Even after two decades in Hollywood, Mindy Kaling still vividly remembers the period before her life-changing experience at age 20 working on TV series "The Office"« .
«When I was in my thirties, I starred in TV series "The Mindy Project"« , »It was all a blur to me,« Kaling said. “I don’t have many specific memories of that time. But the period of my life, from graduating from college to getting hired at TV series "The Office"« , "I remember it very vividly. It was a period of extreme emotion. There was intense disappointment and rejection, and then there was the overwhelming excitement of falling in love.".
From the first days of working as a scriptwriter for the series «"Office", where she also played Kelly Kapoor, Kaling carved out a unique place in television, often telling stories about the children of immigrants. She explored the challenging life of an obstetrician-gynecologist in the series «The Mindy Project» , the challenges of growing up as an Indian-American teenager in the series «"I've never done this before."» and the importance of college in the series «"The Sexual Life of Female Students"» .
Kaling's memories of her youth, which had a profound impact on her, inspired her to create a new series for Hulu. titled "Not Fit for Work"« , set in the Murray Hill neighborhood of New York City.
Mindy Kaling on the set of "Unfit for Work.".
Gwen Capistran/Disney
The series follows five members of Generation Z with intertwined personal lives and aspirations for professional success: AJ Pasquarelli (Ella Hunt), a driven aspiring banking analyst; Abby Chilukuri (Avantika), the confident assistant to a demanding celebrity stylist; Davis Bo Bradley Barrett III (Will Angus), AJ's hopelessly romantic co-worker; Josh Teitelbaum (Jack Martin), the son of a powerful man who uses his connections to land his dream job in broadcast journalism; and Kel Washington (Nicholas DuVernay), a pre-med student who dreams of becoming an actor.
To bring the series to life, Kaling brought in her longtime collaborator Charlie Grandy, with whom she worked on TV series "The Office"« , as showrunner.
«"I think that, being of a certain generation, you can be cynical and look down on young people and how they have it easier," Kaling said. "But we don't feel that way at all. We're very empathetic to the characters on the show. We love them very much. We sympathize with them. And the most important thing is to feel like we did it right.".
Avantika, Nicholas DuVernay, Will Angus and Ella Hunt on "Not Suitable for Watching at Work.".
Gwen Capistran/Disney
Both Kaling and Grandy found personal connections with the characters in the show.
«"AJ is the character I most identify with," Grandy said. "She's so driven and gets in her own way with her energy. I was desperate to make an impression myself, especially at that age. I wanted to just be 'the one people choose,' and that really resonates with me.".
Kaling, meanwhile, felt a strong connection with Kel, also the child of immigrants, who dropped out of medical school against his parents' wishes to pursue an acting career. After leaving medical school, Kel began working as a substitute teacher at a private school, which provided him with both income and the opportunity to pursue acting. Kaling said this aspect of his story resonated with her because, before working in TV series "The Office"« She babysat for girls in Brooklyn Heights.
«"I really loved his story about working in a private school with these very young, very smart, very demanding teenagers, and I found a lot of myself in it," she said.
Nicholas DuVernay on the book "Unfit for the Job".
Kara Howe/Disney
Grandy said that while the friendship between Davis, Josh, and Kel was easy to imagine, the emotional depth of AJ and Abby's relationship was particularly memorable for Hunt and Avantika's real-life portrayal.
«"I think their love for each other really comes through, and it's such a wonderful, supportive relationship," Grandy said. "Both of these characters go through a lot of emotional struggles, and they're always there for each other.".
Hunt and Avantika echoed this sentiment, recalling their experiences filming on location in New York City, where they both live.
Hunt, who moved to New York at age 20 to star in the Apple TV series «Dickinson» along with Hailee Steinfeld, said that work on the series "Not Fit for Work"« allowed her to reflect on that period of her life.
«"When I arrived in New York, I was full of enthusiasm and, like AJ, very driven and focused," she said. "I was like a puppy, really eager to go to work.".
Hunt laughed as she recalled her carefully chosen outfit for her first day in Dickinson : Her mom's green miniskirt paired with a monkey T-shirt while "everyone else was wearing sweatpants." The moment echoed AJ's struggle to find the perfect outfit for her first day at Fischer Stassen.
«"I felt a kinship with AJ," Hunt said.
Ella Hunt and Will Angus on the film "Not Suitable for Viewing at Work.".
Gwen Capistran/Disney
One of Hunt's fondest memories is filming an early morning scene in Central Park with Avantica, surrounded by peaceful scenery and dogs off leashes. The moment also served as a kind of closure, as their trailers were parked near the Carlyle Cafe, where she was performing as a musician.
«"Coming into work, walking into my trailer and seeing a poster outside the building for my show tonight was incredible," she said.
They also fondly recalled their time off set, exploring Manhattan's local cuisine during lunch breaks.
«"I think that was the best part—being able to feel parallels with my life in New York while filming," Avantika said. "Many actors dream of filming in a city where you don't feel isolated.".
«"It's so special," Hunt added. "Being able to work from home is really special.".
The first three episodes of the series » "Not suitable for work"» are available to watch on Hulu, with two new episodes released every Tuesday.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com.