‘The Office’: Mindy Kaling and John Krasinski’s Parents Worked In the Same Place for Years
John Krasinski and Mindy Kaling are known for playing Jim Halpert and Kelly Kapoor in The Office. But the Emmy-nominated stars have a lot more in common than the show. As it turns out, Krasinki’s dad and Kaling’s mom actually worked in the same place for years.
‘The Office’ stars have so much in common
Kaling and Krasinski are now big names in Hollywood. Along with playing the lead in the hit Amazon Prime drama, Jack Ryan, Krasinski wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the blockbuster film, A Quiet Place.
Kaling produced, wrote, and starred in several projects, including Late Night, The Mindy Project, and Champions. She is also currently working on two shows she created, Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls. And she’s co-writing the third movie for the Legally Blonde franchise.
But outside of their busy Hollywood lives and The Office, Kaling and Krasinski have many things in common. Their birthdays are just months apart. And both were born and raised in the Boston area.
Krasinski and Kaling also worked as interns for Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Both were brought in as scriptwriters and were hired within a year of each other.
John Krasinksi and Mindy Kaling worked together on ‘The Office’ for eight years
Another thing Kaling and Krasinski share is their experience on The Office. Both joined the sitcom in 2005 and worked together until the finale in 2013.
The actors can also credit the show for propelling their careers. Before The Office, Krasinski had a few small TV and film roles on his resume. Kaling was a writer and stand-up comedian and had appeared in an off-Broadway play she co-wrote.
But The Office made Kaling and Krasinksi certified celebrities. And both earned their first Primetime Emmy nominations for their work on the show.
Mindy Kaling and John Krasinski’s parents worked together
Kaling and Krasinski have yet another thing in common — both have physician parents. Before she died of pancreatic cancer in 2012, Kaling’s mom, Swati Chokalingam, was an obstetrician/gynecologist. And Krasinski’s father, Ronald Krasinski, is an internist.
Both physicians worked at the same hospital in Boston while their children were stars on The Office. And according to Kaling, whose mom and dad appeared on the episode, “Diwali,” the running joke around the building was that anyone could get on the show.
“The great thing is that John Krasinski’s father and my mother work at the same hospital in Boston,” Kaling told NPR in 2006. “It’s a very funny coincidence, and I think that at that hospital, they think anybody can be on The Office.”
“So many people at St. Elizabeth’s hospital in Boston, like so many people that they know or have been on The Office,” she added. “So you know, I think for them, it’s sort of a funny easy thing to do, is get on The Office.”
