Pop culture would not be what it is without the contributions of Mindy Kaling, both in front of and behind the camera. The actor, screenwriter, and producer rose to prominence in 2005 with The Office, where she simultaneously showcased the writing and acting talents that would come to define her career.

Kaling is known for her quirky and often chaotic characters navigating life and love. Although she has starred in many of her own projects, she is not always involved in the acting script or production process. Likewise, she does not appear in every show she creates, produces, or writes. For Kaling, everything is a balance. However, she tends to stick to the comedy genre in her TV and film projects. Here are the top five shows Mindy Kaling has been involved with.

When Greg Daniels' American version of "The Office" debuted in 2005, no one could have imagined how important it would become in the pop culture world. While the BBC version by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Jarvais was certainly popular, the Steve Carell-led show quickly became one of the most influential sitcoms of our time.

Of course, fans recognize Kaling's on-screen work as Kelly Kapoor, but she was just as important, if not more so, behind the scenes. Kaling soon joined the project as a writer and actor. By the end of the series, Kaling had written nearly 30 episodes, and in 2008 she was also named executive producer. So while fans loved to channel Kelly's toxic on-and-off relationship with Ryan Howard, played by B.J. Novak, the show would not have been possible without her work as a writer and producer.

In addition to Kaling and Carell (Michael Scott), Jenna Fischer (Pam Beasley), John Krasinski (Jim Halpert), Layne Wilson (Dwight Schrute), Leslie David Baker (Stanley Hudson) Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin), Oscar Nunez (Oscar Martinez), and a host of other talented performers. aired for nine seasons through 2013.

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Creating a show, naming the main character after herself, and starring in a series is a rather bold move; in 2012, Kaling created the series about OB/GYN Mindy Lahiri's quest to find love and become a better person, The The Mindy Project. While Mindy experiences a series of immature and unsuitable men, her relationship with colleague Danny Castellano (Chris Messina) from enemies to lovers takes center stage.

The show features a number of comedy staples such as Ike Barinholtz (Morgan Tookers), Ed Weeks (Jeremy Reed), Sosha Lochmore (Tamra Webb), Beth Grant (Beverly), and Adam Palll (Peter Prentiss). The series was canceled by Fox in 2015, but Hulu gave the sitcom a second life, giving it three more seasons.

However, the show took an unfortunate turn when Messina decided to step down as a series regular before season five, leading to a rather sexist storyline regarding his character. By the end of the show, fans were not even sure if they wanted a happy ending for Danny and Mindy. Nevertheless, "The Mindy Project" boasts more than a few laughs each episode and has established a firm place among sitcoms.

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In 2019, Jay Carson and Kelly Ehlin created The Morning Show, a self-explanatory drama about the lives of fictional, you guessed it, morning show performers. The cast includes Jennifer Aniston (Alex Levy), Reese Witherspoon (Bradley Jackson), Billy Claddap (Corey Ellison), and Mark Duplass (Chip Black).

Kaling's character Audra has only appeared in five episodes to date, but her first episode was in the second series and also appeared in the season 3 premiere. Kaling's peripheral yet impactful character works as an anchor for a rival morning show, Your Day, America. She pulls out rival anchors (for good reason).

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Kaling does not star (or appear) in every series she produces. Never Have I Ever, which aired in 2020, showcased Kaling's affinity for young adult content, but she didn't need to be on screen for the Netflix show to be a hit. Kaling created the series with Lang Fisher, writing stories about grief, adolescence, mental health, and respect for culture.

The diverse cast includes Maitrey Ramakrishnan (Devi Vishwakumar), Poorna Jagannathan (Nalini Vishwakumar), Darren Barnett (Paxton Hall-Yoshida), Jalen Lewison (Ben Gross), Key Rodriguez ( Fabiola Torres), Ramona Young (Eleanor Wong) and others. Of course, tennis icon John McEnroe narrated the film.

Certainly, the love triangle between Devi, Ben, and Paxton takes up most of the show's four-season run, but Devi's journey of dealing with the loss of her father, dealing with anger, and connecting with her Indian heritage is a far more important plot point. Meanwhile, finding common ground with her mother is the most important relationship arc of the series.

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In 2001, "Monsters, Inc." became one of the most beloved Pixar films of the early 1980s. The story centers on an organization of monsters tasked with scaring children, but soon receives a revamped mission focused on laughter. Fans got a prequel to the franchise with Monsters University, but Bobs Ganaway gave fans a direct sequel in 2021 with Monsters at Work.

Actors such as Billy Crystal (Mike), John Goodman (Sulley), Jennifer Tilly (Celia Mae), and Bob Patterson (Rose) will reprise their original roles. Meanwhile, the Disney+ show will feature several new characters. Henry Winkler will play Fritz, Ben Feldman will play Tyler, and Kaling will play Val. Fans can look forward to a second season of this animated show.

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