VIDEO: Mindy Kaling Adds Fresh Perspective to a White, Male Writers Room in New ‘Late Night’ Trailer
2014 Stern Show veteran stars opposite Emma Thompson and Ike Barinholtz in the June 7 comedy
May 2, 2019
In the new trailer for Mindy Kaling’s upcoming comedy “Late Night,” trailblazing late-night host Katherine Newberry (Oscar winner Emma Thompson) has a problem. Her ratings are flailing after 30 years on top, leading fans and network executives alike to wonder if her show has gone stale.
So, she decides to shake things up with her all-white, all-male writing staff. “We need to hire a woman,” Thompson’s character declares (above).
Enter Molly Patel (Kaling), an aspiring comedian who gets a gig on the show despite the protestation of several stuffy veteran staffers. Though Molly’s previous stand-up experience is limited mostly to cracking up her old co-workers with corny chemistry one-liners, her quick wit and fresh perspective soon prove to be invaluable for Thompson’s show.
Directed by Nisha Ganatra (“Love”) “Late Night” also stars Max Casella, John Lithgow, Reid Scott, Hugh Dancy, Amy Ryan, and Stern Show celebrity superfan Ike Barinholtz. The script was penned by Mindy herself, whose real-life TV career began with a college internship on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and continued with a writing gig and then a starring role on the U.S. adaptation of “The Office.” As Stern Show fans will remember, she and Howard discussed her early days in TV at length during her 2014 sit-down.
“Late Night” opens June 7 in theaters.
