Home / Authors / Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling Quotes

Actress

Mindy Kaling, born on June 24, 1979, is an accomplished actress, screenwriter, and producer from the United States. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Pam Beesly in 'The Office', which earned her numerous nominations and awards. Known for her humor and insightful character portrayals, Kaling has become one of the most influential women in the entertainment industry through her success in film and television.

Filter quotes by topic

All Thinking People Want Ifs Way Kind Kids Writing Feels Looks

Famous Mindy Kaling Quotes

“It's really sweet when people tweet at me and say I'm their spirit animal or 'I wish she was my best friend,' which is the nicest compliment. For me, it's like, doing television is so personal because you're in people's homes, so the fact that people feel that way means so much to me.”

People Way Feels Mean Facts Home Spirit Wish Animal Television Sweet Compliment My Best Friend Tweet Really Sweet

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I can't have a big breakfast or a big lunch because I get very lethargic, and then I get really cranky. I eat, but I have to eat small, healthful amounts of food.”

I Can Bigs Amount Breakfast Lunch Get Real Cranky Lethargic

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Couples are really funny, because if they are together, they can fight and do fun things together. In Jane Austen books, marriage is the end of the story, but I actually think a really funny couple could be a fun thing to watch.”

Ifs Thinking Book Ends Stories Together Fighting Fun Watches Couple Jane Austen Fun Things

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I know a lot of people think of me and they like, oh that girl is really sexy, that girl is really put together, she would never do something as unladylike as a beet eating competition.”

People Thinking Knows Together Girl Eating Competition Sexy Think Of Me That Girl Beets

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Because confidence is like respect; you have to earn it.”

Book:Why Not Me?

Source: Why Not Me?

“I’m Adorable. I Look like Keira Knightley Running Errands!”

Looks Running Adorable Errands

Author:Mindy Kaling

“To have a complete outfit designed, for me, is easier than trying to find pieces that work together.”

Trying Together Pieces Easier Working Together

Author:Mindy Kaling

“You always want to keep your look clean and elegant, but you don't have to do the safe black-dress route. Have some fun! Wear something colorful with a hint of sparkle.”

Want Looks Fun Black Safe Dresses Clean Routes Elegant Hints Colorful Sparkle

Author:Mindy Kaling

“That's my advice to people. You can't get hung up on thinking, "Am I the victim in this situation?" No, I'm in charge of it.”

People Thinking Situation Advice Victim Hung

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I love women who are bosses and who don't constantly worry about what their employees think of them. I love women who don't ask, "Is that OK?" after everything they say. I love when women are courageous in the face of unthinkable circumstances, like my mother when she was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Or like Gabrielle Giffords writing editorials for the New York Times about the cowardice of Congress regarding gun laws and using phrases like "mark my words" like she is Clint Eastwood. How many women say stuff like that?”

“I was kind of unfriendly and suspicious of everyone around me. I didn't talk until I was about 15. It's a kind of famous story at my house.”

Kind Stories House Suspicious Unfriendly

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I found it to be smooth sailing - 100 percent smooth sailing my whole career.”

Whole Found Careers Percent Smooth Sailing Smooth Sailing

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I find it very sad that so many girls who look up to me are young women of color who have been told that they are ugly, and who feel that they are not normal...I think it's so important that women look like me find that they can be beautiful or objects of love, attention and affection.”

Thinking Feels Looks Has Beens Important Beautiful Young Girl Attention Objects Color Normal Affection Ugly Like Me Look Up Young Women Very Sad

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Sometimes I aid into the confusion by having my character's name be my name.”

Sometimes Character Names Aids Confusion

Author:Mindy Kaling

“It doesn't help for you to name a character's first name be Mindy and then be like, "I'm nothing like the character."”

Firsts Character Helping Names

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I'm Indian-American and I think that when I think of myself as being culturally Indian, it had so much to do with when I lived with my parents and was a kid because they would take me to the Diwali festivals. They would take me to the temple, and they would teach me about all the different holidays.”

Thinking Different Kids Parent Teach Indian Holiday Temples Take Me Festivals American Indian

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Your fear that your parents will actually kill you for dropping out of college is something that I think a lot of children of immigrants would maybe relate to.”

Thinking Children Parent College Relate Immigrants Dropping Dropping Out

Author:Mindy Kaling

“People, you know, had trouble with the character. Mindy is not immediately likeable. She does and says a lot of things that you don't see in, forget female characters, any characters. Like, she says things like, "I'm going to hell because I don't really care about the environment and I love to gossip."”

People Knows Doe Character Care Forget Hell Environment Trouble Female Gossip Female Characters Likeable

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I don't think anyone wants to grow up to be Mindy Lahiri, the same way no one wants to grow up to be Michael Scott.But that's OK.”

Thinking Way Want Grows Growing Up

Author:Mindy Kaling

“My dream of course, as a writer and a person who's an entertainer, is: Grow up to be Mindy Kaling, don't grow up to be Mindy Lahiri.”

Persons Dream Courses Grows Growing Up Entertainers

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I think I've always wanted to be a role model, and I think ... everyone should try to live their life like they'd like to be a role model. I think it's like the thing keeping me out of jail.”

Thinking Should Trying Wanted Roles Models Jail Role Models

Author:Mindy Kaling

“[Being role model ]is good for me mentally, selfishly, and it's also nice to try to do that for, especially, younger women. I mean, it's scary as hell. ... I worry about it, but I think it's a good thing to try to do.”

Thinking Trying Mean Roles Worry Hell Nice Models Good Things Scary Role Models

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Of course, everyone wants to be mythologized in a great way.”

Way Want Courses

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I'd rather be like Odysseus than someone who was handed everything.”

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I work so hard and so many hours, and I've done that for years and years and years.”

Years Hard Done Hours

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I write a little bit about what it's like to be a female boss in my book [ Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?] and the things I've noticed about that, but by and large, it's just a tough job in general.”

Writing Littles Book Jobs Bits Little Bit Tough Female Boss Hanging Out

Author:Mindy Kaling

“When I have time to sit and reflect on the different situations that I face every day, I'll be able to speak more succinctly about the challenges as a woman.”

Different Able Faces Speak Challenges Situation

Author:Mindy Kaling

“There's obviously instances where I perceive sexism in my job. ... I think that the sort of sexism that I see has been one that's a little bit like a gentler form of sexism, but still a little bit debilitating, which is that when, as a producer and a writer, whether it was at The Office or [at The Mindy Project], if I make a decision, it'll still seem like it's up for debate.”

Ifs Thinking Littles Has Beens Stills Seems Jobs Form Bits Decision Office Projects Little Bit Debate Producers Instance Perceive Sexism

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I notice that a little bit at The Office, with, like, an actor: If I decided there'd be a certain way in the script, it would still seem open-ended, whereas ... if I was a man I would not have seen that.”

Ifs Men Way Littles Stills Seems Certain Actors Bits Office Little Bit Decided Scripts

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I sort of refuse to be an outsider, even though I know that I very much look like one to a lot of people, and I refuse to view myself in such terms.”

People Knows Looks Term Views Refuse Outsiders

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I'm an actor and a writer and a showrunner and I edit my show. ... I have a job that three people usually have, and I have it in one person. And the idea that the critic thought that I had this excess of time for which I could go to, like, panels or write essays was just so laughable to me.”

People Writing Persons Ideas Shows Jobs Three Actors Critics Excess Essays Edits Laughable

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I think as women, you know, if you are considered a pioneer in these things, you can get really distracted by these other things - you know, people's demands of you reflecting on your otherness. And for this white critic to say, "I don't understand why she doesn't do that" - and you're like, "It's because I'm running a show on a major network and I want the show to continue" - and to sort of guilt me.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Want Shows Running White Demand Majors Guilt Critics Distracted Reflecting Get Real Pioneers Otherness

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I'm an A student. I'm addicted to feedback, and I want to please people. That's sort of how I've gotten to where I am.”

People Want Students Please Feedback

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I think that it's insidious to be spending more of your time reflecting and talking about panels, and talking more and more in smart ways about your otherness, rather than doing the hard work of your job.”

Thinking Way Hard Jobs Talking Hard Work Smart Spending Reflecting Insidious Otherness

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Elizabeth Kennedy is so chic. Her gowns have such structure, I feel like a work of art.”

Feels Art Structure Works Of Art Gowns Chic

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I love telling press the designers I'm wearing, especially if they are emerging. That's exciting to me, supporting talented newcomers.”

Ifs Exciting Presses Designer Emerging Newcomers

Author:Mindy Kaling

“When men hear women want a commitment, they think it means commitment to a romantic relationship, but that's not it. It's a commitment to not floating around anymore. I want a guy who is entrenched in his own life. Entrenched is awesome.”

Thinking Men Want Inspirational Mean Guy Commitment Romantic Floating Love Relationship Women Want Romantic Relationship I Want A Guy

Book:Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)(Enhanced Edition)

Source: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)(Enhanced Edition)

“You should never have to say hello or goodbye. Even at work sometimes, and I know this is very unpopular, is that if I'm going to work every single day, I don't think you should have to hug people hello every single day when you come to work. I saw you Monday!”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Should Sometimes Saws Should Have Goodbye Hug Hello Monday Going To Work

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I think a lot of writers, male and female, write as if their parents were killed in a car accident when they were 2, and they have no one to hold accountable. And unfortunately, I don't have that. I have parents who I care about what they think.”

Ifs Thinking Writing Care Parent Car Female Males Accidents I Care Car Accident

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Anyone who's lost someone to cancer will say this, that you have to struggle to try to remember the person before the diagnosis happened, because they really do change - as anyone would change.”

Trying Persons Remember Lost Struggle Happened Cancer Diagnosis Lost Someone

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Sometimes I eavesdrop on people. I could rationalize it - oh, this is good anthropological research for characters I'm writing - but it's basically just nosiness. It also helps me gauge where I'm at: Am I normal?”

People Writing Sometimes Character Helping Normal Research Help Me Gauges Rationalize

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I regard romantic comedies as a subgenre of sci-fi, in which the world operates according to different rules than my regular human world.”

World Humans Different Comedy Regard Sci Fi Being Alone Being Single Anti Valentine Anti Valentines Day Funny Anti Valentines Day

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I try not to put anything political on the forefront of what I'm trying to do creatively. At the same time, I do think it's wonderful when I hear people say that it's inspirational that I'm an Indian woman on camera. My life is very diverse, and my friends are a diverse group of people.”

People Thinking Trying Political Life Is Wonderful Groups My Friends Cameras Indian Diverse

Author:Mindy Kaling

“The funniest racism is the racism between minorities. It's something you don't see dramatized, but almost every minority I know who's my age, they have these funny stories about their parents stereotyping other minorities.”

Knows Stories Age Funny Parent Racism Birthday Minorities Stereotype 60th Birthday Funny Story

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I have such a rich fantasy life, I can't help it. I do make up a lot of romantic stories in my head.”

I Can Helping Stories Fantasy Rich Fantasy Life

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I love talking about clothes with women; it's like a code because women dress for women.”

Talking Clothes Dresses Code

Author:Mindy Kaling

“I think as humans, no one remembers their successes, everyone just remembers their failures.”

Thinking Humans Remember

Author:Mindy Kaling

“My relationship with my mom is really the single most profound relationship that I've ever had in my life.”

Mom Profound My Mom

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Twitter is so short, it's safe. I don't want my bosses to be like, 'Hey, your script is due and we saw you wrote four blog pages.'”

Want Saws Four Safe Pages Scripts Dues Hey Boss Blogs

Author:Mindy Kaling

“Anybody can have a birthday. It requires nothing. Murderers have birthdays. It's the opposite of anything that I believe in. And I don't like at work where you stop everything to sing 'Happy Birthday' to someone. I feel like that's for children.”

Feels Believe Children I Believe Opposites I Believe In Birthday Murderer

Author:Mindy Kaling

About the Author

Born: June 24, 1979
Known for: Actress
Quotes: 313

Related Topics

Thinking People Want Ifs Way Kind Kids Writing Feels Looks

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)(Enhanced Edition)Related source material

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)Related source material

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?Related source material

Why Not Me?Related source material

Kind of HinduRelated source material

Similar Authors

Kristen StewartBrowse related quotes
Judd ApatowBrowse related quotes
Miley CyrusBrowse related quotes
Zooey DeschanelBrowse related quotes
George SaundersBrowse related quotes
Angelina JolieBrowse related quotes
Dolly PartonBrowse related quotes
Taylor SwiftBrowse related quotes
Louis C. K.Browse related quotes
Lena DunhamBrowse related quotes