflix adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice set in modern times.

WATCH | Maitreyi Ramakrishnan onwanting to see more leadactors of colour:

'We're definitely growing. But the reality is... we can't stop'

3 years ago

Duration 3:07

Rather than being relegated to sidekicks and "fan favourites," she's envisioning more actors of colour including fellow performers of South Asian heritage scoring complex lead roles.

"These iconic characters and these iconic roles that are written as white They don't have to be white," Ramakrishnan said.

"We can switch up the narratives to also make them narratives that are more relevant to today."

Still,she admits she's not opposed to playing second fiddle if the Marvel Universe comes calling.

"I've already thought about where I could fit in I would ideally be like an anti-hero."

Noting that her super heropreferences leanmore towardDeadpool than Captain America, Ramakrishnansaid she needsroles to be about "going my own way bendingthe rules."

Retaining her Mississauga roots

Ramakrishnan hasn't had a conventional start to her acting career.

Never Have I Ever debuted about six weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, soit didn't get a traditional red carpet premiere and she said she hasn't made the rounds at myriadHollywood parties.

When she's not working, Ramakrishnansays she's mostly hanging out, playing video games on her Nintendo Switch.

A big believer in the motto "everything happens for a reason, she mused that the pandemic "is what it is. I can't control it."

"But I am very thankful that I got to stay grounded, and also it's helped me retain my Mississauga roots and still be authentically me."