Mindy Kaling reveals plans to act again and create show about dating in your 40s in LA

• Mindy Kaling told Bustle she wants to return to acting sooner rather than later
• The 46-year-old is a single mother to three children: Katherine, Spencer and Anne
• Kaling is developing an idea for a show about dating in your 40s in Los Angeles

Mindy Kaling, 46, has revealed she is eager to return to acting after spending years focused on screenwriting and producing, saying she hopes to make the move "sooner rather than later." The actress, comedian and screenwriter spoke to Bustle about her desire to step back in front of the camera while managing life as a single parent. She is mother to three children — Katherine, born in 2017; Spencer, born in 2020; and Anne, born in 2024 — and has never publicly identified their father.

Balancing acting with family life

Kaling was candid about the challenges of returning to a lead acting role while raising her children alone. "Sooner rather than later, I'd love to come back. As a single parent, I don't want my children to be Hollywood orphans who just never see any parent while I shoot the show," she told the publication.

She noted, however, that the shift towards shorter streaming series had made the prospect more realistic. "But, because of streaming, I could maybe do, like, eight or 10 episodes and have a shorter order than what we used to do on The Office or The Mindy Project," she said, referencing her earlier sitcoms, which typically ran to more than 20 episodes per season.

Behind the camera since the pandemic

Since the pandemic, Kaling has channelled her energy primarily into writing and producing through her production company, Kaling International. She has created, written and executive produced a string of acclaimed series including Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls and Running Point. Her work behind the scenes has kept her among the most prominent figures in American television, even as her on-screen presence has diminished.

A new show in the pipeline

Kaling also revealed a new creative idea she is hoping to develop: a series exploring the realities of dating in your 40s in Los Angeles. "Whether you were never married or divorced or widowed, what does that look like?" she said. "That's the kind of show that I would want to watch," she added, indicating she would look to both create and star in the project.