- In full:
- Vera Mindy Chokalingam
- Born:
- June 24, 1979, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. (age 47)
- Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In):
- "House Poor" (2008)
- "The Office: The Girl Next Door" (2011)
- "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" (2009)
- "The Office" (2005–2013)
- "The Office: Blackmail" (2009)
- "Despicable Me" (2010)
- "The 40 Year Old Virgin" (2005)
- "The Muppets." (2015)
- "No Strings Attached" (2011)
- "A Wrinkle in Time" (2018)
- "Inside Out" (2015)
- "This Is the End" (2013)
- "Ocean's 8" (2018)
- "The Office: The Outburst" (2008)
- "Unaccompanied Minors" (2006)
- "Global Warming" (2008)
- "The Office: The Mentor" (2010)
- "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2005)
- "The Office: Subtle Sexuality" (2009)
- "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (2018)
- "Wreck-It Ralph" (2012)
- "HitRECord on TV" (2015)
- "The Five-Year Engagement" (2012)
- "License to Wed" (2007)
- "The Mindy Project" (2012–2017)
- "The Night Before" (2015)
- "Champions" (2018)
- "Animals." (2017)
- "Late Night" (2019)
- "The Morning Show" (2019)
- "The Office: The 3rd Floor" (2010)
- Movies/Tv Shows (Directed):
- "The Office: The 3rd Floor" (2010)
- "The Office: Subtle Sexuality" (2009)
- "The Office: The Girl Next Door" (2011)
- "The Office" (2010–2011)
- Movies/Tv Shows (Writing/Creator):
- "Late Night" (2019)
- "Never Have I Ever" (2020)
- "Champions" (2018)
- "The Office" (2019)
- "The Office" (2005–2012)
- "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (2019)
- "House Poor" (2008)
- "The Mindy Project" (2012–2017)
- "Saturday Night Live" (2006)
Mindy Kaling
-
Who is Mindy Kaling?
Mindy Kaling, born Vera Mindy Chokalingam on June 24, 1979, is an accomplished American actress, comedian, and author known for her unique humor. She gained widespread recognition for her role in The Mindy Project, a TV show that she created, wrote, and executive produced, in addition to starring in it.
Kaling's other notable works include co-creating the TV series Champions, co-writing the Hulu limited series Four Weddings and a Funeral, and co-creating the Netflix show Never Have I Ever. She is also the author of autobiographical essay collections such as Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) and Why Not Me?.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What TV shows or movies is Mindy Kaling known for?
Mindy Kaling, born Vera Mindy Chokalingam on June 24, 1979, is an accomplished American actress, comedian, and author.
Kaling is known for both acting and writing in several TV shows and movies:
* The Office Kaling not only acted in The Office (2005–2013) but also wrote and directed episodes.
* The Mindy Project She developed, wrote, and starred in The Mindy Project (2012–2017), a TV show about a romantic obstetrician-gynecologist.
* Never Have I Ever Kaling co-created and co-wrote the Netflix series Never Have I Ever (2020–23), drawing from her own experiences as a first-generation Indian American.
* The Sex Lives of College Girls She created and co-wrote The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021– ), a comedy series about college roommates.2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What role did she play on the show 'The Office'?
Mindy Kaling is an American actress, comedian, and author known for her offbeat humor. After writer and producer Greg Daniels saw Matt & Ben, he recruited Kaling in 2004 to write for an American version of the popular British mockumentary-style TV comedy The Office. Kaling also portrayed the character Kelly Kapoor, one of the fictional office’s "most ethnic co-workers." Kaling remained with the hit show throughout its 2005–13 run. She also served as executive producer for the series from 2008 and directed several episodes as well.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some books Mindy Kaling has written?
Mindy Kaling is an American actress, comedian, and author known for her work in television and film. She has also written two autobiographical essay collections: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) (2011) and Why Not Me? (2015). Additionally, Kaling served as a producer for the Broadway show A Strange Loop, which won a Tony Award for best musical in 2022. Kaling has writing credits in television for The Office, Never Have I Ever, and The Mindy Project.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Mindy Kaling get started in comedy and acting?
Mindy Kaling's career in comedy and acting took off after college. She and a friend turned an inside joke into a satire titled Matt & Ben, where they portrayed Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The play won an award at the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival and enjoyed a successful Off-Broadway run before moving to Los Angeles.
Writer and producer Greg Daniels saw Matt & Ben and recruited Kaling as a writer for the American version of The Office in 2004. She also played Kelly Kapoor and became an executive producer in 2008, directing several episodes. Later, Kaling developed The Mindy Project, where she starred, wrote, and served as executive producer.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What impact has Mindy Kaling had on American television and comedy?
Mindy Kaling has significantly impacted American television and comedy through her unique perspective and offbeat humor. As a writer, producer, and actress, Kaling has created opportunities and more diverse representation in the industry.
Kaling's The Mindy Project, which she wrote, produced, and starred in, is a sitcom that revolves around Mindy Lahiri, an OB/GYN who is looking for love. The show is known for its witty dialogue and unique take on popular culture. Kaling also co-created Never Have I Ever, a Netflix series about a first-generation Indian American teenager, drawing inspiration from her own life. She also created The Sex Lives of College Girls, a comedy series about four college roommates, which airs on HBO Max.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Mindy Kaling (born June 24, 1979, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.) is an American actress, comedian, and author known for her offbeat humor, which she put on display in such projects as the television show The Mindy Project (2012–17).
Early life and education
Kaling is the daughter of Indian immigrants. Her father, an architect, and her mother, an obstetrician-gynecologist, met at a hospital in Nigeria where both were working, and they moved to the United States in 1979. As a child, Kaling paid rapt attention to such televised sketch comedies as In Living Color and Saturday Night Live. She attended Dartmouth College (B.A., 2001), where she majored in theater and joined both the all-female a capella group Rockapellas and the campus improv troupe the Dog Day Players. In addition, she drew the well-liked comic Badly Drawn Girl for the university newspaper.
Breakthrough: Matt & Ben and The Office
Following graduation, Kaling shared an apartment in Brooklyn with her college friend Brenda Withers. Kaling and Withers turned a running joke into an infotainment satire, Matt & Ben, in which the women portrayed the actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The play was entered in 2002 into the New York International Fringe Festival, where it took the award for best overall production. The comedy then had a successful two-year run Off-Broadway, followed by a transfer to Los Angeles.
After writer and producer Greg Daniels saw Matt & Ben, he recruited Kaling in 2004 to write for an American version of the popular British mockumentary-style TV comedy The Office. Kaling also portrayed the character Kelly Kapoor, one of the fictional office’s “most ethnic co-workers.” Kaling remained with the hit show throughout its 2005–13 run. She also served as executive producer for the series from 2008, and she directed several episodes as well.
The Mindy Project, Never Have I Ever, and The Sex Lives of College Girls
Kaling later developed the innovative TV show The Mindy Project, which centered on the life of Mindy Lahiri, an obstetrician-gynecologist who is fixated on finding a romantic partner. The character Mindy is self-involved, impulsive, and prone to romantic delusions and has a great fondness for designer clothing. The half-hour show premiered in 2012 and became known for its clever dialogue and singular take on popular culture. In addition to starring on the show, Kaling also wrote and served as executive producer. The Mindy Project moved to the streaming service Hulu for its fourth season. The series ended in 2017.
Kaling then cocreated the TV series Champions (2018), about a theater kid who moves in with his dad so that he can attend school in New York City. Kaling wrote several episodes and played the boy’s mother. In 2019 she cowrote an adaption of the 1994 romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral as a limited series, featuring a more diverse cast, on Hulu. Drawing inspiration from her own life, Kaling then cocreated and cowrote the Netflix show Never Have I Ever (2020–23), about a first-generation Indian American teenager. She later created and cowrote The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021– ), a comedy series that centers on four college roommates; it aired on HBO Max.
Later acting work
Kaling lent her acting talents to such film comedies as The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), License to Wed (2007), and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) and voiced characters for the animated movies Despicable Me (2010), Wreck-It Ralph (2012), and Inside Out (2015). She later appeared as Mrs. Who in the 2018 film adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s acclaimed 1962 sci-fi novel, A Wrinkle in Time. Kaling also joined the mostly female cast of Ocean’s 8 (2018), a reboot of the Ocean’s Eleven franchise from the early 2000s.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
In 2019 Kaling wrote her first feature-length screenplay, Late Night, in which she also starred as a diversity hire on the writing team of a nightly talk show. She later voiced the title character in the animated TV series Velma (2023– ), which was inspired by the teen mystery show Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969–70). During this time, Kaling also had a recurring role on the series The Morning Show (2019– ), playing a morning news anchor.
Books and other activities
In addition, Kaling found time to write the autobiographical essay collections Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) (2011) and Why Not Me? (2015). She also was a producer of the Broadway show A Strange Loop, and in that role she won a Tony Award in 2022, when it was named best musical.