Why Mindy Kaling Left The Office


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To say that people love “The Office” would be a bit of a dramatic understatement. The NBC sitcom, which is based on the short-lived U.K. series of the same name, ran for nine seasons, going off the air in 2013. Although it’s been off the air for more than a decade, it remains insanely popular. So much so that it’s one of the core things helping to keep Peacock afloat in the streaming wars.

Like many shows, the later seasons of “The Office” are pretty widely considered among the worst. There are many reasons for that but one core reason is that by season 9, several of the show’s mainstays had departed. Steve Carell left the role of Michael Scott behind at the end of season 7, for example. But season 8 also saw core cast member Mindy Kaling, known for her portrayal as the dramatic Kelly Kapoor, leave as well. It didn’t help that B.J. Novak, who plays Ryan, followed suit.

So, why did Kaling leave “The Office,” exactly? For the actor/writer/producer, it was simple. She was making her own show, and there was no way she could realistically do both at the same time. In a 2012 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kaling explained that her series “The Mindy Project, which lasted six seasons between Fox and Hulu, took priority. She also took some of her “Office” friends with her. As she explained:

“I was nervous, leaving a show after eight years, having to say goodbye to my friends and the people that made it feel like a comfy place and a hit show. So I took the ones that I thought were available and I had great relationships with to come with me. They were people like B.J. Novak, who was an executive producer on the pilot, and Ed Helms, who plays a love interest of mine. There’s a lot of crossover, so it felt seamless.”

Mindy Kaling eventually returned to The Office as Kelly

In explaining her departure, the writers peppered in a plot that saw Kelly moving to Miami (the one in Ohio, not Florida) with her future husband Ravee. That’s also why Ryan left the show, as it was revealed in season 9 that he essentially followed Kelly to Ohio, even if he wasn’t willing to admit that was the reason. In that same 2012 EW interview, Kaling teased her eventual return to “The Office” before it was made official. “I will do anything for [executive producer] Greg Daniels,” she said at the time.” If he wanted me to be in another couple of episodes, if it was possible given my current schedule, I would do anything to make that possible. I love that group of people.”

Fortunately, good to her word, Kaling did return in “The Office” series finale. As did Novak. For better or worse, Ryan and Kelly finally ran off together, bringing that chaotic relationship to a close, while offering viewers some closure for these two fan-favorite characters.

It’s not as though anyone who left the show had any ill will towards the cast or anyone involved with the show. Fans, understandably, were upset as Kelly was responsible for some of the funniest moments in “The Office.” It’s just that, by that time, it had been nearly a decade’s worth of commitment for someone whose career had taken off. It didn’t leave a lot of time to explore other opportunities. Kaling, in addition to her work as Kelly, was also a writer and producer of the show. There’s no way she could have launched “Mindy Project” while still doing that job.

Mindy Kaling doesn’t believe The Office could be made today

The question now is, could we see more of Kelly Kapoor in the future? After all, “The Office” is still remarkably popular and Kaling, though busy, is no longer starring in, writing, and producing her own sitcom. Plus, “Velma,” her take on the “Scooby-Doo” universe for Max, was canceled after two seasons. So her schedule is surely a bit more open, should something come up.

Peacock is currently in production on an “Office” spin-off that will take place at a dying newspaper. It’s expected to feature an entirely new cast but, if the show does well, who knows? For what it’s worth, Kaling spoke with Good Morning America in 2022 and shared her belief that the show couldn’t exist in today’s climate.

“That show is so inappropriate now … The writers who I’m still in touch with now, we always talk about how so much of that show we probably couldn’t make now …Tastes have changed, and honestly what offends people has changed so much now. I think that actually is one of the reasons the show is popular, because people feel like there’s something kind of fearless about it or taboo that it talks about on the show.”

Kaling also said that she thinks Kelly “would have quit Dunder Mifflin to become an influencer, and then probably be canceled, almost immediately.” Kaling also added that “most of the characters on that show would be canceled by now.” We’ll have to wait and see how the new spin-off works out.

“The Office” is streaming now on Peacock, or you can grab the complete series on DVD from Amazon.




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