B.J. Novak Reflects on 'Reckless' Romance With Mindy Kaling

The two dated while acting and writing for the hit series 'The Office.'

While presenting Mindy Kaling with the prestigious Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television at the 2023 Producers Guild Awards, B.J. Novak revealed a lot about the two's whirlwind romance while working as actors and writers for The Office.

Novak began by saying, "The first thing I noticed about Mindy in that writer's room is that she cared so much about everything," ranging from details in The Office episodes to the snacks in the writers' room.

He went on to describe how this affected both their romantic relationship with each other and the day-to-day at work: "We were in love with each other, and we were reckless idiots, and the two of us would argue about all of these things forever — grinding the writers room into a halt until we got too upset, and we'd go to our respective offices and slam the door, where we would continue arguing over AOL and Instant Messenger."

According to Novak, his relationship with Kaling was a "tumultuous, romantic, toxic, boundary-less mess," but the producers of The Office used it to their advantage by pairing them together for scenes, resulting in many hilarious on-screen moments.

"There was no way out but through," he shared. "We made it work or didn't work, we made it through. Nearly 200 episodes of The Office together, 24 of them written by Mindy, far more than any other writer on the staff. And our conversation never stopped."

Related: Why Mindy Kaling Believes Most of 'The Office' Characters Would Be 'Canceled' in Today's World

Although the two didn't stay together, they remained extremely close and supportive friends. Novak praised Kaling for working to "pioneer the new streaming era of comedy" before describing how her talent in producing is because Kaling, with anything in life, "cares so much that she either knows what to do or finds out fast."

After Kaling finally took the stage, she shared a little of her first impression of Novak, saying, “‘Wow, that guy is so brilliant, so funny and so unfriendly, I just need him to like me.’ And it turned out great. He’s remained my closest friend throughout my entire room. He’s seen all the ups and downs, and it just means the world to me."

"I am so lucky that my favorite writer is also my best friend, I love you,” Kaling concluded.

Along with working as a producer on The Office and creating and starring in The Mindy Project, Kaling has executive produced other hit shows like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Never Have I Ever, and The Sex Lives of College Girls.

Related: Mindy Kaling Called Out For Admitting to Kissing Costar Without Consent In Resurfaced Interview