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‘Never Have I Ever’ Alum Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Teases ‘Elle’ Season 2 Role: “Not Something I’ve Done Before”
Actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, best known for starring in Netflix's "Never Have I Ever," is set to return to teen television as the antagonist in the already-filmed second season of "Elle," the Legally Blonde prequel executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the show's New York premiere, Ramakrishnan teased that her character offers a fresh dynamic she has not previously explored on screen, despite the role placing her back in a school-set ensemble drama.
Ramakrishnan will play Sam, described as the ambitious but joyless editor of the school newspaper and self-appointed "commissioner of the grammar police," who serves as the nemesis to Lexi Minetree's Elle Woods. Minetree, an Atlanta native, was cast as the lead after being chosen from around 5,000 audition tapes via an open casting call, echoing Ramakrishnan's own path to landing "Never Have I Ever" via a similar search. Ramakrishnan, who has worked with both Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling, praised the pair as "hard-working women" who cast with "audacity." Season one of "Elle," comprising eight episodes, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
In short
- Maitreyi Ramakrishnan joins "Elle" season two as Elle Woods' rival, Sam
- Season two is already filmed; season one streams on Prime Video
- Lexi Minetree stars as Elle, cast from roughly 5,000 audition tapes
Explained simply
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is an actress best known for starring in Netflix's teen comedy-drama "Never Have I Ever." The show gave her prominence and established her as a recognisable television performer.
"Elle" is a prequel to the "Legally Blonde" film franchise, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. The series follows Elle Woods's youth before the events of the films, with the first season already streaming on Amazon Prime Video as eight episodes.
Ramakrishnan has been cast as Sam in the show's second season, a character who serves as the newspaper editor and Elle's antagonist. This marks a different type of role for the actress, who has primarily appeared in ensemble dramas set in schools. The series is produced by both Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling, both of whom Ramakrishnan has worked with previously.
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