Mindy Kaling: Daily Routine

Mindy Kaling measures a good writing day by her greasy hair and lack of sleep — the smell of hard work, as she puts it.

For actress, comedian and screenwriter, Mindy Kaling, hard work can usually be measured by her personal hygiene, or lack thereof. “There is a certain type of greasy hair that you get only when you are writing with no breaks,” she said in an interview with The Atlantic about creating The Mindy Project. “And I had it, big-time. If I breathed in deeply, I could smell my unwashed scent, and it was intoxicating. It smelled like hard work.”

Over the past two decades, Mindy Kaling has emerged as one of the most prolific stars in the entertainment industry. After first gaining recognition for her work on the US version of The Office, where she worked as a writer, executive producer and director, Kaling has gone on to create the Fox comedy series, The Mindy Project and NBC sitcom Champions; star in movies like Inside Out and Ocean’s 8; as well as publish two memoirs Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) and Why Not Me?