Enjoy your sleep while you can, folks, because Daylight Savings is nearly upon us! But before we have to Spring Forward into an hour less of sleep (boo!) and more time before it gets dark out (yay!), we can take a moment to bask in another Woman Crush Wednesday (woo to the HOO)! This week, we’re celebrating an exceptional young woman who has already made quite a name for herself in the entertainment industry despite being only 20 years-old. She’s skilled and mature beyond her years, though, and is an absolute force to be reckoned with, so be sure to keep an eye out for her and her endeavors from here on out! Now, without further ado, give it up for your new WCW, the remarkable Maitreyi Ramakrishnan!
WHO’S THAT GAL: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
WHY WE’RE CRUSHING: Ramakrishnan voices Priya in the latest title out of Pixar, Turning Red, which premieres on Disney+ this Friday, March 11th. The animated coming-of-age fantasy comedy tale introduces Meilin “Mei” Lee (Rosalie Chiang), a confident and proudly dorky 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl who is torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (Sandra Oh), is rarely far from Mei, and as if her mom’s hovering and the changes to her interests, relationships, and body weren’t enough, all of a sudden, whenever she feels any strong emotion, she “poofs” up into a giant red panda, which, as you can imagine, is a bit of a recipe for trouble, hijinx, and hilarity.
Ramakrishnan’s Priya is one of Mei’s best friends, and helps her part panda pal navigate the trials of teendom while guarding the secret of Mei’s inherited family quirk. Make sure to check out her, the rest of the voice cast, and Pixar Animation crew’s incredible work in the adorable, fluffy, and touching story about family, growing up, and self-discovery that is Turning Red by catching the film as soon as it drops on Disney+.
WHERE YOU’VE SEEN HER BEFORE: Ramakrishnan’s professional onscreen debut was a mere two years ago, but boy, did she start with a bang! At just 17 years-old, the actress was cast in her first role, leading the cast as Devi Vishwakumar in Mindy Kaling’s breakout hit comedy series Never Have I Ever, which premiered on Netflix in 2020, and dropped its second season in July 2021. The Tamil-Canadian actress has also played Olivia in the “Twelfth Night” episode of Acting for a Cause, in addition to acting as narrator for the Children’s Programming part of the 8th Canadian Screen Awards, working as one of the hosts for Netflix’s 2021 TUDUM special, and appearing as a guest on talk series like A Little Late with Lilly Singh, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Ryan, and Today.
Despite it being so early in her entertainment career, Ramakrishnan’s acting work has already earned her nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards, Canadian Screen Awards, and MTV Movie & TV Awards, as well as a shoutout as a Breakout Actor in Time 100’s Most Influential People of 2021. Clearly, the talented and hard-working actress is one to watch, and we are so excited to see what roles, pursuits, and successes she achieves in the years to come!
WHERE YOU’LL SEE HER AGAIN: If you want to see more of Ramakrishnan and her terrific work, then you’re in luck, because she’s already got a few different projects lined up for the near future! Look forward to seeing Ramakrishnan return to star as Devi in the third season of Never Have I Ever, which is expected to premiere on Netflix this summer. You can also catch her branching out into brand new roles as the voice of Zipp Storm in My Little Pony series and special My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale, and My Little Pony: Winter Wishday, and also as the main role, Lizzie Bennet, upcoming Netflix feature film The Netherfield Girls, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved classic novel Pride & Prejudice that takes the form of a contemporary era romantic-comedy. You won’t want to miss these titles, so be sure to keep an eye out for them in the next year!
For even more from Ramakrishnan in the meantime, be sure to follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Faceboook so that you never miss a moment from your wonderful WCW!
