Actress, writer, and producer Mindy Kaling was celebrated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, recognizing her impressive contributions to television. Kaling’s career spans various roles, including being a cast member, writer, and producer for The Office and the creator and star of The Mindy Project.
The unveiling ceremony took place at 6533 Hollywood Blvd., just two blocks west of Cahuenga Boulevard. Among the speakers was B.J. Novak, a close collaborator from The Office who shared the stage with Kaling during the ceremony.
Kaling, known for her witty sense of humor, joked, “I’m so happy, I love recognition,” as she accepted the honor. Reflecting on her heritage, Kaling explained, “I’m Hindu and we practice cremation, which is a beautiful tradition that my ancestors have done for thousands of years. And so will I. But also, I’m obsessed with legacy. So sometimes I get disappointed that I won’t have a grave. But this, this is so much better than a grave.”
Kaling expressed her gratitude to the fans who supported her throughout her career, saying, “I am so grateful to the fans of my work and to the audience who got me here, who believed in me enough to think that I actually was a star, who watched my shows, even if their boyfriends said, ‘That looks lame.’ I’m grateful to anyone who could just watch me in a movie or pick up my book of essays and wonder what’s on my mind.”
The Walk of Fame ceremony came just days before the release of Running Point on Netflix, a show Kaling co-created and serves as an executive producer. The series, which debuts nine days after the event, is described as “a bold twist on the underdog comedy” and stars Kate Hudson as the newly appointed president of the Los Angeles Waves, a professional basketball team.
Kaling’s star marks the 2,800th addition to the Hollywood Walk of Fame since its inception in 1961, which began with the first 1,558 stars.
A 2001 graduate of Dartmouth College, Kaling earned a degree in playwriting. She first gained recognition by co-writing and performing in the off-Broadway play Matt & Ben, alongside her college friend Brenda Withers.
In 2004, at the age of 24, Kaling joined the NBC comedy The Office as a writer and performer. Over the course of eight seasons, she wrote 23 episodes, more than any other writer on the show. Kaling also made history in 2010 as the first woman of color to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. She was part of the producing team that earned five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Kaling went on to create and star in The Mindy Project, where she portrayed the character of Mindy Lahiri, an obstetrician/gynecologist inspired by her late mother. The show ran from 2012 to 2017, first on Fox and later on Netflix. Kaling wrote 24 of its 117 episodes.
She also co-created the popular Netflix series Never Have I Ever, which drew inspiration from her own childhood and ran from 2020 to 2023. Kaling co-created The Sex Lives of College Girls, which completed its third season on HBO Max in January.
This new star on the Walk of Fame is another milestone in Mindy Kaling’s groundbreaking career.
Related topics:
