Mindy Kaling - Updated Sep 2024

Updated On June 3, 2024
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Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling is a well-known actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer from the United States. Mindy Kaling rose to fame after playing the role of Kelly Kapoor in the NBC sitcom, “The Office” (2005–2013), for which she also served as a writer, executive producer, and director.

Early Life

Mindy Kaling came to the world on the 24th of June 1979, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America. Her full name is Vera Mindy Chokalingam and she is 43 years old as of 2023. Similarly, she holds an American nationality and has a zodiac sign of Cancer. She follows Judaism by religion and belongs to the Indian ethnicity.

Concerning her parents, she is the daughter of Avu Chokalinga, (father) and Swati Roysircar (mother). Professionally, her father was an architect while her mother was a doctor (gynecologist). In the year 1979, her family moved to the United States. She has a brother named Vijay Jojo Chokalingam who works in education. Sadly, her mother died in 2012 due to pancreatic cancer.

Mindy Kaling

Caption: Mindy Kaling with her mother (Source: TODAY)

Talking about her academic career, she studied at Buckingham Browne & Nichols Upper School and graduated in 1997. Later, she enrolled at Dartmouth College and graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor’s degree in playwriting. Later, she created the comic ‘Badly Drawn Girl in the university newspaper which was hugely liked.

Professional Career

At a young age, Mindy Kaling created her comic strip ‘Badly Drawn Girl.’ Moreover, she made her debut as Ben Affleck in the famous play “Matt and Ben.” With her best friend, Brenda Withers, she co-wrote a play named one of Time magazine’s “Top Ten Theatrical Events of The Year” and was a surprise hit at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2002. In addition, the play was shown in New York City and Los Angeles.

Later, she was hired in the 2004 popular British comedy series “The Office” as a writer and an actress. For this, she received five Emmy Award nominations as a writer and producer.

She portrayed the role of Kelly Kapoor in the 2005 series’ second episode, “Diversity Day.” She starred in 2012 her series “Mindy Project” which was concluded on the 14th of November 2017.

Mindy Kaling

Caption: Mindy Kaling as the role of Kelly Kapoor in the NBC sitcom, The Office (Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet)

Afterward, she tried television direction by directing the Season 6 episode titled “Body Language.” Even, she has directed The Office webisode “The 3rd Floor.” Later, she signed a new contract with the show on the 15th of September 2011 and also became an executive producer.

In the 2005 television series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” she played Richard Lewis’s assistant. That same, she made  her debut film appearance in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” She guest-wrote parts of an episode of “Saturday Night Live” in the year 2005. Later, she played a waitress in the 2007 film “Unaccompanied Minors.”

Other acting roles

She played a minor role in the 2007 movie “License to Wed.” In addition, she appeared in the movie “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” as a tour guide. Following year, in 2011, she played in “No Strings Attached” as Shira. She published her first book titled ‘Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?’ (And Other Concerns) in 2011. And, the book appeared in the New York Times best-seller list.

She appeared in the movie “The Five-Year Engagement” and lent her voice to a character in the film ‘Wreck-It Ralph” in the year 2012. Afterward, she also appeared in the 2015 Pixar film “Inside Out” as Disgust.

She published her second book named ‘Why Not Me?’ that same year. The book includes many events that have happened in her life since 2011 and appeared on the New York Times best-seller list. She played the role of Mrs. Who in the 2018 science fantasy adventure film “A Wrinkle in Time.” And, that same year, she played the role of Amita in Gary Ross’ heist comedy film “Ocean’s 8.”

Recent career

She created the 2020 Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” with Lang Fisher, a comedy partially based on Kaling’s childhood story growing up in the Boston area. Moreover, she was an executive producer as well as voicing the titular character, in the adult-oriented Scooby-Doo spin-off series “Velma.”

The series premiered on the 12th of January 2023 and collected mixed reviews from critics and overwhelmingly negative reactions from both general audiences and non-critics. Currently, she is set to co-write the third installment in the “Legally Blonde” series with Dan Goor which is scheduled to be released in May 2023.

Awards

From her profession, she has earned several awards and nominations. She won the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards for the Outstanding Comedy Series ‘The Office.’ Later, she won the 2012 Critic’s Choice Television Award for the Most Exciting New Series and became one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.” Similarly, she was listed in the ’50 Coolest and Most Creative Entertainers’ in Hollywood by ‘Entertainment Weekly.’

Mindy Kaling

Caption: Mindy Kaling earned the IMDb STARmeter Award at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival (Source: Business Wire)

Likewise, Mindy Kaling won the 2014 Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor – Comedy and was also named among Glamour’s “Women of The Year” in 2014. In addition, she has won the 2015 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series and Reader’s Choice Award for Best Humour Book for the book ‘Why Not Me?’

Mindy Kaling – Net Worth 2024

As of January 2023, Mindy Kaling’s net worth is estimated at around $35 million which she makes as an actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. She earns a salary of around  $150 per episode also makes money from writing books, and has her show ‘The Mindy Project’ from where she can contribute to her net worth.

Relationship Status

Mindy Kaling has two kids whose names are still unclear. However, this actress is not married, and neither of her children’s fathers’ identities have been publicly disclosed. Moreover, this actress as a close friendship with B. J. Novak over 15 years ago while writing the series The Office.

Their relationship was on and off while writing and acting on the show ‘The Office.’ However, she considers Novak her best friend. She is a 1% owner of the Welsh football team Swansea City which plays in the EFL Championship.

Body Measurements

Mindy Kaling

Caption: Mindy Kaling posing for a photo (Source: Instagram)

Mindy Kaling stands 5 feet 4 inches and weighs around 65 kg. Moreover, she has dark brown eyes with black hair color and her body measurement is measure 36-29-37 inches. In addition, she wears a dress size of 10 US, a shoe size of 7 US, and a bra size of 34.

Mindy Kaling – Social Media

On her Instagram page ‘@mindykaling’ there are over 6.5 million followers. Likewise, there are over 11.4 million followers on her Twitter page ‘@mindykaling’, and over 1.1 million followers on her Facebook page.