The Shocking Truth About Devi's Age: How Old Is Devi Vishwakumar In Never Have I Ever?

The question of "How old is Devi from Never Have I Ever?" is more complex than a simple number, bridging the gap between fiction and reality, high school drama and Hollywood casting. As of late 2025, the conversation around Devi Vishwakumar's age remains a popular search, especially since the final season of the beloved Netflix series wrapped up her turbulent high school journey. The answer involves two distinct timelines: the fictional age of the Indian-American teenager navigating the tumultuous waters of Sherman Oaks High and the actual, current age of the brilliant actress who brought her to life, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.

To fully appreciate Devi's character arc—from the grief-stricken, boy-crazy sophomore to the confident, college-bound senior—it's essential to track her age through each of the four seasons. This deep dive will reveal not only her exact age in the series finale but also the fascinating age differences among the main cast members, a common practice in teen dramas that often sparks curiosity among fans.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan: Biography and Current Age

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the Canadian actress who masterfully portrayed Devi Vishwakumar, became an overnight sensation after being cast in the lead role, beating out 15,000 other hopefuls. Her journey is a testament to the show's commitment to authentic representation, as she perfectly captured the essence of a first-generation Indian-American teen.

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• Full Name: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
• Date of Birth: December 28, 2001
• Current Age (as of December 2025): 23 years old
• Birth Place: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Nationality: Canadian (of Sri Lankan Tamil descent)
• Occupation: Actress
• Notable Role: Devi Vishwakumar in Never Have I Ever (2020–2023)
• Education: Graduated from Meadowvale Secondary School
• Career Highlight: Chosen by Mindy Kaling for the role after an open casting call.

When the first season premiered in 2020, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was 18 years old, which made her very close in age to the 15-year-old character she was playing. This relatively small age gap is rare in Hollywood, where actors often play characters much younger than themselves. By the time the final season aired, Ramakrishnan was 21, still portraying a character that was only 17 or 18 years old.

The Fictional Timeline: Devi Vishwakumar's Age Season by Season

The entire premise of Never Have I Ever, created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, is a coming-of-age story centered on Devi's four years of high school. The show does a commendable job of tracking this progression, with each of the four seasons covering approximately one academic year.

Season 1: The Sophomore Year (Age 15)

The series begins with Devi Vishwakumar as a 15-year-old sophomore (10th grader) at Sherman Oaks High. The first season is defined by her attempts to shed her "Pillu" (nerd) reputation, her pursuit of the popular jock Paxton Hall-Yoshida, and dealing with the emotional trauma of her father Mohan's death, which led to her psychosomatic paralysis. Her age sets the stage for the intense, often melodramatic, yet highly relatable teen angst that drives the plot.

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Season 2: The Junior Year Begins (Age 16)

Season two picks up with Devi still a 16-year-old, now officially in her junior year (11th grade). This season focuses on her complicated "two-timing" relationship with both Paxton Hall-Yoshida and her academic rival, Ben Gross. The emotional maturity required to navigate this messy situation is a key theme, reflecting the complex decision-making typical of a 16-year-old.

Season 3: The Junior Year Culmination (Age 16-17)

By Season 3, Devi is still 16, turning 17. Her relationship with Paxton becomes official, and the season explores the challenges of a serious high school relationship, academic pressures, and her growing emotional reliance on her friends, Fabiola Torres and Eleanor Wong. The season finale sees her making a mature, pivotal decision about her future and her feelings for Ben Gross, indicating a significant step in her emotional growth.

Season 4: The Senior Year and Finale (Age 17-18)

The final season covers Devi's senior year (12th grade), the last year of high school before college. This means Devi is 17 years old for most of the season, turning 18 by the time she graduates. The main plot revolves around college applications, particularly her dream of getting into Princeton, and the final resolution of her love triangle. By the end of the series, Devi is an 18-year-old heading to college, having completed her journey from an impulsive, chaotic teen to a self-aware, young woman ready for her next chapter. Her final age of 18 is the ultimate answer to "How old is Devi from Never Have I Ever?"

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The Surprising Age Gaps in the Never Have I Ever Cast

While Maitreyi Ramakrishnan's age was relatively close to Devi's, the show, like many teen dramas, features a significant age disparity between the actors and their high school characters. This is a crucial piece of topical authority to include, as it's a common LSI keyword search for the show.

The most notable age difference belongs to Darren Barnet, who played the beloved heartthrob, Paxton Hall-Yoshida. Paxton was meant to be a high school senior (17-18 years old) for much of the series. However, Darren Barnet was 29 years old when the final season aired, meaning he was portraying a high schooler well into his late twenties.

Similarly, Jaren Lewison, who played Devi's academic rival and eventual love interest, Ben Gross, was also slightly older than his character. While Ben Gross was 18 in Season 4, Jaren Lewison was around 20 years old at the time of filming, which is a much smaller gap than Barnet's, but still noticeable.

The rest of Devi's friend group, Fabiola Torres (Lee Rodriguez) and Eleanor Wong (Ramona Young), were also played by actors in their early to mid-twenties, further highlighting the industry's trend of casting older actors to play high school students.

• Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Devi Vishwakumar): 23 (Real Age) vs. 17-18 (Character Age)
• Darren Barnet (Paxton Hall-Yoshida): 29 (Real Age) vs. 17-19 (Character Age)
• Jaren Lewison (Ben Gross): 20 (Real Age) vs. 18 (Character Age)

The Significance of Devi's Age and Maturity

The four-year span covered by Never Have I Ever is arguably the most transformative period in a young person's life. Devi's age progression from 15 to 18 is not just a chronological detail; it's a structural element that drives her emotional and psychological development. Each season’s age marker allows the show to explore specific, age-appropriate themes:

1. Age 15 (Sophomore): Focus on grief, identity crisis, impulsivity, and social climbing.
2. Age 16 (Junior): Focus on complex romantic entanglements, academic pressure (PSATs, SATs), and family conflict with her mother, Nalini.
3. Age 17-18 (Senior): Focus on serious life decisions (college applications to Princeton), resolving the love triangle, and achieving emotional maturity, which is the final arc of the series.

The show's ability to ground the sometimes-exaggerated teen drama in the realistic framework of high school grades and ages, a concept loosely based on creator Mindy Kaling's own experiences as an Indian-American teen, is what made the series so relatable and critically acclaimed. Devi's journey is a universal story of growing up, made unique by her specific cultural and personal circumstances in Sherman Oaks, California.