Mindy Kaling Plays Pop Quiz with Marie Claire

published 9 August 2022

Mindy Kaling is instantly recognizable thanks to her on-screen performances in The Mindy Project, Late Night, and The Office, but some of her most revealing work actually comes from the projects where she's positioned behind the camera. In Marie Claire’s August cover story, Kaling shares why it was so important to her to explore wellness themes like mental health in her latest series, HBO’s The Sex Life of College Girls and the Netflix hit Never Have I Ever.

“When I write shows about Indian women and what they're interested in, I want to do something original, but I also don't want to shy away from things that I've seen before: obsession with success; elitism about schools,” she tells Marie Claire. “Those are things that were real in my family, and I've been dealing with that. But also what's really important was destigmatizing mental health.”

Another topic Kaling wants more women to feel comfortable talking about? Money. In the latest episode of Marie Claire’s Pop Quiz, our cover star sat down to answer some more questions about herself and shared what it is that makes her feel the most powerful. "This is a simple answer, but I think it’s something women are embarrassed to talk about: Being wealthy. My power came from me having enough money that I can have independence and that’s what makes me feel confident."

The new Propel ambassador also shares the small and simple ways she practices wellness in her day-to-day: drinking tons of water, going for runs, calling her dad, and chatting with her daughter.

Watch Kaling in Pop Quiz, and then check out our August cover story and full digital wellness issue.

Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she specializes in crafting shopping stories—from sales content to buying guides that span every vertical on the site. She also oversees holiday coverage with an emphasis on gifting guides as well as Power Pick, our monthly column on the items that power the lives of MC’s editors. She also tackled shopping content as Marie Claire's Editorial Fellow prior to her role as Associate Commerce Editor.

She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.

Stay In The Know