Maitreyi Ramakrishnan does not think of herself as a romantic. When she’s in the proper frame of mind and has a crush on someone, she can be. But what about in regular circumstances? “No way, I’m a cynic. I’m done, #LoveIsDead2021

Ramakrishnan’s performance in Never Have I Ever May Convince You Devi Vishwakumar, a lovesick South Asian adolescent torn between her bookish friend Ben and high school superstar Paxton, is played by her. She’s bold and ambitious, yet she’s anxious to be loved by boys. Season 2 dives further into what it means to love and be loved — both romantically and platonically — while Devi struggles to cope with her father’s untimely death.

Working on a drama about a girl still trying to figure out her place in the world has been a natural match for Ramakrishnan, who playfully refers to the cast as her “university buddies” despite the fact that they are old enough to be her parents. After spotting a casting call on Twitter, the 17-year-old Ontario, Canada native got the role of Devi. She’d never done any acting before, yet she beat out 15,000 other applications. She was initially nervous about working with experienced actors. “A part of me thought, ‘OK, you’re only a high school student.’ You don’t have any real-world experience yet.

Since then, Ramakrishnan has been designated a TIME100 Next actress and has featured in Michelle Obama’s “Girl Talk” programme in favour of girls’ education. She has trouble wrapping her brain around her sudden popularity and the responsibilities of being one of the few Asian women in charge of her own programme. But, much as Devi gains a better knowledge of her mental health in Never Have I Ever Season 2, Ramakrishnan is aware of the strain she places on herself.

“I used to feel this huge responsibility to make sure everyone felt represented and that I was speaking to all audiences [with] Devi’s character,” she says. Eventually, she realized that Devi couldn’t possibly reflect every single South Asian girl — otherwise she’d be a personality-less “blob.” Seeing Devi connect with her therapist, accept her shortcomings, and focus more on her own wellness in Season 2 helped Ramakrishnan to realize, “If I’m letting this fictional character take a break and have a chill pill, why can’t I let myself?”

Ramakrishnan’s platform continues to develop, and she is ready to engage in projects that interest her. She wishes to pursue a degree in human rights and justice studies, a desire she frequently expresses on her numerous social media profiles. She’ll also be seen as Lizzie Bennet in the forthcoming film The Netherfield Girls, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

“Do you know what’s really amusing? I don’t watch many rom-com. But here I am, set to star in two major rom-com projects,” she explains. Although it was not her preferred genre, being cast as Lizzie was another indication to Ramakrishnan that she had chosen the proper professional route. “They weren’t searching for a particular race [for Lizzie],” she says. “I wasn’t the most attractive brown girl for the part.