Mindy Kaling Ends Autobiographical Chapter with ‘Not Suitable for Work’

Mindy Kaling is back with a new series that concludes her trilogy of shows inspired by the early days of her career.

The actor, writer, director and producer recently released “Not Suitable for Work,” a comedy about five twenty-somethings who are pursuing their career aspirations in Manhattan. The first three episodes of the series arrived on Hulu June 2. Kaling, who created the show and also serves as executive producer, chatted with Willie Geist on Sunday Sitdown about why “Not Suitable for Work” marks the end of an era.

“I think of ‘Not Suitable for Work’ as the last show in this trilogy of shows that I’ve done about young people,” Kaling explained. “‘Never Have I Ever’ was a show loosely based on my childhood and the loss of a parent. ‘Sex Lives with College Girls’ was very loosely based on my time at Dartmouth.”

She laughed and clarified that that series was less autobiographical. “Not that much sex happening there,” she joked.

“Never Have I Ever,” which was a coming-of-age story focused on high school students, ran for four seasons on Netflix and ended in June 2023. “Sex Lives with College Girls,” an HBO Max show about a group of college freshmen, concluded in March 2025 after three seasons.

Kaling shared that “Not Suitable for Work” is based on her experience in her early 20s when she relocated to New York City. She described the period as an “ambitious” chapter. “I just wanted to hurry up to the time in my life when I was successful,” she recalled.

The 46-year-old said that she didn’t intend for the three series to serve as a trilogy of her life story.

“That’s just the pretentious way that I like to frame my career now,” she quipped.

When Willie asked if Kaling romanticizes her 20s, she referenced a quote from “The Office,” the show that gave her a breakout role and her first major job as a staff writer, too.

“There’s this line in ‘The Office’ that I love, from one of the later seasons,” she said, quoting Ed Helms’ character in the final season when he says, “I wish there was a way to know that you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”

“I think that’s such a profound thought,” she said. “Because that time when I was in New York, and I was surrounded by friends, and none of us had money, it was the good old days. But all I could see is, like, what I didn’t have. It makes me want to be more grateful for what I have now.”

In addition to her work in television, Kaling also debuted publishing imprint Mindy’s Book Studio, a partnership with Amazon, in 2022. The books she chooses for her label share similarities with the types of shows she has created, which include series like “The Mindy Project” and “Running Point.”

“I love juicy stories, page turners for TV shows. Ones with big characters (and) big plot devices… But I just happen to populate the world with people that you don’t normally see in TV. And that’s kind of my philosophy behind the books that I pick,” she shared.

Willie noted that Kaling is now in a stage of her career where she can help actors and authors who might usually be overlooked in Hollywood get a chance to showcase their talent.

“It’s the best part of my job,” she agreed. Although she acknowledges that wasn’t always her goal.

“When I started out, I wasn’t thinking about pulling other people up. I was like, ‘I just want health insurance and to make enough money that I can prove to my parents it wasn’t stupid to move to L.A,” she explained.

But over the years, she has recognized her importance in the industry.

“Then after a while I realized, ‘Oh, when you’re the only person who does something, it means more than your sort of selfish interests for clout and fame, and everything else,’” she added. “It means something to other people.”

It is also significant to her that she has made her parents, who came to the U.S. as immigrants, proud.

“My dad is so supportive,” she told Willie, adding how as a single mom, she’s fortunate her father is “still alive and well. “He and my stepmom (are) such a huge part of the lives of my children.”

While Kaling wishes her mom, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2012 could see her success and meet her three children, she is still grateful.

“I do have so many other blessings,” she said.