When did Mindy Kaling last appear on screen? Actress mentions why she took a temporary step back from acting

Actress and comedian Mindy Kaling shared her thoughts about her acting hiatus. On June 5, 2025, she was present at the Paley Media Council Series, where she spoke to The Hollywood Reporter.

Kaling shared that she once dreamed of becoming a staff writer simply to secure health insurance and live in L.A. However, as her career grew, she wanted to produce and take lead roles. She admitted that her evolving definition of success often left her feeling unsatisfied.

Mindy Kaling is widely recognized for her roles in Never Have I Ever and The Office. As per IMDb, her last acting role was in The Morning Show. She also provided Velma Dinkley’s voice in Velma. According to the media outlet, she said:

"Never Have I Ever, a show literally about an Indian American family in Southern California, and if I wasn’t on that — what’s wrong with me?"

She went on:

“I think there is a part of me that feels a little superstitious. I’m like, these seem to have gone well and I’m not in them so maybe I’ll wait.”

Mindy Kaling shared that she missed acting in shows she helped create and hoped to work on something like that again soon. She said that being both the lead and the creator on The Mindy Project was fun.

She hoped to take on a similar project in the next few years, after launching some earlier-stage work she already had in the pipeline. Kaling admired creators like Shonda Rhimes and J.J. Abrams for building large companies but felt that kind of structure was better suited for drama.

When choosing which entertainment companies to work with, she admitted she usually went with whoever offered the highest pay.

Mindy Kaling appreciated Kate Hudson’s role in Running Point

Mindy Kaling is one of the creators of Running Point. Speaking to Today in March 2025, she reflected on Kate Hudson’s role in the show. She said Hudson did a great job in the lead role. The character was inspired by sports executive Jeanie Buss.

Mindy Kaling said they had rare access to Buss’s life, describing her as a powerful, stylish, and iconic figure in Los Angeles, especially known as the president of the Lakers.

She explained that when the team discussed casting, Kate Hudson was the obvious choice. When the interviewer asked if she had to persuade her, Kaling said:

“I mean the dream in life when you are a TV Creator is to trick a movie star into signing on to your TV series which is precisely what Ike, Dave and I did with Kate and it's just awesome because she iss my romantic comedy heroine and now she's in the show.”

She went on:

“And that's why I think, it's one of the reasons it's doing so well, plus the writing is funny. The rest of the cast Brenda Song, Justin Theroux, Drew Tarver, it's just like we really feel like we looked out.”

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When Mindy Kaling was asked how she felt about receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she shared that she usually worried about things going wrong, but this moment was different. It felt joyful and special for both her and her family.

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