Mindy Kaling is probably best known to us as Kelly from “The Office”, the lovable mess who kept us laughing with her girly style and guy-getting ways (remember when she faked a pregnancy to get Ryan to go out to dinner with her?); but as much as her character brought fun to the show, she says she wanted her new show, “The Mindy Kaling Project”, to have far more dynamic characters.
“In The Office were Jim and Pam, characters that are so deeply good and in many ways don’t have a ton of flaws,” she said. “But they were so compatible that in many ways maybe their personalities overlapped with each other’s. And I love that Much Ado About Nothing, passionate, smart fighting. I love fighting with guys, and that’s something that I don’t get to see: arguing at a high level with a member of the opposite sex. That didn’t really happen that much on The Office.”
Kaling says that the show, which is about a highly successful gynecologist looking to give her personal life a boost, relies heavily on smart comedy and a little help from her friends–namely B.J. Novak, who plays Ryan on “The Office”, and Ed Helms, who plays Andy–to help transition her smoothly from one successful show to a brand new and somewhat scary venture.
“I was nervous, leaving a show after eight years, having to say goodbye to my friends and the people that made it feel like a comfy place and a hit show, so I took the ones that I thought were available and I had great relationships with to come with me. There’s a lot of crossover, so it was seamless.”
Whether the show will be a hit remains to be seen, but Kaling already has the full support and adoration of her co-workers, such as executive producer Matt Warburton.
“She’s sort of America’s best friend,” he said. “She’s able to show people something they wouldn’t see otherwise from these different worlds. It’s something we hope to do on the show too.”