Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling is an American actress, writer, producer, and author who has become one of the most prolific and successful multi-hyphenate talents in Hollywood. Born Vera Mindy Chokalingam in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Indian immigrant parents, she grew up in a household that valued education and the arts. After graduating from Dartmouth College, she moved to New York City where she co-wrote and starred in a stage play about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck that caught the attention of television producers.

Kaling’s big break came when she was hired as a writer and performer on The Office, where she portrayed the memorable Kelly Kapoor. She eventually became a writer, executive producer, and director on the show, making her one of the few women of color to hold such roles on a major network comedy at the time. Her work on The Office earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and established her as a formidable creative force.

After The Office, Kaling created, wrote, produced, and starred in The Mindy Project, which ran for six seasons on Fox and Hulu. She then went on to create the Netflix coming-of-age comedy Never Have I Ever, which became one of the platform’s most popular comedies and ran for four seasons. She has also created The Sex Lives of College Girls for HBO Max and has continued to develop new projects through her production company Kaling International. Her film work includes roles in Ocean’s 8, A Wrinkle in Time, and Late Night, which she also wrote.

With an estimated net worth of $80 million, Kaling is one of the wealthiest writer-performers in television. Her wealth comes from her overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, her numerous producing credits, acting roles, bestselling books (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Why Not Me?), and business ventures. She has been a trailblazer for South Asian representation in Hollywood and continues to be one of the most influential voices in American comedy.