TV viewers first became aware of Mindy Kaling through her role as Kelly Kapoor on beloved NBC sitcom “The Office.”
Since then, of course, Kaling has made an impact on both sides of the camera. In addition to doing double duty as both creator and star of hit Fox comedy “The Mindy Project,” she’s also created several other hit TV comedies, including “The Sex Lives of College Girls” for HBO, and “Never Have I Ever” and “Running Point” for Netflix.
On Wednesday, October 21, Netflix made an announcement regarding Kaling’s role with the latter show — and it’s one that fans of the basketball-themed comedy did not see coming.
Meet Divya
In “Running Point,” Kate Hudson stas as Isla Gordon, who’s taken control of her family-owned professional basketball team, the Los Angeles Waves.
Per the Netflix announcement, Kaling — who serves as writer and executive producer of the hit comedy — has officially joined the cast of “Running Point” for Season 3, portraying a new character named Divya.
According to Netflix, the character is described as the “outspoken, confident CEO of a popular gambling app. Much like Isla (Hudson), she’s proudly the first female leader in her male dominated field.”
However, it appears that Kaling’s character will be an antagonist in the upcoming episodes. “Their similarities end there with Divya becoming a thorn in Isla’s plans all season,” adds the announcement, which also notes that production on Season 3 is currently underway.
The announcement also reveals that Hudson will be directing the upcoming season’s debut episode, which will mark her television directorial debut.
Kaling is co-creator of “Running Point,” alongside Ike Barinholtz, Elaine Ko and David Stassen.
“In the upcoming episodes, Isla Gordon (Hudson) will continue to juggle the power plays and personal struggles that come with running her family business: the L.A. Waves basketball team. Will Isla come out on top, or will Cam’s diabolical antics interfere?” reads the Netflix logline for the new season.
“Isla’s older brother Cam (Justin Theroux) busts out of rehab early in the first few minutes of Season 2, ushering in 10 episodes of chaos, sibling rivalry, and long-held basketball beefs,” Netflix explains. “Although Cam insists he’s not back for his old job as president of the L.A. Waves, he spends Season 2 scheming to bring Isla down — and almost succeeds. In the end, the oldest Gordon sibling loses all credibility after Jackie (Fabrizio Guido) reveals Cam’s been faking his drug tests, and Isla and the L.A. Waves go on to win the championship.”
While Kaling is the first new cast member to be announced for Season 3, Netflix is teasing “another stacked group” of guest stars for the new season.
“Every day, we’re like, who’s going to make someone break first? Who’s going to land the joke best and make everybody laugh the hardest?” Hudson said on “Skip Intro with Krista Smith.” “We enjoy the work so much that it then translates onto the screen.”
While no premiere date has yet been announced, it’s likely fans can expect to see the third season of “Running Point” at some point in late 2027.
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Netflix Shocker As Series Creator Joins the Cast of Hit Comedy Series For Season 3