Kaling recalled in an Elle magazine interview that when The Office was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding comedy series in its early years, the TV Academy told her she would be cut from the list of eligible contenders because there were too many producers on the list. “They made me, not any of the other producers, fill out a whole form and write an essay about all my contributions as a writer and a producer," she told Elle. "I had to get letters from all the other male, white producers saying that I had contributed, when my actual record stood for itself." Kaling shared a similar story earlier this year while promoting her film Late Night. The Television Academy is denying Kaling's accusation. According to Variety's Michael Schneider, the TV Academy "responded by saying the rule in place at that time required every producer to submit a form explaining their producer bona fides. The exercise came following concerns that too many ineligible producers, such as those not involved in the day-to-day production of series, were being included among the crowd accepting awards on stage." “No one person was singled out,” the TV Academy said in a statement. “There was an increasing concern years ago regarding the number of performers and writers seeking producer credits."
TOPICS: Mindy Kaling, The Office (US), Emmys, Retro TV, Television Academy