Mindy Kaling, photographed March 1, 2022.
(Chantal Anderson / Trunk Archive)
At the end of her 2020 memoir, “Nothing Like I Imagined (Except for Sometimes),” Mindy Kaling offers readers a glimpse of her typical day, juggling responsibilities as a single mother and Hollywood producer.
“From my Instagram, you might think my life is all about wearing fashionable outfits and going to panels on women’s empowerment,” she writes. “It turns out, being a producer is exactly like writing for my show, but with less credit, less control, and a thousand more meetings. It can also be really fun.”
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Casually breaking down a calendar chock-full of mom duties, self-care, creativity and, yes, many, many meetings with her trademark mix of confidence and self-deprecation, Kaling’s disarmingly approachable prose demystifies a nebulous entertainment industry job while keeping Kaling relatable.
In fact, Kaling’s relatability might be her true superpower.
She has since channeled the characteristic that made her name on “The Office” and “The Mindy Project” into the behind-the-scenes power of a multihyphenate who understands pop-culture-obsessed audiences from the inside out. And having already made her mark as an actor, screenwriter, producer and bestselling author, the 44-year-old continues to add roles to her resume: In 2022, Kaling expanded her publishing world footprint by partnering with Amazon on her own imprint, Mindy’s Book Studio, which champions emerging voices, especially women of color.
‘If I could pay it forward and help other incredibly talented women — mostly women of color — and emerging writers, then it’s great.’
— Mindy Kaling
“I’ve worked so hard to get to a place where I have this platform,” Kaling explained during an October appearance on the “Today” show. “If I could pay it forward and help other incredibly talented women — mostly women of color — and emerging writers, then it’s great.”
The new shingle also has the potential to become a pipeline for Kaling’s still-vibrant work as a maker of television, particularly in a hot market for intellectual property. Great news for those who’ve repeatedly binged Kaling-created shows such as “Never Have I Ever” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”
May she continue to bring audiences even more stories they love — and, of course, relate to.
