Mindy Kaling reveals producers gave her odd advice about David Letterman
Mindy Kaling reflects on strange David Letterman warning from producers
Mindy Kaling has revealed that producers once warned her never to compliment David Letterman before appearing on his show because according to them the late-night legend “didn’t know what to do with it.”
The actress, writer and producer shared the memory during an appearance on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast where the pair reflected on the often unusual rules that came with making the late-night talk show circuit early in their careers.
“Remember when we used to do David Letterman and the producers would be like, ‘Do not compliment him. He doesn’t know what to do with it,’” Kaling said as Poehler laughed and agreed.
Kaling admitted she found the advice baffling at the time joking that it made offering praise feel almost inappropriate.
“You were like, ‘Oh, so it’s like an insult to compliment a host.’ It’s like a hostile act,” she said.
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The Office star explained that the warning stuck with her and shaped how she approached other talk show appearances leaving her with the impression that complimenting a host simply “wasn’t cool.”
“Then it feeds into a whole thing of like, it’s not cool to compliment,” Kaling said.
But while some comedy circles may have treated praise with suspicion Kaling made clear she feels the exact opposite.
“And yet, I love compliments,” she said, adding that she would be thrilled if a guest on one of her own shows openly praised it.
Poehler agreed saying she sees no reason to hold back on kindness or appreciation.
“I love to give. I love to get,” the former Saturday Night Live star said. “I mean, literally, what are we doing? What are we gonna be, like, mean to each other? The world is on fire.”
