Landing a lead role in a television series is every actor’s dream and as an ethnic person in the industry it’s even that much harder to get starring roles.  One of this season’s breakout television shows is The Mindy Project starring Indian-American actress Mindy Kaling.  Not only does she star in the show but she is also the creator of the program and co-executive producer and writer on the series.  In an interview with New York Magazine she said, “I never want to be called the funniest Indian female comedian that exists…I feel like I can go head-to-head with the best white, male comedy writers that are out there.”

Kaling was also a writer on The Office but she was best known for her role as Kelly Kapoor in the sitcom The Office from 2005-2012, Kaling is shining in her new role.  She plays the hilarious Mindy Lahiri, a young Ob/Gyn doctor who is looking for love.  Her character fantasizes about finding love in the hopes of having her own happy ending; as often seen in predictable romantic comedies.

Having a starring role like this is not only a dream come true but it’s monumental for a minority actress.  She doesn’t fit the typical stereotype when it comes to the industry standards of so-called beauty.  In the TV business if a woman is bigger than a size 6 she usually gets passed over for major parts or she is slated as the stereotypical ‘funny chubby girl’.  Kaling has broken the mold and hopefully the viewing audience will embrace her.

She’s a beautiful woman who represents brown-skinned women with curves and she isn’t afraid to talk about it.  She has been known to embrace her curves but lately she is on a health kick and talks about the importance of having more energy.  She told USA Weekend in an interview that although she reads about diets, she knows they don’t work and she actually eats like an Olympic swimmer.  She went on to say that she jogs five to six days a week when she isn’t in production.  It’s difficult staying healthy during production.  Fitting in an exercise routine is difficult with the long hours she puts in at work.  Being both an actor and writer/producer on the show makes for extremely long days.  Kaling told USA Weekend, “I get to work at 6 a.m….I’m in virtually every scene.  We wrap at 7 p.m. and then I stay in the writer’s room until 2 a.m.”

Kaling is an award-winning actor/writer having won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and an award from the Writers Guild for her writing contributions on The Office.

Check out the trailer below for a peek at what to expect from The Mindy Project this season.