"I actually feel a little illegal talking about it right now. I'm like, 'Wait, I shouldn't even be speaking about it now,' " she tells PEOPLE
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Maitreyi-Ramakrishnan-020726-3-d6670f3dddc945a5bb6a41e0db2ecaf7.jpg "Never Have I Ever Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Says ‘It Was Really Hard' to Keep Her Pokémon Super Bowl Commercial a Secret for Nearly a Year")
Courtesy of The Pokemon Company International
Pokémon kicked off its 30th anniversary with a star-studded 2026 Super Bowl commercial.
NEED TO KNOW
- Pokémon kicked off its 30th anniversary with a star-studded 2026 Super Bowl commercial featuring Lady Gaga, Trevor Noah, Never Have I Ever‘s Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and more
- Ramakrishnan tells PEOPLE it was “really hard” to keep the ad under wraps for months
- The actress is part of the brand’s year-long campaign, “What’s Your Favorite?”, which asks fans to share their favorite Pokémon
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan had a tough time keeping her appearance in Pokémon’s 2026 Super Bowl under wraps.
“It was really hard to sit on this for so long as a secret,” the Never Have I Ever star, 24, tells PEOPLE of keeping her appearance in the ad confidential for months. “I actually feel a little illegal talking about it right now. I'm like, ‘Wait, I shouldn't even be speaking about it now.' "
“But it's just so cool because I'm such a diehard fan of Pokémon ever since I was a kid,” Ramakrishnan, who was first introduced to the Pocket Monsters at age six, adds of partnering with the brand. “It really is a no-brainer.”
The commercial, which debuted during Super Bowl LX and will also air during the 2026 Winter Olympics, features Lady Gaga, comedian Trevor Noah and more revealing their favorite Pokémon, ranging from Jigglypuff to Psyduck.
The ad kicks off the brand's year-long campaign, aptly titled “What’s Your Favorite?”, to celebrate Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
“No matter if you're a diehard fan or you've seen an episode of Pokémon once in your life, you can answer that question even if you don't know anyone other than Pikachu,” the Freakier Friday actress says. “It's a universal question.”
“The ‘What’s Your Favorite?’ campaign embodies Pokémon’s overarching mission of bringing people together through a shared love of Pokémon,” said Kenji Okubo, president at The Pokémon Company International, in a statement to PEOPLE about the campaign. “It’s a question that sparks passionate discussion and reminds fans that no matter who they are, there is a Pokémon for them.”
Courtesy of The Pokemon Company International
So, what’s Ramakrishnan’s favorite Pokémon?
She tells PEOPLE that Luxray, a lion-like creature that has the power to see through walls, is her favorite for "purely nostalgic” reasons.
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“Luxray was the card in my first-ever Pokémon card pack. It was the best one in the pack, so I was like Luxray’s going to be my favorite,” Ramakrishnan says. “I still have that Pokémon card, the first that I ever owned in my life.”
Courtesy of The Pokemon Company International
The year-long campaign will also include fan-focused events to connect new fans with those who grew up watching Pokémon, collecting the iconic cards and playing the brand’s popular video games since 1996.
“We can’t wait to surprise and delight them with more offerings and experiences in the coming months,” Okubo says.
Of getting a chance to be a part of Pokémon’s 30th celebration, Ramakrishnan says it’s “wild.”
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“This is the dream. I don't think it's really hit me yet that this is happening,” the actress says. “It's moments like this that make me very grateful for my life and that I get to have these awesome opportunities that also still remain true to who I am.”
“I love being able to be a part of Pokémon's campaign for their 30-year anniversary because it is something that I would naturally I would do,” she adds. “It's not fake. It's not inauthentic; I just truly love Pokémon, and I get to make this a part of my career.”
See PEOPLE's coverage of the 2026 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, airing live on NBC on Sun., Feb. 8, from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.