Mindy Kaling, the co-creator and executive producer of Netflix's Running Point, is stepping in front of the camera for the sports comedy's third season, joining the cast in a recurring role, according to Netflix's announcement on October 19, carried by The Futon Critic.
Kaling will play Divya, the outspoken and confident CEO of a popular gambling app. Like Kate Hudson's Isla Gordon, Divya is the first woman to lead a company in a traditionally male-dominated industry — but their similarities end there, with Divya becoming "a thorn in Isla's plans" all season, according to the official character description.
Production on Season 3 is underway in Los Angeles, with Hudson making her television directorial debut on the season's first episode — her first time behind the camera for TV since the 2007 short Cutlass, which was nominated for Best Narrative Short at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. Returning cast includes Hudson, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Brenda Song, Fabrizio Guido, Chet Hanks, Toby Sandeman and Justin Theroux, with Ray Romano, Uche Agada, Ken Marino and Jay Ellis recurring, ABC Audio reports.
The basketball comedy, inspired by Lakers acting governor Jeanie Buss and co-created by Kaling with Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen, has been a Netflix hit: Season 1 debuted in February 2025, reached #1 on the Global Top 10 and ranked in the Top 10 in 89 countries, while Season 2 reached the Top 10 in 82 countries — and both seasons have amassed over 75 million views combined.
Kaling previously told Deadline she would love to join the cast: "This is the happiest set I've ever been on, you can tell from the dynamic of the cast just when you watch them." Now she's getting her wish — and setting up a battle of the bosses that should give Season 3 its sharpest comic tension yet.