Stars descend on the BAFTA film awards, with 'One Battle' and 'Sinners' leading the race

LONDON (AP) — TO MOVE AT 0500GMT SUNDAY

Politically charged thriller"One Battle After Another"and blues-steeped epic"Sinners"lead the race for Sunday'sBritish Academy Film Awardsas the two movies jostle for awards-season supremacy.

Oddsmakers suggest Shakespearean family tragedy"Hamnet"could beat them to best picture if British film industry voters respond to the emotionally rich story, earthy English setting and intense performances of Chloé Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's historical novel.

"One Battle" has 14 nominations, including best picture and acting nods for five of its cast. "Sinners" is just behind with 13, while "Hamnet" and the ping-pong odyssey"Marty Supreme"each have 11 nominations.

Guillermo del Toro's reimagining of"Frankenstein"and Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value"each got eight nominations.

The British prizes, officially called the EE BAFTA Film Awards, often provide hints about who will win at Hollywood'sAcademy Awards, held this year on March 15. In the Oscar nominations, "Sinners" leads the race witha record 16 nominations, followed by "One Battle After Another" with 13.

Stars including Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close and Ethan Hawke are expected on the red carpet outside London's Royal Festival Hall before a black-tie ceremony hosted by Scottish actorAlan Cumming.

Cumming, who hosts the U.S. version of reality show "The Traitors," pledged to strike a "balance between celebration and mischief."

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The BAFTA best film nominees are "One Battle After Another," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "Sinners" and "Sentimental Value." The BAFTAs also have a distinctly British accent, with a separate category for best British film. Its 10 nominees include "The Ballad of Wallis Island," "Pillion," "I Swear" and "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy."

Directing contenders are Paul Thomas Anderson for "One Battle," Josh Safdie for "Marty Supreme," Ryan Coogler for "Sinners," Yorgos Lanthimos for dystopian tragicomedy"Bugonia,"Joachim Trier for "Sentimental Value" and Zhao for "Hamnet." Zhao will be the first female director to win two BAFTAs if she takes the prize. She won the directing award in 2021 for "Nomadland."

Best leading actor nominees are bookies' favorite Timothée Chalamet for "Marty Supreme," Leonardo DiCaprio for "One Battle After Another," Ethan Hawke for Broadway biopic "Blue Moon," Michael B. Jordan for "Sinners," Jesse Plemons for "Bugonia" and Robert Aramayo for playing a man with Tourette's syndrome in biographical drama "I Swear."

The leading actress category includes the strongly favored Jessie Buckley for her performance as Agnes Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, in "Hamnet." She's up against Rose Byrne for "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," Kate Hudson for "Song Sung Blue," Chase Infiniti for "One Battle After Another," Renate Reinsve for "Sentimental Value" and Emma Stone for "Bugonia."

"One Battle" actors Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn are all nominated for supporting performances.

The Associated Press was recognized in the best documentary category with a nomination for Mstyslav Chernov's harrowing Ukraine war portrait"2000 Meters to Andriivka," co-produced by the AP and Frontline PBS.

Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,500 members of the U.K. academy of industry professionals. Contenders for the Rising Star award – the only prize decided by public vote and a reliable picker of future A-listers – are Infiniti, Aramayo, "Sinners" star Miles Caton and British actors Archie Madekwe and Posy Sterling.

Donna Langley, the U.K.-born chairwoman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, will be awarded the British Academy's highest honor, the BAFTA fellowship.

The ceremony airs on BBC in the United Kingdom starting at 1900GMT (2 p.m. EST) and on E! in the U.S. at 2000EST.

byJastin Mags

in

February 21, 2026

Stars descend on the BAFTA film awards, with 'One Battle' and 'Sinners' leading the race

LONDON (AP) — TO MOVE AT 0500GMT SUNDAY Politically charged thriller"One Battle After Another"and ...

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Willie Colón, salsa music pioneer and political activist, dies at 75

Music superstar Willie Colón, who helped define the salsa genre in the 1970s and '80s, died on Saturday, Feb. 21, his family confirmed on social media. He was 75.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and renowned musician, Willie Colon. He passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded by his loving family," a statement shared on hisFacebook pagereads.

"While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever," the statement reads. "Our family is deeply grateful for your prayers and support during this time of mourning. We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate our grief."

Throughout his career, the New York-born musician was nominated for 10 Grammy Awards and received a lifetime achievement award at the Latin Grammys in 2004.

He collaborated with music icons, including Héctor Lavoe and Celia Cruz. Alongside Rubén Blades, he recorded the 1978 album "Siembra," the best-selling salsa album of all time.

Born in the South Bronx of New York City in 1950 and raised in a Puerto Rican household, Colón took to music at an early age, learning to play the trumpet and trombone. By the time he was a teenager, he landed a record deal with Fania Records and released his debut album, "El Malo," in 1967 before turning 18.

Aside from music, he was a proud activist who was appointed a representative advisor to former New York City MayorMike Bloombergand a liaison to the New York City Latin Media & Entertainment Commission in 2003, a role he served for over a decade.

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Colón was also a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, as well as the ASCAP national board, becoming the first person of color to join.

He also made time for acting with roles in films like 1982's "Vigilante," 1983's "The Last Fight" and 1994's "It Could Happen to You." On television, he guest-starred as a drug dealer in a 1987 episode of "Miami Vice" and played himself on a 1992 episode of "The Cosby Show."

"From those roots grew a profound devotion to culture, heritage, and truth. He did not simply represent his community; he amplified it," Craft Recordings said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. "Beyond music, Willie was a voice for his community — an activist and a public servant. He understood that rhythm could move people, but also hearts—and that songs could spark change."

With over 40 albums, he captivated listeners with his portrayal of the Puerto Rican experience.

Last year, he appeared in the music video forBad Bunny's "Nuevayol," off the Super Bowl headliner's Grammy-winning album "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS."

(This story was updated to add a video and resolve a typo.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Willie Colón, salsa music pioneer and political activist, dies at 75

byJastin Mags

in

February 21, 2026

Willie Colón, salsa music pioneer and political activist, dies at 75

Music superstar Willie Colón, who helped define the salsa genre in the 1970s and '80s, died on Saturday, Feb. 21, hi...

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DAVID MARCUS: Memo to Bono: Please shut up and go away

I regret to inform you that Bono, the aging Irish pop star and front man for the band U2, is at it again, lecturing us poors as he always does. This time, it's about supposedly fascist efforts by the Trump administration to arrest and deport illegal immigrant criminals.

This week, the band, which hasn't produced a relevant song since the invention of the iPod, released the single "American Obituary," meant to be a searing protest anthem against PresidentDonald Trump, but actually a ditty just as flaccid as all of Bono's mailed-in outrage-of-the-day efforts.

Take this profound line:

"Renee Good born to die free

Kevin O'leary Warns Celebrities To 'Shut Your Mouth And Just Entertain' After Billie Eilish Grammys Speech

American mother of three

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Seventh day January

A bullet for еach child, you see"

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Did it happen near a tree? Did she know how to ski? And does Dr. Seuss know that Bono is raiding his notebooks?

This prancing clown has taken an incredibly fraught and complicated situationin Minneapolis, where a federal agent shot and killed Good, and made it seem like murder. However, Bono doesn't bother to mention that Good was hitting the officer with her car when she was shot.

Not exactly a minor detail.

Bill Maher Roasts Billie Eilish's Anti-ice Grammys Speech: 'Knowledge' Matters

No, instead of anything remotely resembling the truth, Bono is stoking anger in America at the behest of the billionaires who sign his checks, produce his musak, and hate Trump with the power of a thousand SpaceX launches.

Honestly, it has been enough. For 40 years Bono has parroted everylefty billionaire's cause, been wrong about most of them, flown around on private jets while complaining about carbon emissions and just generally been annoying.

At every Clinton Global Initiative Gala, there's Bono. Every conference on global warming, every scam "feed the children" campaign run by the UN that mostly enriches African warlords, yep, there's Bono.

Jonathan Turley: 'Say Her Name' Becomes Radical Rallying Cry For Democrats' Mob Rule

It is not a stretch to say that Bono's primary job and role in the universe for decades now has been to be the poster child of global liberalism, with all the smarmy smugness that comes with it.

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He's sure as hell not a contemporary musical artist in any meaningful sense of the word. People attend his shows to hear songs from the 1980s, not new releases.

Remember when Apple forced everyone to own the latest U2 album by having it automatically download on devices?

Jimmy Failla: Billie Eilish Cries 'Stolen Land' — Then Goes Home To Her $2.3M California Mansion

That happened because nobody actually wanted the latest U2 album. If people wanted it, they would not have given it to us, they'd have made us buy it.

This tells us something very important about the incentive structures that exist for our celebrities, and perhaps, why so many of them, the vast majority, in fact, regularly spout off lefty talking points.

Compare the treatment of Bono to his Brit pop star contemporary Morrissey, whoseupcoming album "Make-up Is A Lie"took years for any record label to release, even with extremely high demand, because it confronts Islamic terrorism and defends Western values.

Hollywood's Selective Silence On Iran Exposes The Lie Of Celebrity Activism

Morrissey has famously never bent the knee to the record industry when told what to say or when to shut up. Bono lives on that knee, lives off of that knee, and is likely too set in his ways to ever stand up again.

What message does this send to every musical performer, actor or filmmaker in the world? It says, "Push theprogressive Soros agendaor else." You can be rich and famous or you can challenge the left's holy truths, not both.

Bono is now trying to airlift in as Gen Z's Bob Dylan, to be the toast of the campus protests and an important and significant musical artist again. But it's just so obvious that he is going through the motions with fake moral outrage and a new cheesy ballad.

Pins, Platitudes And Silence: Hollywood's Hollow Response To Renee Good

In the name of love, I am imploring Bono to just finally shut the hell up. We can all make our political judgments with or without you, and honestly, after decades of your puerile pontifications, the latter would be preferable.

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The protest music of the 1960s was important because it was organic. It was of a piece with the sounds of that culture itself. Bono's neoliberal rehashing bears no resemblance to the fiery anger, the Palestinian flags, and the Black Bloc Antifa crews of 2026anti-government agitation.

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His song is nothing but a puff piece.

For whatever reason, for 40 years, Bono has been made the pope of pop culture, its moral arbiter and yardstick. He has always been terrible at it, and it is time for his tepid rule to end.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DAVID MARCUS

Original article source:DAVID MARCUS: Memo to Bono: Please shut up and go away

byJastin Mags

in

February 21, 2026

DAVID MARCUS: Memo to Bono: Please shut up and go away

I regret to inform you that Bono, the aging Irish pop star and front man for the band U2, is at it again, lecturing us p...

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Crews recover bodies of 9 backcountry skiers days after California avalanche

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Crews recovered the bodies of nine backcountry skiers who were killed by an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada, authorities said Saturday, concluding a harrowing operation that was hindered by intense snowfall.

California Avalanche

A search team reached the bodies of eight victims and found one other who had been missing and presumed dead since Tuesday's avalanche on Castle Peak near Lake Tahoe. The ninth person who was missing was found "relatively close" to the other victims, according to Nevada County Sheriff's Lt. Dennis Hack, but was impossible to see due to whiteout conditions at that time.

At a news conference, Sheriff Shannon Moon praised the collective efforts of the numerous agencies that helped recover the bodies — from the California Highway Patrol to the National Guard to the Pacific Gas & Electric utility company — and 42 volunteers who helped on the last day of the operation.

"We are fortunate in this mountain community that we are very tight-knit, and our community shows up in times of tragedy," Moon said.

Victims named

The sheriff named for the first time the three guides from Blackbird Mountain Company who died: Andrew Alissandratos, 34, Nicole Choo, 42, and Michael Henry, 30.

According to biographies on the company's website, Alissandratos was originally from Tampa, Florida, and moved to Tahoe roughly a decade ago. He enjoyed a wide array of adventure activities, from backcountry exploration to rock climbing.

Henry moved to Colorado in 2016 and then to Truckee three years later. He was described as "laid back" and devoted to sharing his knowledge and love of the mountains with others.

There was no bio for Choo on the website.

"This was an enormous tragedy, and the saddest event our team has ever experienced," Blackbird Mountain founder Zeb Blais said Wednesday in a statement.

"We are doing what we can to support the families who lost so much," he said, "and the members of our team who lost treasured friends and colleagues."

The six other fatal victimswere women who were part of a close-knit group of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and knew how to navigate the Sierra Nevada wilderness, their families said this week.

They were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt, all in their 40s. They lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, Idaho and the Lake Tahoe area.

"We are devastated beyond words," the families said in a statement. "Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors."

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The families asked for privacy while they grieve and added that they "have many unanswered questions."

Two of the friends got out alive and were rescued along with four others, including one guide, after Tuesday's avalanche. Their names have not been released.

Stuck on the mountain for hours

The avalanche struck on the last day of the 15 skiers' three-day tour, when the group decided to end the trip early to avoid the impending snowstorm. Officials have said the path they took is a "normally traveled route" but declined to specify what that meant.

At around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, the six survivors called for help, describing a sudden and terrifying slide that was approximately the length of a football field. In the aftermath they discovered the bodies of three fellow skiers, according to Hack.

Rescuer were not able to reach them until roughly six hours after the initial call for help, Hack said, and took two separate paths to arrive. They found five other bodies, leaving only one person unaccounted for.

But it was immediately clear to rescuers that it was too dangerous to extract the bodies at that time due to the heavy snowfall and threat of more avalanches. Those conditions persisted on Wednesday and Thursday.

A breakthrough on Friday

Authorities used two California Highway Patrol helicopters, with the help of Pacific Gas & Electric Company, to break up the snow and intentionally release unstable snowpack to reduce the avalanche risk.

Crews were then able to recover five victims that evening before it got too dark to access the last three.

Rescuers used helicopters and ropes to hoist the last four bodies from the mountain the following morning, fighting through severe winds that forced them to make multiple trips. The bodies were then taken to snowcats — trucks that are outfitted to drive on snow — for further transport.

"We cannot say enough how tremendously sorry we are for the families that have been affected by this avalanche," Moon said.

Initial reports indicated that at least two of the surviving skiers were not swept away by the avalanche, Hack said. The others were standing separately and relatively close together and were hit.

Hack declined to offer information about what might have set off the avalanche.

Authorities close the area

The terrain will be off-limits to visitors until mid-March, said Chris Feutrier, forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest. Officials intended to restore public access once the investigation is complete.

"This is the public's land, and they love to recreate on it," Feutrier said. "The Forest Service doesn't close public land for every hazard or every obstacle. We trust the American people to use their best judgment when recreating."

byJastin Mags

in

February 21, 2026

Crews recover bodies of 9 backcountry skiers days after California avalanche

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Crews recovered the bodies of nine backcountry skiers who were killed by an avalanche in Californ...

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Will Forte says “SNL” 'still makes me nervous' whenever he returns: 'It's built into every cell of your body'

Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Key points

• Will Forte tells EW that returning to Saturday Night Live "still makes me nervous" 16 years after leaving the show.

• The MacGruber actor says he didn't often reflect on the achievement of working at SNL during his time there: "You're just moving forward."

• The star explains how SNL50 provided a unique opportunity to recognize "what a special thing" it was to work at SNL: "What an honor!"

Will Forteloved his time onSaturday Night Live— but heading back to 30 Rock still gives him the willies.

TheMacGruberactor tellsEntertainment Weeklythat returning to Studio 8H inspires a wide range of emotions even 16 years after leaving the sketch show.

"It's great. It's so fun to be back," he says. "It still makes me nervous every time I enter that building. It's built into every cell of your body — you have this cellular memory that gets activated when you walk in the door."

Leon Bennett/Getty

He continues, "But also there are so many old friends that still work there behind the scenes and this wonderful continuity with this whole family that's there. And so that part is great. It's so fun to be back with this new cast."

Forte worked onSNLfrom 2002 to 2010. He recentlyreturned to the show with a new MacGruber sketchwhenGlen Powellhosted the show in October. Before that, he joined dozens of the show's famous alums for its 50th anniversary celebration in February 2025.

"The 50th anniversary was a very, very special time," Forte remembers. "'Cause when you're there, it's this amazing place with this tradition, and it's such an honor to be there, but you're grinding through each week and you're stressed out, and you get through the week and then you gotta just dive into the next week. And you have very little time to really take a big-picture look at what's going on. You're just moving forward."

SNL50, he says, was different. "The 50th was a really fun time to actually get a chance to really go, 'Wow, what a special thing I got to be a part of,'" Forte explains. "One of my biggest goals going into comedy was getting onSNL. So to have been a part of it — what an honor!"

The comedian describes the festivities as a somewhat overwhelming experience. "It was a lot to take in and it was really fun and special," he says. "You really got to reflect a little bit, which wasn't always the case. Every once in a while while I was there, it would dawn on me: 'Oh my God, I'm atSaturday Night Liveright now! My dream job!' But most of the time you're just stressed out. 'Oh God, what, what are we gonna do this week?' So this was a time when you could really relax and have fun."

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Mike Coppola/NBC via Getty

But the celebration also provided new opportunities for nervousness.

"Everywhere you turned, there was a new exciting person. So many people who I was fans of from the show that I never got to meet," Forte says. "I've been nearBill Murrayso many times, but never had the courage to go up and introduce myself. I still get starstruck around people, and I get really quiet and shy. Even around people who are incredibly easy to talk to, likeMartin Short— couldn't be a nicer person than Martin Short, and I still get really quiet. I just turned into a dummy. So people are very patient with me."

Forte still has to remind himself that he's enmeshed with the same legacy as so many of his heroes. "I'm starstruck around so many of those people," he explains. "It was really fun because I kept seeing these really fun people that I'm a fan of, and I'm like, 'Oh, that's right, I'm part of this thing too. Geez, wow. What a cool thing.'"

SNL/YouTube

Forte recently partnered with Teva to launch a campaign raising awareness for Huntington's disease. The actor's brother-in-law, Douglas, was diagnosed with the condition, which is an inherited disorder in which the brain's nerve cells decay over time, affecting movement, cognitive ability, and mental health.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

"More people have Huntington's than have ALS, but everybody knows ALS, so that's why we're trying to get the word out about it," Forte says. "We're trying to get some support and a bigger community going to support the people who have Huntington's, and to teach the people who don't have it about it."

The actor emphasizes the importance of openly discussing the condition. "The more you can be there to support your loved ones who are going through it and create a big community around them, the better," he says. "And to talk about it. Just talk about it. The more you talk about it, the better. 'cause It's easy to just get scared about, 'Oh, am I gonna say the right thing? What do I say?' But saying anything is better than saying nothing."

You can learn more about Forte's family's experience with Huntington's disease on theHonestlyHD website.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byJastin Mags

in

February 21, 2026

Will Forte says “SNL” 'still makes me nervous' whenever he returns: 'It's built into every cell of your body'

Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Key points Will Forte tells EW that returning to Saturd...

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Milo Ventimiglia Says Fatherhood Helps Him with 'Understanding Emotions' as He Prepares for Baby No. 2 (Exclusive)

Milo Ventimiglia told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that fatherhood helps him with "understanding emotions," which he applies to his acting work

NEED TO KNOW

• The This Is Us star and his wife, Jarah Mariano, welcomed their first child, daughter Ke'ala, in January 2025

• They are currently expecting a second baby

Milo Ventimigliais opening up about how fatherhood has allowed him to bring more emotional depth to his acting performances.

Reflecting on his parenting journey in an exclusive PEOPLE in 10 interview, theThis Is Usstar said, "The well of understanding emotions and being able to convey them just bottoms out, and it's infinite."

"It's a pretty wild experience being able to take that new fatherhood and new family and plug it into my work," Ventimiglia, 48, added.

The actor and his wife,Jarah Mariano, welcomed their first child,daughter Ke'ala Coral, in January 2025. As Ke'ala celebrated her first birthday last month, the couple revealed that they are expecting their second baby together.

Photo by RochelleBrodinPhoto/Shutterstock; Jarah Mariano/Instagram

Ke'ala arrived shortly after Ventimiglia and Mariano, 42, were forced to evacuate from their home amid the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. The new mom detailed everything the family had been through in anInstagram postat the time as she announced Ke'ala's birth.

"Houseless, never homeless. Welcome back Ke'ala Coral Ventimiglia 🌈 1.23.25," she wrote. "Jan 7th my family & I evacuated from the Palisades Fire.We lost our homethat we were living in & everything we own, as well as our home under construction that we were about to move into. I take it as a gift that I was able to essentially do a practice run for what was inevitably to come."

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"My family & I are together, happy, healthy & safe, which is truly all that matters," she continued. "We are deeply grateful to all of the heroes who help battle fires, as well as care for everyone affected by the aftermath for years to come. This will be an extended process of rebuilding and grieving for many, but we are feeling optimistic & inspired to welcome all of the exciting newness of our fresh start!"

RochelleBrodinPhoto/Shutterstock

Ventimiglia, who stars in the new filmI Can Only Imagine 2, reflected on the emotional roller coaster he and Mariano experienced during the time, telling PEOPLE, "My wife and I, we lost our home to the fires in Los Angeles and two weeks later, our daughter was born. So you have these two completely opposite feelings."

"Just heartbreak with absolute joy," he added, noting that it "would have been impossible" not to put his personal experience into his performance as Tim Timmons, a Christian singer-songwriter who lives with terminal cancer, inI Can Only Imagine 2.

Mariano revealed the couple's latest pregnancy onInstagramon Jan. 24 as she celebrated daughter Ke'ala turning 1. Alongside a photo of herself showcasing her baby bump in a bikini as she held the toddler in the ocean in Hawaii, she wrote, "Happy 1 year baby girl. When you came into my life I had 2 distinct thoughts, one immediately after the other - I would die for you in a heartbeat, but now I also have to live as long as I possibly can to be around to make sure you're safe."

"This is the most unique love I've ever experienced, just as unique of a soul you are," she continued. "In a world with so much fear and hatred, I know that you will bring your radiating light everywhere you go to make it a better and brighter place for those around you."

I Can Only Imagine 2is in theaters now.

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin Mags

in

February 21, 2026

Milo Ventimiglia Says Fatherhood Helps Him with 'Understanding Emotions' as He Prepares for Baby No. 2 (Exclusive)

Milo Ventimiglia told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that fatherhood helps him with "understanding emotions,...

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“Never Have I Ever Star” Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Reveals the Unexpected Fake Name She Gives at Coffee Shops (Exclusive)

Tommaso Boddi/Getty for Netflix

NEED TO KNOW

• Maitreyi Ramakrishnan revealed she uses an unusual fake name when ordering at coffee shops

• The actress, 24, said she does it because people often mispronounce her actual name

• Maitreyi also shared her personal goal for the coming year

Maitreyi Ramakrishnanrevealed she that often gives an unexpected fake name to baristas when ordering at coffee shops.

TheNever Have I Everstar caught up with PEOPLE exclusively before the release of herPokémon Super Bowl commercial. During the conversation, she shared that almost no one pronounces her actual name correctly.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

"One hundred percent story of my life, especially with my first name," Ramakrishnan, 24, said. "I had acouple of viral tweetswhen I like first got famous. Just spelling out my name as like, My-Tray-Yee as a pronunciation."

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan/Instagram

She added, "But then, see my thing is with my last name — I didn't feel like I ever needed to do that. 'Cause my last name is just [said like it's read]: Ramakrishnan. But then I get a lot of people saying Rama-Chrishtian, like Christianity. And I'm like, there's no 'T.' This is yet again, a reading comprehension issue."

"This is why we need to invest in education," she quipped.

Ramakrishnan then shared that she now often gives a different name altogether when she's grabbing coffee to avoid the hassle.

"I usually just say my name is Blue at like a coffee shop. I'll just say Blue," she revealed.

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Later in the conversation, PEOPLE asked theFreakier Fridayactressif she has any specific goals for the coming year, to which she said she hopes to feel more comfortable with the things in life that are outside her control.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan/Instagram

She continued, "My brain doesn't like to know that it's not in control of everything, you know?" she explained. "Like, I understand that there's many things in my life that are out of my control completely, but my brain doesn't like to know that, and keeps fighting …  even though logically I understand that as a concept."

"So, all of this to say, I think, at least in my near future …  I want to try and embrace the fact that, yeah, not everything is in my control. I have to really just narrow in and focus on what is, you know, tangible, and [what] I actually have influence over," she added.

She said she does, however, know that there's one thing in life very much in her control: thepeople with whom she surrounds herself.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"I know that I have good people around me. That's like super, super important," she said, adding, "I don't like to put myself in a social circle that makes me feel like I'm second-guessing myself. Not that I need a bunch of yes men … I need people that are real."

"I mean, life is short, it's a blip. Gotta make it count. Might as well have a good cast of people, you know?" she added.

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin Mags

in

February 21, 2026

“Never Have I Ever Star” Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Reveals the Unexpected Fake Name She Gives at Coffee Shops (Exclusive)

Tommaso Boddi/Getty for Netflix NEED TO KNOW Maitreyi Ramakrishnan revealed she uses an unusual fake name w...

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