In anticipation of the airing of a new episode of Mindy Kaling's Fox TV comedy "The Mindy Project," three members of the cast did an AMA ("Ask Me Anything") segment on Reddit Tuesday answering questions both professional and personal. Ike Barinholtz, who plays male nurse Morgan Tookers, and Anders Holm, who plays Kaling's Christian preacher love interest Pastor Casey, were friendly and entertaining, but we were most interested in what Reddit users asked Mindy Kaling, who plays the shows main character, OB-GYN Mindy Lahiri. Her answers reminded us all over again what makes Kaling always worth reading and watching.
Here are 7 things we now know about Kaling thanks to Reddit:
1. She is very loyal -- to a certain appliance.
From 2005 to 2012 Kaling worked on the hit NBC comedy "The Office," as a member of the cast, playing customer service representative Kelly Kapoor, and also as a writer and producer for the show. One of the most popular episodes she ever wrote, according to the New York Times, was one in which Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) burned his foot while trying to make bacon on a George Foreman grill. That was likely what prompted this question from redditor scalliwag: "Will a George Foreman Grill ever make a special guest appearance in the Mindy Project?"
Kaling answered, "I try to work in a Foreman Grill reference in every thing I write."
2. Her latest exercise revenge fantasy involves Michael Fassbender.
In Kaling's book, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" she writes, "If it weren't for my imagination, I would weigh ten thousand pounds. This is because the only way I am able to exercise anymore is through a long and vivid revenge fantasy." Reddit user slo1987, in need of "gymspiration," asked Kaling, "What is your current exercise revenge fantasy?" Kaling's response was fantastically elaborate: "My go-to is someone murdered my gorgeous, perfect, sweetheart husband, who looks like Michael Fassbender, and I then have to get in shape to murder him/her with my bear hands. Sometimes the murderer is hot too, and I have to sleep with them before I kill them. Like Tom Hardy or something. Use it!"
Fassbender has showed up in Kaling's imagination before -- in the pilot Dr. Mindy prays before a first date: "Dear lord, please let this date be good. May he have the wealth of Michael Bloomberg, the personality of Jon Stewart, the face of Michael Fassbender… the penis of Michael Fassbender.”
3. She has the answer to one of life's most annoying questions.
Reddit user tatertat asked, "Mindy, where would you buy a cute swim suit from?" reminding us that, yes, it is that time of year again, the do-they-make-this-dressing-room-lighting-intentionally-bad bathing-suit-shopping time of year. Kaling seemed unfazed and, god bless her, offered not one but two suggestions:
"Modcloth.com or Marc by Marc Jacobs!"
4. She knows the difference between love and lust.
littleelaine asked, "Of all the dates you have had (real or fictional), who was the best kisser... and will you give them my number?"
Holm, who Kaling referred to throughout the chat as "DERS," chimed in, "yeah mindy, who...?"
Kaling's answer included a shout-out to Mark Duplass, who plays a midwife at a competing practice who Dr. Mindy hooks up with once: "I liked kissing Duplass for the emotional connection, but for straight hardcore turn-on feelings? DERS"
And judging from her silence on the second point, Kaling apparently won't give littleelaine his number.
5. Diversity is on her mind.
anne_sophie asked, "Will Mindy Lahari [sic] ever have a relationship with a man of color?"
Kaling answered, "Definitely! I am psyched for that. We try to fit in a bunch of boyfriends but then it looks like Mindy has a revolving door of dudes. Next season!"
6. She likes female characters who aren't perfect. (OK, we knew this one already, but we don't get tired of hearing it.)
Redditor tornadomh asked Kaling, "I was surprised to see you see you say in your recent Vulture interview that Mindy and Danny will be taking a very non-traditional relationship route...As a self-declared rom-com lover, what leads you away from the traditional tv/movie romantic tension? Do you imagine a traditional romantic comedy ending for Mindy at the end of the series -- or will it be something 'messier'?"
Kaling, an admitted lover of romantic comedies, answered addressing both the structural challenges of writing a relationship across many episodes and what she wants for Dr. Lahiri: "In a movie you have the luxury of wrapping things up in 90 minutes. But in a show, you want more twists and turns, and interesting complications. Also, the show is so young so we want to see who else is out there. Like, I want the Mindy character to make some really terrible and funny decisions in series, and Danny, too."
7. She's a smoocher.
When eztarget896 issued a challenge, "Mindy: Adam, Blake, Anders you had to fuck, marry, kill. GO!" Kaling responded, "I don't want to kill any of them, I love those guys. where is the smooch option?"
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