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.