>>> MAYBE I WON'T GET MARRIED,
YOU KNOW?
MAYBE IT'S ONE OF THOSE EAT,
PRAY, LOVE THINGS.
I DON'T WANT TO PRAY.
I'LL DIE ALONE.
>> THAT IS MINDY KALING ON "THE
MINDY PROJECT."
SHE SERVED AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
AND STAR.
THE SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON OF
"THE MINDY PROJECT" LAUNCHED ON
HUE LIEU.
THIS WEEK SHE POSTED A PHOTO ON
THE SET.
KALING'S SUCCESS WHO IS NOT
AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT THE MOST
UNCOMFORTABLE DETAILS OF LIFE
HAS MADE HER A ROLE MODEL.
SHE'S THE FIRST INDIAN AMERICAN
WOMAN TO STAR IN HER OWN SITCOM,
"TIME MAGAZINE" NAMED HER AS ONE
OF THE WORLD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE AND NOW SHE'S AN
EXPECTING MOTHER.
MINDY INVITED US TO THE SET OF
"THE MIND BEY PROJECT" ON STAGE
42.
FOR A SUNDAY SITDOWN.
>> WILLIE GEIST.
>> HOW YOU DOING IN.
>> WELCOME TO MY SET.
>> WE'RE ROLLING, EVERYBODY.
LIVE SET!
>> ISN'T THIS THE FANCIEST
DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
>> THIS IS LIKE A NICE NEW YORK
APARTMENT, NOT A DOCTOR'S
OFFICE.
>> THE KIND OF DOCTOR SHE IS IS
THE KIND OF DOCTOR THAT WOULD
NEVER SEE YOU.
>> WHETHER SHE'S REAL LIFE MINDY
OR TV CHARACTER MINDY, MINDY
KALING MAKES YOU LAUGH.
>> I CAN'T WAIT TO DIE.
MY FUNERAL IS GOING TO BE OFF
THE CHAIN.
COCKTAIL, ASHES AROUND THE RIM.
>> KALING IS A SMART, CONFIDENT,
STYLISH POWERHOUSE.
* WE BELONG TOGETHER, RYAN
>> BUT SHE WASN'T ALWAYS SO
BOLD.
>> I READ THAT WHEN YOU WERE A
KID YOU WERE NOT ONLY SHY BUT
YOU DESCRIBED YOURSELF AS A
SILENT CHILD.
>> IN MY HOUSE WE WERE BOTH IN
AWE OF MY PARENTS BUT ALSO KIND
OF TERRIFIED OF THEM.
MY MOM SAID BEING PERCEPTIVE
WAS A BETTER QUALITY THAN BEING
PERCEPTI
PERCEPTIVE.
>> LISTEN THAN YOU TALK.
>> A LITTLE BIT.
FOR SURE.
THERE ARE TIME TO TALK LATER.
NOBODY CAN GET ME TO SHUT UP.
>> SHE WAS RAISED IN CAMBRIDGE,
MASSACHUSETTS.
HER MOTHER, AN OBSTETRICIAN, HER
FATHER, AN ARCHITECT.
MINDY'S CAREER AS A WRITER
STARTED AS A WAY TO KEEP BUSY
AFTER SCHOOL.
>> TRUE OR FALSE, WHEN YOU WERE
A YOUNG GIRL YOU WOULD GO INTO
YOUR MOTHER'S DOCTOR'S OFFICE
WITH A TYPEWRITER.
>> YES.
>> WHILE WOMEN WERE HAVING BLOOD
DRAWN AND EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU
WERE IN THERE KNOCKING OUT
POEMS.
>> THEY WOULD TAKE THEIR BLOOD
AND THERE WOULD BE A CHUBBY
INDIAN KID WITH GLASSES.
SHE WOULD GIVE ME A PIECE OF
PAPER, WRITE SOMETHING, IF
YOU'RE BOTHER
YOU'RE BORED.
>> WERE THEY GOOD?
>> NO.
>> AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE SHE
WROTE.
>> THAT TOOK SOME GUTS I IMAGINE
FOR A SHY KID.
>> OH, FOR SURE.
ESPECIALLY SINCE I DIDN'T LOOK
LIKE A PERFORMER.
IT WAS THE WRITING THAT GAVE ME
THE CONFIDENCE TO GO INTO THE
PERFORMING SIDE OF IT.
>> KALING'S FAVORITE COMEDIAN
WAS CONAN O'BRIEN.
IN FACT, SHE ADMITS, SHE WAS
OBSESSED WITH HIM.
>> THE OBSESSION YOU HAVE AS A
14-YEAR-OLD ARE WHAT YOU'LL HAVE
IN LIFE.
>> AT 19 YEARS OLD KALING EARNED
AN INTERNSHIP ON CONAN'S SHOW IN
NEW YORK.
>> I WOULDN'T DO MY THINGS I WAS
HIRED TO DO, I WOULD FOLLOW YOU
AROUND.
>> I REMEMBER THAT PART.
>> JUST A YEAR OUT OF COLLEGE
KALING WROTE AND STARRED WITH
HER FRIEND BRENDA WITHERS.
IN A HOT TICKET.
IT WAS CALLED "MATT AND BEN."
THE PLAY WAS THE WRITING
PARTNER'S FICTIONAL COMEDIC IDEA
OF MATT DAMON AND BEN AFFLECK'S
FRIENDSHIP.
MINDY PLAYED AFFLECK.
>> I SAW YOU IN THAT SHOW IN
2003.
>> OH, MY GOD.
THAT'S A 90 SEAT THEATER.
>> I SAW IT WITH MY MOTHER.
>> YOUR MOM IS SO COOL.
>> HAVE YOU EVER TALKED TO BEN
AFFLECK ABOUT THAT?
>> I SAW HIM BACKSTAGE AT THE
SAG AWARDS.
HE WAS VERY NICE ABOUT IT.
HE HEARD ABOUT IT OBVIOUSLY.
I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
DIFFERENT IF WE WERE TWO WHITE
MEN PLAYING THEM.
SUBTLE DIFFERENCES IF WE WERE SO
ANGRY AT THEM FOR HAVING THE JOB
I WANTED.
BEN AFFLECK NEVER TOOK THE JOB I
FELT I WAS QUALIFIED FOR.
I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THAT MAN.
WHY AM I NOT IN "ARGO."
>> "MATT AND BEN" CAUGHT THE EYE
OF THE PRODUCER OF "THE OFFICE."
IN 2005 HIRED HER AS A WRITER
AND THEN CAST HER.
>> I DON'T TALK TRASH, I TALK
SMACK.
THEY'RE TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
TRASH IS HYPOTHETICAL.
YOUR MOM IS SO FAT SHE COULD EAT
INTERNET BUT SMACK TALK IS
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
LIKE YOU'RE UGLY AND I KNOW IT
FOR A FACT BECAUSE I'VE GOT THE
EVIDENCE RIGHT THERE.
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> AFTER EIGHT SEASONS ON "THE
OFFICE" INCLUDING A RUN AS THE
EXI CANTIVE PRODUCER, SHE BEGAN
TO DEVELOP THE IDEA OF HER OWN
SHOW "THE MINDY PROJECT."
NBC PASSED BY FOX TOOK IT.
>> YOUR WEEKEND SOUNDED REALLY
DEPRESSING AND YOUR WEEKEND
SOUNDED DISGUSTING.
>> AS HER CAREER WAS TAKING OFF,
HER MOTHER WAS FIGHTING STAGE 4
PANCREATIC CANCER.
THE SAME DAY MINDY'S SHOW WAS
GREEN LIT, HER MOTHER AND HER
BEST FRIEND DIED.
MINDY'S FATHER MOVED TO LOS
ANGELES TO BE CLOSE TO HIS
DAUGHTER.
>> MY MOM WAS INCREDIBLY FIERCE
AND SO DEVOTED TO US, BUT WAS
JUST LOVED US AND REALLY WANTED
US TO BE HAPPY NO MATTER WHAT WE
DID.
>> FOLKS, QUIET PLEASE.
>> CAN YOU GIVE US A WINDOW INTO
THE SEASON.
PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF.
>> SO MY CHARACTER FINALLY GOT
THE THING SHE WANTED HER ENTIRE
LIFE, WHICH IS TO GET MARRIED.
>> WITH THIS SUPER RARE,
UNBELIEVABLY EXPENSIVE COMIC
BOOK, I WANTED TO KNOW, WILL YOU
MARRY ME?
>> LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE, WE
WANTED TO SHOW IT WAS NOT AT ALL
WHAT SHE EXPECTED.
I LOVE PLAYING THIS CHARACTER.
SHE HAS SO MANY FLAWS BUT SHE'S
ULTIMATELY A GOOD PERSON.
THAT'S EXACTLY LIKE EVERY WOMAN
I KNOW.
>> WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE
THAT KIND OF ROLE MODEL?
>> AT FIRST IT WAS TERRIFYING.
ONCE I WAS ON CAMERA I REALIZED
THERE WAS NO ONE THAT LOOKED
LIKE ME SO I WAS REPRESENTING A
LARGER GROUP OF WOMEN.
I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
>> SO THE WORD IN BUSINESS,
MINDY, IS THAT YOU LIKE TO
SNATCH MEMORABILIA FROM SETS AND
TAKE IT HOME FROM YOU.
>> WHO WOULDN'T?
THIS SET IS SO PRETTY.
>> DO YOU START TO FEEL THE
CREEP OF THE END A LITTLE BIT?
>> I DO.
>> YEAH?
>> EVERY MORNING.
I'VE BEEN COUNTING THE DAYS.
WHEN A SHOW ENDS BE, I CAN'T
JUST GO WALKING AROUND LIKE I'M
THE STAR OF THE SHOW ANYMORE.
>>> WITH THE END OF "THE MINDY
PROJECT" COMES THE BEGINNING OF
A NEW ONE.
MOTHERHOOD.
MINDY CONFIRMED TO US THAT SHE
IS EXPECTING.
>> DO YOU HAVE A VISION OF WHAT
KIND OF MOM YOU'RE GOING TO BE?
I MEAN, YOU HAD A GREAT MOM WHO
WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND AS YOU
SAID.
DO YOU IMAGINE WHAT KIND OF
MOTHER YOU WANT TO BE?
>> WELL, IT'S SO EASY TO
CRITICIZE PARENTING UNTIL YOU'RE
A PARENT SO ONE OF THE NICE
THINGS ABOUT BECOMING A PARENT
IS I'LL BE ABLE TO OPENLY
CRITICIZE OTHER PARENTS BECAUSE
I WILL HAVE A CHILD.
>> DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE THE
FUN MOM?
I THINK THAT'S THE EXPECTATION.
>> I'M HAPPY THAT'S WHAT I
PROJECT.
RIGHT NOW I FEEL SO ANXIOUS.
I'D LIKE TO BE THE FUN MOM.
I KNOW I'M GOING TO BE THE DORKY
MOM.
I CAN BE FUN, TOO.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE NICE.
>> MINDY'S GOING TO BE A GREAT
MOM.
THE FINAL SEASON OF "THE MINDY
PROJECT" IS STREAMING ON HULU.