Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Talks Acting, Gaming and Pokémon's Anniversary Celebrations
“I definitely wouldn’t be who I am without video games.”
Pokémon is commemorating its 30th anniversary this year with some seriously big celebrations. The franchise just unveiled a yearlong campaign, titled “What’s Your Favorite?,” inviting fans around the world to share their favorite Pokémon.
The campaign kicked off during the Super Bowl, where a new commercial aired. Of course, the brand had to enlist some mega fans to support, which included Lady Gaga, Charles Leclerc, Jisoo, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Lamine Yamal and Young Miko. We sat down with one of the fans, Canadian actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, to hear all about her involvement in the campaign.
Ramakrishnan first rose to prominence after her leading role as high school student Devi Vishwakumar in the Netflix comedy series Never Have I Ever. After her performance, we all fell in love with the star, but one thing you may not have known is that she’s a lifelong Pokémon fan.
The actor is now fronting the franchise’s huge anniversary celebrations, and she sat down with us to talk all things gaming, acting and Pokémon (including her favorite ones). Read on for the full interview.
You’re an avid Pokémon fan. Can you tell us a bit about how you first got into it?
I’ve been into Pokémon for as long as I can remember! All my older cousins were obsessed with Pokémon and got me into it naturally. I have so many memories of collecting Pokémon cards and playing Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Puzzle League for hours on end on the N64!
Who’s your favorite Pokémon character?
Luxray! Primarily, this is because Luxray was my first-ever Pokémon card, and I love some healthy nostalgia. But I will say, my fave 6 Pokémon are Luxray, Lucario, Ceruledge, Greninja, Dragonite and Gardevoir. That would be my go-to team, but I also have to shoutout Turtwig as my first partner Pokémon.
Being part of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary is very exciting. Can you tell us a bit about the collaboration and how it came about?
I’ve been a fan of Pokémon for a very long time, so when the opportunity came up, it was a complete no-brainer! I mean, this collaboration truly is a dream. Getting to support the 30th anniversary, specifically, means so much. The whole campaign is focused on the classic question of “What’s your favourite Pokémon?” I think that question really is the core of the Pokémon community, no matter how casual or die-hard a fan you may be.
How did you get into acting?
Acting professionally kind of happened by chance, with landing an open casting call for Never Have I Ever. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I got the role out of 15,000 people around the world, which still shocks me when I think about it. Though I will say, in high school, I always loved performing and making people laugh through comedy or however I could. I never knew I wanted to be an actor, but I did know I wanted a career in the creative space for sure.
What do you do to feel confident in front of the camera? Any pre-shoot rituals?
I don’t think I have any particular pre-shoot rituals, but I definitely need to listen to some music in the morning just to wake up and get going. Usually, shoots are in the morning or before noon, which to me is early! I’m a big night owl, so anything to just get me to wake up is really all I need to do.
What’s something that people might not expect about you?
I think some people are still shocked about how much knowledge I have of Pokémon and Nintendo as a whole. Really, the two have been core parts of my childhood more than the typical early 2000s TV shows my friends would watch. I definitely wouldn’t be who I am without video games.
Would you say Pokémon has influenced other parts of your life?
Growing up, video games were also a big bonding point between my brother and me. He used to destroy me in every Pokémon battle we ever played, whether it was on Pokémon Stadium or just with the cards. My mom is a Pokémon Go addict, and getting to have that bonding topic with her is another thing I treasure and give credit to Pokémon. For the 30th anniversary campaign, I worked with my stylist to make sure my outfit looked like I was an electric-type Pokémon gym leader, so I suppose Pokémon has now influenced my fashion, too!
