Mindy Kaling

"Very good?" "How good?" "Very good." "That's a whole lot." "Cool, we're saying that."

“"Stiff-dung, warm, tasty, computer-built, focus-man-ee-chip, finance-tip, soak-te-was-out."”

"Mega, but that's the top-best-complet-fied." "No." "Einfuck photo of the lone-steuer-best-chein-e-gung-machem-hunt-fartig." "Clink, very good." "It's very good."

"Hold your dein Geld zurück." "Met, how so steuer?" "Hello, everyone and welcome to another episode of Good. We have a great one today. We are talking to Mindy Kaling, Mindy, Mogul, so good at so many things.

And we get into it today. We talk about a lot of fun stuff. We talk about Occupella groups. We talk about whether or not we think we can deliver a baby. We talk about the fact that she has written more episodes of the office than any other

writer. And we get into her new show, not suitable for work, which is on now, on Hulu.

So lots of great stuff to talk about, and like always, we talk to someone who knows our

guest and has a question for our guest and speaking of not suitable for work. We have one of the stars from that show, Avantika joining us, Avantika, who you may know from the movie, musical of Mean Girls, a talented young woman who is here to, well, to grace our presence. Really.

Avantika? My audio working? This episode is brought to you by Hilton.

“Did you hear Paris Hilton has like a billion Hilton honors points?”

Well, she calls them Paris points, and Hilton is helping her give them all away this summer. Use them for that wedding or blasher, that's business and pleasure, or maybe book a stage just for sleep. As Paris would say, that's sliving.

Just make sure you're a Hilton honors member and follow Paris and Hilton on the socials to see how Paris points can be your points. When you want points it actually make your summer slay, it matters where you stay. Hi, it's so nice to see you again. It's not so good to see you.

Congratulations on all the good stuff happening for you, and no surprise, where are we talking you from? I'm on set right now, because my makeup looks a little scary. Are you shooting not suitable for work right now? Is that the set that you're on?

Can you imagine I'm soft launching season two? No. This is not the set I'm on and I'm on and I'm disclosed. Oh, exciting. I live pretty.

You are busy, busy, busy.

You know, we first met on the set of Monksey.

Monksey? Yeah. Yeah. Did we meet? Do you remember?

I don't remember like the first initial meeting. I just have a really vivid memory of you, of like walking out of the school, like the classroom and seeing you and my dad, like holding hands and jumping up and down together because you figured out you guys had the same birthday because you love stalking. Yeah.

I thought you were laughing at the day before, but you both had your ideas and I was like,

“oh my god, I've learned it's a very common September birthdays are very common, I guess?”

Yeah. I guess people really get down there, but I know what does it say about that. They get down in the holidays, I guess. I guess no, we have board, board and we're full. Well I remember, I directed a film for Netflix called Moxie and it was filled with

a incredible cast and I remember you came and joined us for a two brief scene but a really

fun day and that's really, really cute that you're dad and I wanted it. I was reading up on you, Vantica and you're so impressive and the stuff that you've done. And I didn't know that you did a lot of Bollywood when you were younger. Yeah, it's how I started out. I think at the time, I was 10 and any of my friends like to make safe bets and it was

not to say, "But at the time to be like, "What's Hall-A's Sally and do this for the rest of your life?" But India was a more perspective place if I wanted to be in the film industry and so we moved there for like four years. Oh, why don't you move there for your career?

Yeah, yeah, my mom really liked, my mom left her job the day that I was born. She was like, I want to spend all my time with my daughter and she made a lot of sacrifices for me to be in this industry so I'm very grateful that now she gets to watch a TV show and I hope she enjoys and yeah, she really is the reason that I'm here, not to get all emo on everyone.

I get seven in the morning for you, no, no, no, I'm ready to cry any time anytime. Okay, so let's talk about your boss. So I'm interviewing Mindy Kaling today whom I've known for a really long time and I'm

paths and one of the things that I really want to talk to her about is what kind of boss is she? So the first time I ever met Mindy was in a parking lot that she took me to an LA because I had deemed her when I was 17 being like, I love you. And she was like, okay, she was like, yeah, like she's like, let me have my assistant schedule

lunch. I was like, this is the most exciting thing happening right now. And she took me to a French restaurant in a strip mall and helped me. And the seating is literally in a parking lot and my dad was like parked 300 feet away. I love that bring my dad my dad's like, making a reappearance and every story piece.

Just always progs of it and watching the room right now, you know, like she took me to this

French restaurant and was like, we need to try a car go if you haven't tried all right, so my first like one on one experience with Mindy was like eating snails and her being this

“very, she was like, tell me about your career, she was like, what do you want in life?”

And I think the one thing that always stood out to me about her and is one of ever favorite qualities about her, but having worked on this set is that she's such a curious person, like she, Mindy asks so many questions. She's just like down to gossip, she's down to God, like she knows about my love. Like, she knows about all of our love lies.

Like, Mindy's still really fun, first of all, I really wish this time around that she like,

we don't because we're always scared of when we're going to lose Mindy because like Mindy's

first priority are her kids and like her life outside and so this season we're hoping that like we're going to get her claws on her and like if we get renewed for a next season, she won't let us go, but she's fast. I think what Mindy knows it or like can really comprehend it or not, she's like a present figure and so many people, mindy and sense like sort of you know, like a lot of people view Mindy as a friend and and a role model or an idol, whether it be

Kelly Capor or any of the characters she's, she's creative. Yeah and as a young Indian woman watching her, what did it mean to see her,

“representing her life on screen, like what, what was that like as a young person?”

I loved never have I ever. I mean, whenever I ever came out and trades that I was getting made,

I was like, this is the most insane thing like I've ever seen in my life. I was in that, what, so I auditioned for never have I ever and I was very young when I went out for it, but I remember being like in the waiting room looking at the sign and sheet for and being like, who are all the girl, like I want to be friends with all of them, I feel like I remember telling my mom, can you please memorize the latter half and I'll memorize the hop hop and then we can go and

like DM their mom's fundraise, but because I really want to be friends with more people in the industry and we all know how well DMs work for you, and my dream is perfect for that role and she did like so so incredible, but all that to say like she isn't very odd, incredible way of bringing together community and bringing together both off camera, but also behind the scenes as

“well. And I think watching her on screen meant the same thing as representation means to more”

anybody, which is that like, oh, people like me exist and people like me are deserving of being put on a big platform. Very cool. Okay, so we have um, we always do the thing where we ask our guests a question from somebody who knows them, respects them, works with them, loves and adores them. So what question do you have from Mindy today? I'd like to know for someone who's accomplished so much like what her personal like Egot is, like what her for accomplishments that she wants to

achieve in her life, like spanning four different categories. That's such a big question. I love the big guns and you'll get to it. So wait, so the question is what like, which is like you've done so much? What more do you want to do? It's sort of like, like if I don't know, like a personally got what you may like have four kids get a PhD spend, I two years abroad, like, you know, donating money and like the fourth one is like I want to skydive. Like it would like

four things that you want to accomplish across like all sort of a breadth of categories. Yeah, I guess that is like I'm sort of just like she just says she's just done so much that I'm like, what more do you want? That I mean it's it's an I bet you'll have an answer. Also there is a part of me that's like, or just rest rest now darling. Right, very personally God get put in a cryo chamber. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I love that. And please tell your dad that I can't wait

to, you know, psychically spend my birthday with him again. And it's so lovely to see you and I know, Mindy will be really happy that we talk to congratulations on your new show, not suitable for work on Hulu. And thank you so much for talking to us. And for all the great things ahead for you.

Bye, honey. Bye. This episode is brought to you by all state checking all state first

could save you hundreds on car insurance, not checking your pockets before putting clothes in the washer. Oof. Enjoy your freshly cleaned and completely destroyed earbuds. Yeah, checking first is a good plan. So check all state first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds during good hands with all state potential savings varies. So just to terms conditions and availability all state North American insurance company and affiliates North Brook Illinois.

Mindy canling is here. Everybody took the red eye, which is I just got to say that's that's brutal.

“Isn't it funny how in my 20s it was the only way I would do things I cheat the office”

and then Friday night is like take the red eye, get into I just be going back to Boston to see my parents. Yeah, and my dad would pick me up at Logan at six o'clock. We'd go to McDonald's. But I just leap for four hours. Yes. And it's the I was just talking to where she our friend Rashida Jones about this. It's the lack of recovery. It's like we can power through anything now. You know like you just suck it up and power through, but it's there's no day to sleep after.

There's no day to sleep. No. So I just just I just do the line of code. Yeah, we're flying. Wow. I'm doing great. We're going to brag about our careers and then we're going to, yeah, we're going to crash out in like a 45 minutes. But thank you for coming. And thank you for being here excited to be here. I know the member when we used to do David Letterman and the producer would be like, do not compliment him. He doesn't know what to do with it. That's right. And you're

like, oh, so it's like an insult to compliment a host. And then now I feel, I felt like for other shows too. I was like, don't do that. And then it feeds into whole thing of like, it's not cool to compliment. It was very formative when that producer was like, don't compliment it. It's so true. And you're a hostile act. And yet I love compliments as a performer. And if someone came into my show and was like, I love the show. I feel like I love to give. I love to get. I mean,

what? What are we doing? I mean, like, what are we going to be like, mean to each other? Like, the world is on fire. Like, who? I love recognition. Praise. So I just want to say that I love the show. Thank you. I watch it with my nanny and little person YouTube at night after the children are down. And it's, it's like to, it's such an intimate thing to watch in the dark. You talking to, like, barren holds our bad and honed, our buddy. And then have our little ads on YouTube. You know,

I was, when I was getting ready for today, first of all, congrats on being a mogul, straight up mogul.

Thank you. You don't have to explain. You take it in. You are a mogul, Mindy, congratulations. Listen, listen, I know I'm interrupting you now. No, please. Are you a mogul if you haven't invested in a restaurant or sports team? That's a great question. Just because I want to accept we do. I love you today. We need to buy some kind of sports team. You're right. You're right. Yeah, you know, like he owns Uber and Gaysha House. Like,

“but I'm driven to call more women geniuses and moguls and all that stuff. Because I think we just need”

to claim. Okay. So let's claim that. I'll claim that for you today. Thank you. And as a fellow Boston girl, yes, I feel like when I was looking at, you know, kind of like looking at all the stuff you do and just thinking thematically about what to talk about today. I mean, we've had a lot of very similar paths you and I and not just because we were born like, you know, in close proximity of each other, like, but, but we have really, I mean, we've been in this biz for a minute.

And then this is for a minute. And we've been together in a lot of it. So it's very, very nice to see you and to have you here. I love being here and to even be someone that you would say as on a similar journey because you were a little ahead. Yes. I was, I was 10, I'm like about 10 years older than you. For my generation, for anyone who came up in New York and took classes of the UCB and everything, it was like, you were the one doing it. Like, you were the one succeeding

“with all the mean, unaccepting community. You know what I mean? Well, yeah, I mean, I think both”

you and I are used to and I want to talk about it. You and I are used to being one or the only woman in a room full of men a lot, for a lot, especially in the beginning of our career and what how that

shaped us. Cambridge Massachusetts, your born and raised. Now, Cambridge was always where smart people

lived and their smart parents. Yes. Did you have, were you considered like a smart kid in school? I was always considered a bright kid. When I was younger, I think I was like kind of silent and chubby and friendly. And that was my vibe and not funny. But that was back, I don't know if you felt this way. That was back in the 80s when like girls weren't really supposed to be funny. Right.

too much, it was kind of like you were, you had problems or you were like disrupting. You was right.

Like the the mischievous girls were the class clowns, which I look back now and they were just like feisty, interesting young women, but people thought they were kind of trouble makers, totally in my school. Being Indian too so far from the, but also like I felt like I was still just like observing. I noticed that like, it wasn't until I was like in middle school or I was like the class clowns or our guys were just like kind of outrageous. They weren't really funny.

Yeah. And when you're 12 and 13, there is no difference between someone who's like willing to like jump off the side of the school building, willing someone who's funny. It was like all just like one thing. Totally. And one was examining it. Right. Right. I think that for my parents to like at that time, being funny in school was so tired to like kind of like, and again disruptive, like non academic. Yeah. Like you don't have a good path if you're like a funny kid.

“That's what I mean. Yeah. You're kind of like, you're speaking out in class. You're kind of not”

paying attention. And I bet you had the same thing. I mean, maybe maybe even more because your parents, you know, moved to the US when you when your mom was pregnant with you. Yes. And so like, you know, they're like, we don't need you to be the one that's cracking jokes in class. And I had parents who were teachers. So it was like, don't like the funny kid is the one that's often like the the teacher is having a deal with having to do that. But they, but they call you

Mindy, like your nickname, because from Morgan Mindy, so it was like, that's a real, it's like next message. Maybe my parents have been related here in the 70s. And nobody in entertainment on either side of the family, but they did like love comedy, loved it. Like, and I think for us, too, where it's like, it wasn't like we were coming home and having like these, you know,

always like these deep chat. Yeah. But we would just like sit in front of the TV and watch

messy TV. They love science films. They love friends. They love the cosplay show. I don't know.

“Sure. I mean, we all did at one point. At one point, right? I can at one point. But I remember”

so distinctly when I was like 11 or 12. And I was of course, like obsessed with Saturday now. Yeah. We would watch Chris Farley. That was that your like cast? Yes. It was like, Sandler, Chris Farley. But honestly, like from Dana Carvey to Bill Hader feels like the time, which is like long span. Yeah. Yeah. But we would see is it madfully? Yeah. Madfully. Yeah. And character, Chris Farley's character, down by the river. Down by the river. Classic iconic character. Yeah.

And he's like, I think one of the funniest people of all time. I agree. And when you, you know, we to fall on the coffee table. And I remember laughing at it. So so much and showing it to my parents, like, recording it. And I remember my mom being very worried and being like, because I was overweight. And I think she was like, and so she was like, I don't, she once sat me down when I was like 14. I was like, I don't want you to be like that. Oh, that's really interesting. Right. Like, don't

“don't feel like you need to be a clown. And I think she thought that like, okay, my overweight daughter,”

who is not fitting into like the mainstream of culture, will feel like the way to be accepted and funny is to be like Chris Farley. Now the majesty of Chris Farley, like I would only be so lucky as to have been like Chris Farley, but as a girl in 90s, that was like not a great pat. I love that we're talking about this because it's such an interesting point, which is young women, especially in the late 80s and 90s, they're way into comedy. Like how you get in

was really fraught in a way that men just did not have to worry about. They didn't have to worry about being physical and that seeming like it was putting people off. They didn't have to worry about like them being too sexualized and they didn't have to worry about a ton of stuff. I think that much like you watching comedy at a young age and being like, I don't know, I want to, I want to live in this world. I don't know how to get into it. Yeah. And it was

inhabited by really loud physical men for the most part. And then finding the women who I love to why just kind of studied. And for me, it was like, okay, where did they study? Where did these women start? So I was like, oh, I want to go to Chicago. Like I'm just going to go there. And when you were, like, did you do comedy at Dartmouth? Yeah, did you improv? I did in short form improv. We all did. You know, it's so funny. The two things that brought me so much joy and college are so

mortifying to me now, but it's where I made so many great friends. I just short from and probably the dog day players at Dartmouth. And I was in the dog day players. Still there.

Dog day players are still there. Incredible. And they're so, and every still often, like every couple

years, I'm sure you feel as well. I like, they'll come to LA and I'll meet them or I'll see the met Dartmouth when I go up. And they're so cool now. And they do long form. And they also have

Larry Sanders. You know what I mean? They know everything. A kinship to these people that are

25 years younger than you. But the difference is that like the guys in the troop are feminist, the women are unafraid to be with to be who they are at the all sort of activist. Like all the stuff that I struggled with back then to do because it wasn't appealing because I also did. I wanted to be as like funny as Adam Sandler and do Hopperman, but I also wanted a boyfriend and to lose my virginity. And in the late 90s, it was like those two things were maybe like

did not, they seem mutually exclusive. Oh yeah. Occupella group you were also in. I love an Occupella group. Yes, yes. I was in an Occupella group and what song did you ever have a solo? I had in one solo. And what was the song? Nine to five by Dally Parton? Yes.

Sing it badly. You wish one other thing. You know what's nice is like I don't have a good voice.

“But I have like a I can like carry a tune. I think I have a good enough voice for a comedy person.”

And it was like that nice thing about being in a group of women because they're like clearly one person should have all the solos, but they're like no, no, no, no, of course. That's not nice. Like a lot of them indeed have a solo. So we would I would sing nine to five. Yeah. And the Occupella group's name was. Hey, man. It was called the Rockefellers. Okay, I mean, I just I love I love a pun. It's called the Rockefellers.

After time it was considered to be the coolest, the coolest group if you were a woman at Dartmouth. Of course. And I mean, I from my humble opinion it was. I think Occupella is very cool. And also now I would say it is cool because maybe this is such a bunch of bullshit like you're being so nice here, but it's so lame. No, no, I disagree. I don't, here's why because even then I don't even mean in hindsight, anyone who tries something. Yeah. Okay. That's cool. I guess if you apply

like the coolest rule of like we should all be putting ourselves out there, then it is cool. But you know, I know, and you're being like, should be, do we be Bob? I know. That's not, I know. It was the same thing with the impression. Like improv, like you know, reform improv and I again, I want my formative year. Some of the all the boys I had crushes on in college were doing like short form improv, terrible. And yet it's so lame. Long form improv is cool though.

Stand up is the coolest. Back then, like if you were an improv or sketch group you'd have your like costumes and wigs or you'd be warming up and stuff like that. You're right. Occupella and improv both have to warm up like usually outside. You're like zips up, stopping. That's not a cool thing. And I used to be like, we're cool, but then I'd see like a stand up, just literally like throw their cigarette on the ground with a leather jacket and go on stage and we're like, okay.

After you left Dartmouth, did you move to New York? I lived in New York for three years. Okay.

And you had some fun. I always loved to ask people about their fun jobs. Yeah, they're weird

jobs. You had some good weird jobs, right? I had some really good weird jobs. Or some of your

“weird jobs. The weirdest job I had was that I was a PA, a crossing over which on Edward, right?”

Psychic, um, the psychic. Right. And he would do readings in the room and be able to tell if someone had like a dead relative who was trying to contact them. What was weird about it? All that. I can't even ask you. Yeah. What's your life now? Do you believe in, do you have you ever had a psychic experience? Do you go to psychics? I, and not, I don't, I don't go to psychics, but I would. Same. And I've gotten, as I've gotten older, even though I know more,

I've gotten more superstitious than I used to be to quote Michael Scott. I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious. I kind of feel like, you know, there's, there's all different levels of like, woo, woo, as Rachel Drachwood say, like, like, and whether or not you're open to it in your life. Yeah. And it is kind of a funny catch, 22, where people are like, you have to be really open to it for it to, like, you have to open your channel for it. I have the most illusory astrological

sign in the most illusory number in the underground. Wow. I love it because there's no loser number

“in the underground. You have to see or lose or not. What would you think is a loser answer?”

And I'm six. Well, but I would say six is very sharp. Like, six is like, thank you, Amy. I, but I, but I have to go down much about sixes. Yeah. Because it's, you know, but it's the most common number. It is. Yes. Yeah. I definitely think it's accurate. Yeah. I feel seen. I haven't been able to use it practically to make my life. I'm going to send you some fun gifts or gifts, however you like to say. I'm going to send you some fun. Any of you have six gifts

of gifts that you're going to love. I think there are a lot like the Harry Potter homes. You know,

slither in. Dude, that's cool. Slytherin is cool. I wish I was a slither. What are you? I want to be

“Griffin door, but no, I think I'm a awful buff, which is also fine. I want to refute it, but listen,”

all right. See, I'm right back at you. Okay. But back to, okay. So you had some interesting jobs,

but I want to talk about Matt and Ben for a second because yeah, that show was, I remember when that

show for people they don't know what was Matt and Ben. Yes. Okay. So I was babysitting at the time. And my friend was a substitute teacher on your public school substitute teacher, my friend Brenda. And we were kind of miserable. And I had applied to be a page at the NBC page program. And I was certain I was going to get it. And then I didn't. And so we were just kind of like a low level to press with post 9/11, just like in jobs, like why am I even in New York? Like I have no

access anything. And we started just improvising and I kind of adopted this character of like Ben Affleck and quotations because obviously we didn't know them at all. And she did Matt Damon. And then we were like, we'd just be doing these characters for like 10, 15 minutes. Could we do something with this? Actually, as opposed to just like entertaining ourselves. And all of our friends thought it was so stupid. Yeah. Great. And we just said like let's write a little play about

the creative process between friends and competition, which has been interesting to me for a long, long time and competition between friends who you dearly love each other, but you're also looking out for yourself. And we were we were 21 or 22 writing about what we imagined Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were when there were 21, 22. It's so psychotic. If I was Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, I'd be like, this is how you ever talk to them about it? I have not Matt Damon once.

“And Ben Affleck, like a handful of times. And I think they think it's weird.”

This is a real person. They've been been nothing but gracious. It was very strange and I would not be nice if someone was playing Mindy Kaley in a play. Oh, I will try to destroy them with my lawyers. My team of lawyers would descend upon them and crush them. But to their credit Matt, Matt, Matt, and Ben Affleck. And Ben played, what if Ben played you? That would be pretty fun. I'd be, I'd try to crush them with my lawyers. Yeah, just he's in the business, babe. Just

right away. Like to padlock the theater door. I'm going to take all that good accounting money for me. Yeah. And it happened too. I remember even at the time, I was like, this is radical, because it was exactly, it was like two young women kind of assuming what would be like in the heads of like, you know, they were Matt and Ben were archetypes for just like young men like working together and figuring out life together. And I remember you guys making that show.

And I was like, this is radical. This is like, we just thought so. It was, it was very cool. Well, thank you for saying, I mean, it was so liberating to not have to worry about being pretty like we were just as men. Yeah. It was, um, obviously we didn't invent camp, but we got to discover how fun it was to just play men, but really real. Yeah. And it was great to just, we didn't have to worry about any of the things that our contemporaries were kind of worrying about

because we wrote the script. We directed it ourselves. Yeah. And it went to like fringe, right? And so we did it at the fringe festival. We got into the fringe festival. We won the fringe event festival, then it moved off Broadway. And that's when it started getting like attention. That's

“when like like a couple celebrities came inside. And that's how it moved to LA and how like”

it hired on the office. You go from Matt and Ben to basically being the only woman in a writer's

room at the office. You are not the only woman in the only woman of color in incredibly smart, hyper talented and nice group of men. But yes, who, um, but it still does your first job. Yeah. I mean, you come from that world. It's competitive. And it's like, and so I think that going into that room, like, a lot of people now will be like, wow, I can't believe you got hired in the office. You were so young. You must feel so great. And you were like, looking, I mean, I look at the

people who were, I was working with, they had been working since they were 21, you know, and had already had Emmys. So I still felt like I was behind. So I think, but I will say also like, I was such a workaholic. It helped that I was like, friendless and Los Angeles and had no hobbies. Because I was just obsessed with work. I was dazzled. I like, Mike, BJ, Paul Lieberstein, Greg,

you know, and who wouldn't be like, I had never been in a writer's room. And then I'm with these

guys who are like, even to this day, consider some of the very best comedy writers, then later, like, Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stipnitsky, like, just as dazzling. Yeah. And so I really wanted to impress them. Yeah. I really wanted to date some of them. Yeah. Um, right. And I was varying degrees of successful in those. And when Kelly Cooper was that written, like, how did, how did you find out you were

diversity day. And one of, I think, one of the funniest episodes in the office ever. And Greg decided

“that it would be the second episode. And in order for it to be funny, that, like, Michael Scott was”

offending a room of people. It didn't, it wasn't as funny if it was just, like, all white, like, he needed to be offending some people. Right. And so I was so lucky to be in the writer's room and being Indian because he's, like, would you play someone that he offends and then slap him? And I was, I mean, I was just content to be a comedy writer for the rest of my life. That was, like, my dream come true. So to be on camera was, like, just like, outrageous. The one thing I

think is so groundbreaking about the office was that at that time, the odds, like, to be on a show where you didn't have to be, like, a straightforwardly hot woman. Yes. Like, the whole point is,

you know, and this is a real great Daniel thing. It's like, what is beautiful is what is real. Yes.

And that wasn't very many shows. That's right. That's right. I also like love. And I'm sure you feel this way too. Actually, maybe you don't, but I love being a meme. It makes me feel young. Oh, are you kidding me? It's my dream. When people send me a, like, I've actually been, like, can I send people me my own memes? Oh, do it. It's such a might be true, weird. But I, it is, there's no higher compliment. I send people memes of Kelly, so they still use bananas.

All they want to do, and I, I mean, for Kelly Kapoor is the, to me, the definition of what the young people would say, like, someone who has main character energy. She is in her own

“world, her own show, and in that show. It's fun to be a nice, I think, to be, you know,”

she is a tertiary character, but believe she's main character. That's like a really nice. Yes. She has one line every three episodes. Yeah. She's in her own very, like, intense play and drama forever. And then the show does, like, I, I would say, like, any good character, like, the show, like, you know, and you know, from writing, like, you start to realize, like, what people strengths are, you start to write to it. The show starts to realize, like, oh, what Kelly can do

is, like, be in this kind of fierce competitive fantasy world, that can allow us to, like, like, you shoot a lot of threes in that show, because you, like, thank you. That, that character is able to go to some really sharp and funny place. Well, she thinks she's the hottest person at the office, and, like, feels sad for Pam. She is, you know, and thinks, like, Ryan's in huge catch

“and that she's, like, destined for, you know, fame. And so that is a fun, I mean, it's so fun to play,”

like, delusional. It's the best characters. Yeah. And then to be able to then be delusional on the Mindy project with a different characters. Okay. Good. That's a good segue, because you go from, I just want to say you ended up writing more office episodes in anybody else. Thank you for saying that. Okay. So everybody needs to know that. So all your office episodes that you love that everybody's watching every night, this is high probability that the Mindy wrote it. Like, my

publicist was like, this is a, a talking point that needs to come across Amy. I mean, I could talk about this with you forever, and maybe it's two kind of inside baseball, but the way you enter the business, you entered the business as a writer, and then, like, in that same time, became a performer, and you're also a producer. And all those things have like different pros and cons. You really did do it for Mindy. You created, you were like, I'm going to write, create and start

in this show. And there's, there's nothing harder. That's not so hard. And there's nothing more gratifying. Yeah. Like, I was so obsessed with it. I mean, and then coming from the office where I had been there for eight years had, like, a line every episode. You know, I, I was thinking about, like, recently, just like, call sheets. Yeah. And to be, like, the call sheet for people who don't know, but they, they might know is, you know, it's, every day, it just announces the hierarchy

of the production. Uh, uh, I love a call sheet so much. Yeah. I could stare at it forever for people that are, it's one piece of paper that tells you your entire day, week, month, and in many ways your life. You're exactly right. It tells you who is number one, who is number two, who is number three, who is number four. It lists the importance and descending order of the people that are there. And so for years on that show, as is obvious and, and should be, like, Steve is number one,

like, Michael Scott. And Kelly is in number 11. And it's not like, you know, to come,

at the, we just talked about the first season when I was just lucky to have that first, you know,

an episode two, being able to be in that team with Steve and to be able to be in sag and be able to actually do all that, that huge, but eight years later, yeah, I was like, number 11 gets a little old. And I was like, I really want to see what it's like to literally just have more lines.

And I, you know, I talked to, I got a lot about this. And I think you did this with parks,

“and probably an SNL2. But like, it's skill to be able to be the star of a sitcom and come in and just”

be, like, my engine is on from seven o'clock in the morning until we wrap. Yeah. And I am just, like, I had to bring the best out of other people. Yeah. Wake them up. Yeah. And kind of, like, a constant host. Yeah. Yeah. And it's, and you're watching people leave all day. That was the other thing that was so sad. And I, you're just waving. Everyone's rapping. And they're like, have a good weekend. You're like, you too. Like, it's just the saddest goodbye. But at the same time, I thought, like, the

days were so much shorter than when I had one line at the office. Yeah. Like, the day flows by,

because it's just, like, funny scene. After funny thing, entire departments were there to help

you do your job the best. Yeah. You know, and that was, like, such a joy. I mean, it's so obvious to say

“this about being a star of your own show. But like, that was, it was what I was longing for”

into assemble my own writing stuff. Yeah. So many of whom, like, like, like Fisher Tracy, wig field. Yes. Dave. We're on a new show right now for season. Yeah. Yeah. And so to be able to work with all these people that made me better. Yeah. That's hired me. And let's talk about our friend, Ike. My whole two is here and who you met on that show. Yeah. And Dave Stassen. Those guys are, I mean, well, let's just, Ike is, Ike is listening. So we should say something nice about him.

We should say something nice about him. Ike does making sure that the white guy is taking care of. I feel comfortable and seeing. It's just because you know, his personality is that, like, he would, he would do that for us. He would. He would not give a second question. He would give a second question for him. "Brahem heiß zum bästen preis. Now, at 2.08. 90.00."

"Gear of Wortefaudi, streaming was also not so nice." Our experience for your podcast, fresh, and knacky-gis-gimmüse from Aldi.

"I'm always good. I'm always very happy. I've always said, fresh for all.

To all the prices, this week, Mini-Wasser-Millon, the kilo for only €1.29. Or nectarine. The only kilo for only €1.80. A decade now, many white people in Diner Aldi, North, Viljale. And white Gets, einfach lauschen und genießen. Aldi. "Goodest for all."

The other thing is that I love that you've spoken about with Mini-Project is, like, in many ways, it is a tribute to your mom. "Yeah, because your mom is a wishy-wine." "Yeah." "Doctor?" "Doctor?" "Yeah." "Yes." "Doctor?" "Yes." "Doctor?" "Yeah." "Doctor?" "For Indian people, it's a huge decision." "I know. I don't know. I just don't know." "I just don't know." Okay, so she was a doctor, though. "Oh, she was a doctor. She was a woman doctor."

"Surely." "Surely." "Surely." "Surely." She was taking notes in the male doctor. "Yes." "The male doctor would come in and kind of hit the baby part." "Yeah." "No." "But your character was kind of a tribute to her and your mom. Can you speak a little bit about your mom?" "Yes." "You speak about her all the time and she's just talking about my mom." "So the character on the Mini-Project?" I mean, she couldn't have been more different than my mom's personality. But I loved the world of playing an OBGYN. My mom's had such a great personality because she spent her entire day with women telling who told her the most personal thing is about their

love lives and reproductive hopes and just everything and all their problems. It's such a personal relationship.

“And to have a world like that, it was like honestly, some of it was laziness. I didn't have to research that much. I just understood with the office look like and what the nurses were like and so”

but so that was that. I also think it's nice for a lead character in a show, particularly when the character is so out there and sort of selfish and flawed to have such a self-less job, you know, helping women. You were like, inherently, she's a good person. Even if all she says all day is that she wants to get married and get riled by a husband. You're like, okay, she's helping women through the hardest transitions of their lives. Do you feel like you could after doing that show? Do you feel like you could deliver a baby?

Do I feel like I could deliver a baby? Do you think you could? I feel like I could affect the confidence that could really put a woman at ease. Oh, yeah. Do you know what I mean? And I think this is this is like a real stupid actor over a conflict. I feel like a good spirit. I think you could. I've had three kids. I feel like I was watching. Yeah. I feel like you could deliver a baby. I think I mean, I have a

I feel like I could. I don't want to, but I feel like I feel as a part of me. It's like,

“I could at least be enthusiastic about like getting people to push. I think there's some”

some parts that would break me out a little bit. So in a lady back up, yeah, we don't, we don't need to do that. You're going to do it. We're going to get such a comment. I can't shut up. I just mean the delivery. Yeah, I don't think I could do a sea section. Like, I have a, yeah, no, sea section, forget it. No, I'm not going to do that. You know what? I take it back. We shouldn't do it. We shouldn't do it. We shouldn't do it. We shouldn't be around anyone who is pregnant. Oh, and then before I move on to your more

TV stuff, I do want to talk about we had a really fun trip one time, you and I where we went to

can together for insight out and it was, I've never been before or since I've never been back to

can really glamorous. And it was a very glamorous. Yeah. It was the first time I had ever been on that kind of like international like press tour like on the steps of the, Amy, I think about that

“press tour so much. I think about it a lot. I was so hot in sweaty. Yeah, very hot in sweaty. Like we were”

always like in the beating sun. Yeah. And like, but beautiful. Yes. But like always like I was sweating through my clothes constantly. And I remember this distinctly and maybe this is offensive that we would be doing like an international junket. And unlike an American junket, it would be like the questions would be like, we're, I don't know, maybe because of, I don't know, culturally, it was just a router, let's say it. Why are you? Yeah. You are so fat. You're smiling, but your face is not nice to look at.

Do your face is not nice. Why do you think that people like to look at your face? In America, a fat and smelly woman can be star. We've read you can, you have your own succumb, but you are fat. Yes. You are obviously a helpful puff, and yet you believe you are. You play joy, but you are not in your twenties. Yes. And you didn't smile at me when I was asking you a question. So why do I do a little? And so, okay, remember, you know that have your

bar damn clip when he's on a junket that has gone viral, where someone's like he was working with Penelope Cruz. And he's a European journalist is like, so you work with your wife.

“You must be crazy to work with the woman like that you're married to. Most people would want to”

kill themselves if they had to do such a thing. And he's like, I find that very offensive.

And I was like, watch dad. And I was like, oh, like, you're totally like human. I could never

imagine sticking and being having a spine in an international press junket and being like, how dare you, sir? I was like, just laugh. I mean, I feel, let me ask you, what are your generational pronouns? How do you identify you a millennial? Do you identify as millennial? Hey, this is a, this is a very sort topic for me. Okay, because for a while, I was considered a zennial. Okay. Which was it? Have you heard of the zennial? Zillennial? Zillennial? Zillennial?

No, I don't. I'm, this is making you be a millennial by making me be a millennial. But I was like, oh, thank God. Because when I was growing up, like, when I was like in middle school, like the movie singles was out. Yeah. And I was like, that's to me, Gen X. That's Gen X. You know, Ben Stiller. Yeah. That's Gen X, right? Yeah. And then now, the zennial went away. And now they're just like, people are just like, you're Gen X. Like, I can do it for like, well, Gen X together.

Well, that's not true. They, they're making themselves younger than they are. You have a lot of Gen X qualities. And I will say, and I love Gen X. So I love Gen X too. But you have, but you're 10 years younger. So you might be like millennial to your point about pleasing, like getting somebody's hard to please, I, I realize I have that with boomer men. Interesting. They're just a little bit, like in their, like mid 65. I'm like, you know, a little like boss. I situation saying that

me is so resonates with me because I felt that way about Greg, Dan. Yes. Greg and like Conan. Yes. You know, and then obviously all the, as an old people that were there when you were there, like, I feel exactly the same way. But now I'm technically the same generation, which was breaking my heart. Yeah, that's a little weird. But I do feel that way. Because we were the gatekeepers. We didn't talk about Conan. You're, you're, you did get that page job. I was an intern at Conan intern.

So I didn't, when I was still in college, I applied to be an intern at Conan. That's actually that job is what made me thought that I maybe would get the page job. Yeah. Because those

internships were considered hard to get. And that's where I first learned what comedy writers did.

Although like a variety show, comedy writers, like such a different job than like a sick commentator. And I actually think the personalities of a variety show, comedy writers, very different than a sick commentator. Oh, how is it different? I think that there's,

variety shows out in the West Coast and one is like an L.A. job. Yeah. I think they are both very funny. But there's like a more, this is not true. But this is the way I thought about it. Yeah. Like there was more of like a cerebral darker energy to New York variety show writers, right? Where it was like joke joke jokes. How do we get the best jokes? Model ox sketches. Like it's got to be like quick and funny and then you're done if you live or die by hard jokes. And then the

sick commentators were just like story. Yeah. Let's think about the characters. And so as someone who wanted to be in the New York world, but was that was slam the door slam shut in my face.

I kind of came up in this other world. And so I always thought like, oh my god, that's so intimidating.

“That's why that's why I guessed wrote on SNL. Right. Which is where I, I think I was the first time I met you.”

Okay. I was trying to remember the first time we met. Was it when you were guessed right? I was guessing that 2005. Yeah, John. And that was when I met you and Tina. And I remember this. And I don't know why I remember this story. And I'm not proud of it. And I know why it would possibly come up with two women that I admire and just came up. I don't know. But we were somewhere and I was like, yeah, I just want to lose 30 pounds. And the two of you stopped and were like,

what? That is too much weight. I don't remember. I was so happy for like three weeks after that. I was like, wow, Amy and Tina don't think I'm a fat load. Like I was so no man has never even in the odds. Like you guys are like, what a crazy. But I was thinking like, why would I told that to them? That's so why? I would say because if we were to get real, it's because that's how women talk to each other. Is that I think it is? Like I think we all like we watchers. It was because at the time

“there was a conversation about we watchers. I think, you know, we were like, we just like everybody”

else were like constantly trying to figure out everybody's relationship to being on camera. Yes. And I do think that for better or for worse, what women do for each other and two each other is they talk about their bodies to each other. Like we are, we like, you know, it's one of the things I love so much. And I'm sure you're the same way. Like I love about my female friends as I can really say like, I'm feeling this way in that way. And it's kind of how we like say hello.

No, I mean, I think to be able to be with two of my heroes and have them acknowledge, because you could have easily been like, we don't ever think about it. We're not really thin. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. People like, I don't know what you're mean. I don't understand. I just, I just, I just, I just want, I mean, to you to say that. I did that. You weren't just like, we are naturally thin, we, whatever we want. You didn't. And so I think that that was a,

and I think really, it was a kindness for you to acknowledge. Like, oh, yeah. So I can, I could see that in my heroes. But it is really, it is really fascinating and nice that culture has changed so much. It has, but it hasn't, it hasn't, right? Because we're still asking people about their weight. We're still asking people about their bodies. I mean, I actually really

try, I, I have a couple of like rules that I never say out loud in this podcast. But one of them is

I try not to talk about people's bodies. Because it's like, people's bodies are their own business. If you have the, the male cast of off campus here. Yeah. I don't want to, I just want them to throw me against that bookshelf. Yeah. And they, and they'd flex and they'd be fine with, I know it's a fine line. And you can't, yeah, you can't. But, but, but it's good. It's good. It's good. It's good. That,

“okay, but this is a good segue into, the, okay, because you have to, into what's, what,”

into nonsense before. Okay. Okay. Yes. Yes. What you can't do? Yeah. What you can't do? Yeah. I'm so surprised. Like, I was wondering, what is this a segue to? Yeah. You're, you're, you have a new show out on Hulu, not suitable for work. Yeah. It is, you've called it kind of the third in a trilogy. Can you, I really try to get that I have a trilogy that I'm like Peter Jackson. You're a mogul. You have a trilogy. I have a trilogy. It's just like me. Yeah. I mean,

one of the things about being a mogul is you have to start talking like everything you did was, like a perfect, you know, it's all part of a master plan that I master plan. I have to embody that more. Yeah. That things are not just like accidental. No. It's just not a series of moments. Whatever's happening. No. Making it like this. It makes sense because this is the third in the

installment. But you have made three TV shows. Never have I ever sexized a call. Sexized a

college girl. Thank you. And not two to a workplace. All three are like, I mean, they're very, very different. But what would you say is a unifying theme in all of them? I think I love writing for underdogs. Yeah. And ambitious people. And people with lots of big wants and needs, both like romantically and professionally. And who feel like they don't have access to it. And that's sort of, I think, the thing in common with all three of those shows. Yeah. And it's a

good. And they were all none of them are unknown. They all had like a lot of success. But I wouldn't

necessarily say that they were like super super well-known. Yeah. But well, Angus was in a very popular sketch troupe. Ella Hunt was on that wonderful show Dickinson Ivantica was in Mean Girls. But this is just a way to have them all together. And they're super funny. They're super appealing. And I love working with them. Ivantica is who we spoke to today to get the question for you. Really. And Ivantica is, so we did a, you know, we do the same at the beginning where we talk well

behind our guests back. And I really wanted to speak to Ivantica for a couple of reasons. One is she is like, you know, you are the example of what she watched growing up. You were

representation in real physical form. Somebody who wrote their own parts who

created their own stuff for themselves. And who also, like you said, like enjoy, like you enjoy being

“entertained. Your shows are not homework. No, I think I'm not writing shows for like television”

studies professors. Yes. Do you know what I mean? And not that I don't think that's an important job and things. But I want to do something that's like when times are hard. That's right. You know, when like my mom was sick and we wanted to watch something. It's like we watch modern family. It was like I want to watch something that's like legitimately so funny. Yes. Um, yeah. And I like seeing people fall in love. And I love like great costumes and yes, doing something in the city. Yes.

I also love the office where it has not those qualities, but it's super funny. But I do know what you're saying. And I take it as a compliment. And she spoke about, um, being around you and like your curiosity. And I was just like, your curiosity about other people's lives and young lives and like really like your support as a producer and as a person. And also, Mindy, just what I think is so impressive about you is you feel like you're working within the system and you're also still a person

like like the rest of us, I guess. So it's like you are this mogul who also is like just along for the ride like the rest of us. Like it's very hard to do both of those things. And I think you do it really, really well. Oh my gosh. And she speaks about that. And it's funny. Her question is so cute. It was like, what is your egot? Like, but she was like, what are four things that Mindy wanted? I know I said, that's too many things. That's so many things. I agree. Do you feel this way

where if you see a movie you love or you listen to an album or you see your Broadway musical, you're kind of like, did I like try to write about a musical or should I like listen to it?

“I'll go to I'll go but which you're nailing. So now you should do the next thing. I feel you. I”

see something and I'm like, should I try that? And that's like I think notoriously how bad art is formed right when people are do stuff that they're not equipped to do but are have this delusional feeling that they can. And I've done that many times. But you know what I'm really

impressed by is like I always think about Jordan Peel and Greta Gerwig. Oh, yeah. And how as

does the rest of the world? But I love that Jordan came from sketch comedy. Yes. And with Greta like coming from being an actress and like the muse of Noah Bambac and then me like, well, I want to direct and then taking something like Barbie and making it like this great movie about feminism and so and now doing the Narnia stuff. Like so I'm always really inspired by them. I think that that's the thing as I'd love to be able to write and direct movies. Yes.

Another thing and this is not creative but like I feel like my feed on Instagram is just always about how fleeting our time with our children is. It's just like it's just like frightening post after frightening post about how like you have 18 summers with these people like me. I didn't know it was the last time I would pick him up exactly. It's like these kinds of these haunting things about these wonderful children that I love and so I really want to be able to hang with them and be

“with them in a real way where they look back in it and they're like, how was Mom able to do that?”

Mm. But then also do these other be there for us so much at the time and I know I'll fail. But like I really want to try to be there. My mom really set the bar. She was so busy like we missed things giving because she was delivering a baby. She wasn't there for the school play and I was the perfect match for her as a daughter because I just thought it was like glamorous. Yeah. And I was like, wow, Mom's like really doing a lot. But I have three kids. I don't know that they're going to

think maybe one of them will be that way and the other two won't. So I got to really I got to really

hold public office? No. No. I don't want to adopt like seven kids. I love the people who do that.

Yeah. I can't. Three is enough. Three is a lot. I don't think I want to like teach at a college. She knows that. You don't know that. Don't you don't rule that out. Think about this. Okay. I like this. Talk about this future though. Like that you get to come in. Like I often think about, you know, like the next decade. Think about coming in like a beautiful sweater. Like Dartmouth. Let's say. Yeah. Drive in at 10 o'clock in the morning. Have your coffee.

You, you know, you create your door creaks open and there's like 150 like kids staring at you and you start your class. Nobody gets to interrupt and you're done in an hour. You know, the bad book about it. Then you write a movie about it. That's all I'm saying is I think that that's

how that does. That does. That does. That does. We don't have to grade papers. No papers. Nothing like that.

“That's what it will be like real, but there'll be no paper. Yeah. I will be different. Yeah.”

They'll be no paper. I like that. Or I also like when they, you got to a certain age and then like TV shows just want like that kind of like decrepit, grondom. Oh yeah. To come in, you just say a couple lines and everyone's like laughing. They just like lift you onto a seat. Yeah. And when I get to the point where people are like, she looks good. She looks like this has been so fun, Mindy. Has it been? Yeah. I'm so, I'm so, I'm so very, any of your game six of you. It is very, any of your

games. No, I'm stressed. Tell me why. No, I just, I love this so much. I, I've been very entertained. Okay. I've been happiest episodes. And I just, I'm just fastboarding to my, to my nanny Jenny sitting on the sofa. Yeah. And hoping that she doesn't click away. No, she's going to have, I mean, she's going to be, she's going to be wrapped. Okay. And also my last question to you is like, what are you, what? Because I know you are like your pop

culture consumer. Yeah. Who is making you laugh these days? What, when, when you, when you want to, like, you know, I know for me it's hard for me to kind of watch comedy. Like, it's like,

“what do you watch to check out to now laugh? Like, feel like, is it a video? Is it TikTok? Is it a show?”

So is it? I'm not on TikTok for no real reason. It's not like a decision. But I think it's tied to some way like productivity. Like, I'm worried. I would be too into it. And that's so true. But for me, the biggest thing that I'm into, I mean, I, I do like a lot of dramas and, like, your friend Emily Spiby, love murder. But I think for me, I loved the curse. Is that, that's the right name. It was the Nathan Fielder Show. Yes. Really strange and really,

it's talking about interesting fielder. And Nathan Fielder, who is like, I think for people, my age or women, he's a really hard drop too. He's a millennial hard drop. He's a millennial millennial hard drop. Big to happy for him. He's so funny until he does. With Emma Stone, I loved that show. Yes. That was a really good, weird show. Weird show. And then, I mean,

“there, it's honestly like, it's like, what don't I like? Like, most of the time I, I like stuff.”

Like, I like all the things that you would expect. Like, I love habit. I love hacks. And I, like, um, alpha dramas. Like, who doesn't like the pit? It's like, I like those things. And I, that's like, I love it's such a delight to watch them. And see people who are really good at their craft doing things. Um, yeah, you're able to enjoy still knowing of, knowing how things work. You're able, like, kind of like, at the very beginning when we start talking about, which is like,

you know how hard it is to make something good. Totally. Um, Mindy Kaling. Thank you for being here. Thank you for taking the red eye. Only for Amy Polar. Um, so happy you could do this. Thank you so much for doing with Amy. I, it was such a, it was such a good thing. So good. Thanks, everybody. Thank you so

much, Mindy Kaling. Um, you're always so honest and forthcoming and funny. And it was really

great to have you. And you know, Mindy and I got into a lot of really interesting topics, including, um, being a working mother and deciding to just do the things you love and try to, as best you can, avoid the things that you hate. And I have a strong feeling about that. I feel like in, in motherhood, there's things that you like. You love, you feel neutral about and you really don't like to do. And if you can try to avoid the things that you really don't like to do, then,

um, the rest, uh, you know, uh, the rest might come a little easier. So some people get stressed around, you know, bath time. Some people don't want to go to the park. Some moms hate taking their kids to get shots. Um, I mean, who loves that? But you know what I mean? Either way, I would just say give yourself a break. You're not supposed to love everything. And it doesn't make you a bad mom if you don't. Um, try to offload anything that you really, really, really, really have a hard time handling.

enough, you know? Um, so I guess that's my polar punch today. I don't know. I just am thinking about

“all the ways in which we make it harder for ourselves and our harder on ourselves. Let's try to”

take some lessons from this interview and do a better job this week. Do a better job of not

doing a good job. Okay. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for

“this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by the”

ringer and paper kite. For the ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spelaine, Kaiha McMillan,

NLA as an iris. For paper kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovel and Jenna Weiss Berman, original music by Amy Miles.