‘Never Have I Ever’ star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan shifts from Devi to ‘My Little Pony’

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s childhood devotion to ‘My Little Pony’ turned out to be homework for her latest TV project

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan's childhood devotion to My Little Pony turned out to be homework for her latest TV project.

Ramakrishnan stars in the voice cast of Netflix's new animated children's series “My Little Pony: Make Your Mark,” a sharp contrast to her breakout role in the acclaimed coming-of-age comedy “Never Have I Ever.”

The Canadian actor, 20, recalls growing up with the fourth iteration of the toy line that included what she wryly calls “the O.G.'s of Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, my personal favorite.”

Playing the next-gen character of Pegasus pony Zipp, short for Princess Zephyrina Storm, was a chance to fulfill “those childhood kind of dreams,” Ramakrishnan said. “If I told my younger, child-self, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a Little Pony,’" the obvious answer would be “'No way.'”

Zipp stands out among her equine pals — and not only because of her bold, two-tone hair style. Ramakrishnan describes her as smart, curious and determined to be herself. A bonus: The actor calls it “very cool” that she got to sing on the companion album for the series, which debuted this week on Netflix.

Ramakrishnan, whose Tamil parents emigrated from Sri Lanka, spoke to AP about what her new series offers children; her take on the Team Paxton-Team Ben debate on “Never Have I Ever,” which wrapped filming on its fourth and final season (the release date yet to be announced), and the ongoing struggle for inclusivity in Hollywood.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.