Mindy Kaling is one of those actresses and writers that doesn't get enough credit. She's been apart of some incredible works both on and behind the screen. After graduating Dartmouth with a degree in playwriting, Mindy went on to intern at Late Night with Conan O'Brien and continued living in New York City after graduating.
Early in her career, Kaling got the job of a lifetime working on The Office. She was both a writer and an actress throughout the series. And although Kaling is most remembered for her time on The Office and her very own show, The Mindy Project, there are oodles of other works Mindy has been apart of that we often forget about. Keep scrolling to be reminded of 10 projects Mindy has been a part of!
INSIDE OUT
Pixar's Inside Out came out in 2015 and totally took over the box office. It was so smart in the way it was written and broke down barriers for kids going through a hard time. The animated picture was about a little girl named Riley who moved to California with her parents after coming from Minnesota and was having a hard time.
Inside her brain, we got to meet all the emotions and memories that consumed Riley. Kaling had the role of Disgust. As her name so cleverly describes her role, she is often disgusted by everything. With Mindy's unique voice, voice projects are a shoo-in for this celebrity.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
The Night Before is a great modern-day holiday movie. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie, and Seth Rogen, we see this trio celebrating Christmas Eve together year after year. But now that the group is getting older, their tradition is slowing down and things are changing.
In the movie, Mindy plays Sarah. As per usual, she's adorably funny, smart, and plays a good friend role. The film came out in 2015 and made around $52 million in the box office.
THIS IS THE END
Appearing once again with Seth Rogen (he's also worked with her in The Mindy Project and The Night Before), Mindy made a cameo in the 2013 action-comedy This Is the End. The movie famously shows celebrities as themselves, but they're running from the apocalypse.
Mindy's cameo is in the beginning at James Franco's house party where she's seen crushing on the lovably awkward Michael Cera.
WRECK-IT RALPH
In 2012, Mindy was the voice of Taffyta Muttonfudge in Disneys' Wreck-It Ralph. The animated movie is about a bad-guy character longing to be the good guy for a change. It's an adorable movie that did great in the box office. Mindy voiced an antagonist in the film who was a racer for the game Sugar Rush. And although she was dressed head-to-toe in pink, she was no one to mess with. Her cocky attitude didn't fit well with many of the other characters but that kind of behavior comes hand-in-hand when you're that good at something. Being small and mighty like Mindy herself, no one was better suited for the role than Mindy Kaling.
THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT
In 2012, The Five-Year Engagement released, starring Emily Blunt (wife of John Krasinski, whom she worked with on The Office) and Jason Segel. Mindy had a minor role in this film starring as Vaneetha, the co-worker of Blunt's character when she stayed behind to work in Michigan.
The film was a good one, showing what happens when two people love each other but choose to focus on their careers instead of marriage. The happy couple decides to go their separate ways until fate brings them back together and they realize they never stopped loving one another.
DESPICABLE ME
Did you know Mindy Kaling had a small role in Despicable Me? While we were all too busy falling in love with Gru's Minions, Mindy was the voice of the tourist mom seen at the beginning of the movie! That's right, Mindy's character didn't even have a name — she was literally just a quick shot in the film. We see her, her husband, and son, Justin, getting off the tour bus to get a closer look at the pyramids where her son escapes. Mindy doesn't say much (besides screaming her son's name), but it's a fun part of her resume!
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Mindy didn't have a large role in 2011's No Strings Attached (starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman), but her lines were so spot-on, and she was easily the funniest character in the film.
The movie shows two friends (Kutcher and Portman) who decide they're going to use each other for sex — no strings attached. There will be no commitments and no titles, just fun. Things get complicated when the two end up falling for each other. In the movie, Portman is a doctor and Kaling is her colleague who we see with the quick remarks throughout the hospital's halls.
THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
That's right, Mindy Kaling made a quick appearance in The 40-Year-Old Virgin! (This would also be the third project Mindy and Steve Carrell teamed up for!) Opening in 2005, The 40-Year-Old Virgin is actually Mindy's first credit as an actress.
In the film, we see Paul Rudd's character, David, heartbroken over his on-again-off-again relationship with a girl named Amy. And lo and behold, we meet Amy (Kaling) at a speed dating event. She plays the annoyed ex-girlfriend who's constantly being chased by David even though they've been broken up for two years at that point.
LICENSE TO WED
License to Wed, starring John Krasinski and Mandy Moore, was Mindy's fourth acting credit to her name. And, again, she worked with fellow The Office castmate, John Krasinski.
The film showed Krasinski and Moore's characters going through a rigorous religion test before being able to get married. In the movie, Kaling plays Shelly who is apart of their friend circle. And although she doesn't have many lines, her presence is strong.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN
In 2009, Mindy portrayed Docent in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Mindy has a brief role as a guide but it's also interesting to note the connections Mindy has made by working in film early on. In this movie, she works with Ben Stiller (whose wife she worked with while filming License to Wed) and she also works with Robin Williams (who she also worked with while filming License to Wed.)
Mindy sure has taken off since the early 2000s and we can't wait to see what else she has in store for us!