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'Never Have I Ever’ star joins ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel ‘Elle’ Season 2 as fierce new rival

A sharp new rival enters ‘Elle’ Season 2, ready to challenge young Elle Woods and shake up her high school world.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is officially enrolling at Prime Video’s fictional high school, joining Season 2 of ‘Elle’. The prequel series turns back the clock on the sorority president-turned-lawyer, Elle Woods. That’s right, the same Elle who brought pink to power and showed Harvard that a little bit of sparkle can go a long way. Before she ruled the courtroom in ‘Legally Blonde’, Elle was simply a teenager trying to find her way. The new series zooms in on that earlier chapter, following a young Elle Woods, played by Lexi Minetree, as she builds the confidence and razor-sharp drive that fans already know will carry her beyond lockers and pep rallies. And now Ramakrishnan is stepping into that world as Sam, as reported by Deadline.

Sam is not here to sip lattes and swap lip gloss. She runs the school newspaper like a tiny newsroom dictator. She’s the founder, editor-in-chief, grammar police, and general destroyer of misplaced commas. If Elle worships glossy fashion magazines, Sam bows to the AP Stylebook. Optimism? Not her thing. She’s ambitious, yes, but without the sunshine. Think of someone who will correct your 'their' vs. “there” in the middle of an argument. That’s Sam. Her character sounds like she was born to clash with a girl who organizes her life by color palette.

The casting seems like a very clever move. Ramakrishnan, who rose to fame as Devi in ‘Never Have I Ever’, knows how to play sharp, funny, and a little chaotic. Meanwhile, Season 1 of ‘Elle’ has not yet aired. 

It will be available on July 1, but it’s clear the production crew isn't waiting around for it. The first season of this prequel series already boasts a very impressive cast. June Diane Raphael steps in as Elle’s mother, Eva, while Tom Everett Scott plays her father, Wyatt. Around them, a swirl of classmates and faculty fills out the halls: Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, Chandler Kinney, and Zac Looker. Moreover, a rotating roster of recurring faces includes Jessica Belkin, Logan Shroyer, Amy Pietz, Matt Ober, Chloe Wepper, David Burtka, Brad Harder, Kayla Maisonet, and Lisa Yamada. And then there’s James Van Der Beek, who appears as Dean Wilson, a hopeful mayoral candidate who also happens to be the superintendent of the school district. 

This is one of his last acting gigs before his passing earlier this month. Behind the scenes, the series is steered by Laura Kittrell, known for her work on ‘High School’ and ‘Insecure’. She is joined by Caroline Dries as a showrunner for Season 2. And, of course, the brains behind Elle Woods are still on board. Reese Witherspoon, who played Elle in the original films, is an executive producer, along with Lauren Neustadter, Marc Platt, and Amanda Brown.

So yes, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is going back to high school. Not as the lovably unhinged overachiever we first knew years ago, but as a by-the-book powerhouse who may just give Elle Woods her first taste of intellectual rivalry.