As a female comedian of Indian heritage who co-starred in one of the most beloved and popular TV comedies of the modern era, Mindy Kaling is an inspiration to many, even if that kind of attention may not always be the most desired. Being a role model comes with its own list of challenges, obviously, and The Office vet earned new waves of attention in recent months when showing off some weight loss while rocking a swimsuit, and then again more recently with a Legally Blonde-inspired bikini shot. But while she might be all good with having fun on camera, she’s less inclined to keep talking about her weight and others’ thoughts about her body size.
While speaking with Allure about her skincare and makeup routines, and the issues she’s faced on that front from having melanated skin, Mindy Kaling was asked to address fans who may believe they’ve lost a voice of compassion, given her past comments about body positivity and the lack of a desire to be traditionally “skinny.” But she side-stepped a direct answer as not to have her thoughts taken in the wrong direction, saying:
It’s not super exciting for me to talk about my body and how it’s analyzed. So I think I’m just not going to get into it because it takes over the conversation unfortunately and people take it so personally.
Celebrities’ comments often get taken out of context, or can be perceived too literally when that’s not the case. And that goes double/triple/etc. when such comments are tied to beauty, body health and other sensitive and personal topics. So instead of going down that route again and inviting more criticisms, Kaling backed away from it altogether, and was honest about the reasoning. Can’t hate on that, even though others’ mileage will vary.
Kaling has become a high-profile target of sorts for both diversity advocates to raise up, and for those on the direct opposite side to attempt to tear down. Or, when it came to the Max adult-animated comedy Velma, both sides were happy to join forces in voicing their anger. (Personally, I didn’t think it was that bad.) That kind of public response plays into why Kaling keeps her personal life highly private and away from prying eyes.
That said, the Sex Lives of College Girls co-creator is still happy to talk about the role that turned her into a household name, Kelly Kapoor, and how the character’s own makeup routine was a window into her personality. In Kaling’s words:
Kelly was a customer service rep in a cubicle in a windowless office in Scranton, Pennsylvania. And she was always wearing statement purple eyeshadow and tons of blush and lots of mascara. We were really specific on that show about not having me do stuff that she wouldn’t have access to. So she wasn’t wearing eyelash extensions or fake lashes, but she would wear a ton of mascara or bold lipstick. She expressed herself with a lot of statement makeup. And I think that is what was so endearing about that character for me.
Kelly was indeed endearing, even if Ryan didn’t always want to admit just how much he was smitted with her. She clearly had trouble admitting things to herself about Ryan as well, but that’s a whole other conversation.
Fans can check out all of Kelly Kapoor’s makeup styles by streaming episodes of The Office with a Peacock subscription, while a Max subscription will grant fans access to both seasons of Sex Lives of College Girls (with Season 3 on the way) and the first season of Velma (with Season 2 coming).