Life for a working mom in Hollywood has been extra crazy given the curve balls hurled out in 2020, but actress, comedian, writer and producer Mindy Kaling has been inspired by her 2-year-old daughter's resilience through it all.
Kaling joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday in tandem with the release of "Nothing Like I Imagined (Except for Sometimes)" and quickly got candid about life in California amid the pandemic as well as shared new details about her upcoming project with Reese Witherspoon.
"It's like a biblical reckoning in California right now -- we have like a plague and fires, the air quality is bad and no one can go to school -- that's my honest answer," Kaling said with a smile and a laugh when asked how she has been holding up the past few months.
But despite the current challenges, Kaling said "it's been incredibly touching" to see "how resilient" her daughter Katherine is.
"I'm really surprised by her and I think a lot of parents can relate to this," she said. "She's supposed to start preschool and obviously she's not, so this little 2-year-old, I have to sit her in front of the computer, which, you know, I'm trying to limit screens with her, and all she can do is watch screens and she's being patient about it."
Before the COVID-19 outbreak brought everyday life to a screeching halt with ever-changing restrictions and other hurdles, Kaling penned a collection of essays that spans everything from work to real life and everything in between.
"Godparents are a Christian tradition, and I'm Hindu and he's Jewish. It makes no sense really, but we really think like, 'Christians really got this right, this is a great tradition'" she explained. "I was like, 'I'm not missing out on this,' so he is the godparent to my daughter and we're just redefining what it really means. Right now, it just means that he's in our pandemic pod, so he comes over all the time -- he's great with kids, so it's been really nice to have him in the house."
Kaling has also added another title to her impressive résumé, signing on to revisit the beloved "Legally Blonde" movies with Dan Goor and Reese Witherspoon.
"I have been working with her on a couple movies, and we've been friends for awhile and I have always quoted the movies to her. I was that annoying friend that would be like, 'bend and snap' to her," Kaling said.
After nearly two decades since the first film, Kaling said Witherspoon told her she'd "love to revisit this character."
"I was nervous because the movie is so iconic, but then I thought it would be really fun to see that character in her 40s. What is Elle Woods dealing with as a 41-year-old woman? And it's been really funny to write," she said. "I've been working on it with my friend Dan and I think it's going to be a great movie, and people will love to see her in this part."
If fans want more of Kaling, Amazon customers can simply ask Alexa, "What is Mindy’s thought of the day?" and get a peak inside her thoughts.