GROSS: and so the character that is main two close friends. One of those is Chinese United states.

One of these is African United states. The primary character is Indian United states. And in addition they’re referred to as UN. And she assumes this means un, you realize? But this woman is additionally told it really is for a more negative reason, since they’re all un-F-able (ph) So were you called anything like this when you’re in senior school?

KALING: you understand, I’m particular we happened to be. I never ever discovered it to my face. I am certain there is a lot of mean nicknames for me because I would personally hear mean nicknames about other nerdy girls have been perhaps not me personally. And, you realize, there is a girl that is tall we went along to college with, who was simply extremely gorgeous, really. But she ended up being high. And because all of the men had been reduced them insecure, they called her Beasta (ph) than her and that made. And she had no proven fact that ended up being her nickname.

Therefore whenever you learn about things such as that – after all, which is this kind of cruel nickname.

We simply thought, these girls need to have this. And, you understand, which has been a reflection that is real of in twelfth grade and my pal, Lang also, where we had been nerds. And I Also’m Asian. Whether it was comfort so we were just gravitated – I don’t know. We gravitated towards other minority nerds. And it also was not one thing we’d seen on TV prior to. I was thinking, well, you understand, this might be my genuine experience. Therefore possibly we must show it.

GROSS: had been that you student that is serious the key character is?

KALING: It really is funny you asked that because I happened to be a student that is serious. But something we noticed as soon as we see programs about nerds is the fact that, they tend to be very demure and wallflowers because they tend to be a lot of the side characters. They don’t really wish to speak up for themselves. And that is undoubtedly types of nerd which was within my college. But there is additionally, like, the belligerent, confident nerd. They want big things on their own. And though they truly are not receiving it, it does not suggest they deserve it that they don’t think.

And Lang, who’s additionally an huge tits cam overachieving nerd who then decided to go to an Ivy League college, the two of us had this exact same experience.

And now we wished to show a committed nerd socially – desired to lose her virginity, wished to be cool, head to concerts. Plus it, needless to say, never occurred for either of us (laughter). But we thought, that might be enjoyable showing, you realize? They truly are not absolutely all unfortunate, quiet bookworms. Although, we had been additionally those actions. But we had been, like, noisy and rambunctious and opinionated.

GROSS: Were you belligerent?

KALING: i believe from time to time. I do believe that after you are searching for comedy at an early age and also you do not know simple tips to show it, I do believe which you – I do believe that – i am uncertain belligerent is precisely the best term. I really do think that I endured up for myself a whole lot in a manner that probably put individuals off – definitely guys. Yeah.

GROSS: Did a temper is had by you such as your character does?

KALING: Truly. And I also continue to have a mood now. And it’s really interesting being Asian because i believe you don’t associate Asian females with having tempers (laughter). Therefore – but numerous of us do, appropriate? Therefore – but that is maybe maybe not the label about us. And so I had been delighted to accomplish a show about plenty of short-fused Asian ladies and to demonstrate that side of us.

GROSS: Did you have actually boyfriends in senior school? – because your character that is main literally.

GROSS:. For a boyfriend (laughter).

KALING: Thank you even for posing issue.

KALING: needless to say the solution isn’t any. It is ridiculous you also asked issue. But which was extremely courteous of you, we’ll say.

KALING: No, needless to say maybe perhaps maybe not, Terry.

GROSS: what type of boyfriend do you imagine?

KALING: What sort of boyfriend did I desire? You understand, there clearly was a lot of various kinds. One had been a type of – there is this term we use within our article writers’ space – i believe we began at “The workplace” – called NBC handsome, which can be a type of, like, Zach Braff, Adam Brody, a – you understand, some sort of, like, brown-haired, floppy-haired man, that is uncertain of himself a little bit, but variety of confident and super fast and probably was raised in the tristate area.

Therefore because I felt like they weren’t, like, the cool, blond jock for me, that was who I thought was good-looking and attractive. This is, like, a sensitive and painful man whom, you understand, most likely went along to an East Coast liberal arts college. In which he could handle my Indianness (ph). And that is variety of.

KALING:. The thing I ended up being interested in.

GROSS: Do You Believe.

KALING:. Perhaps Jewish, you realize? Like, that sort of thing.