Mindy Kaling Talks About The Importance of Representation in A Wrinkle In Time
“Be a warrior,” the words are the theme of A Wrinkle in Time and ring truer than ever as we all try to navigate our own universe. Disney’s screen adaption of author Madeleine L’Engle’s award winning book makes it’s debut in theaters this week, and the cast gathered for a press junket to talk about how important this movie is for kids growing up today. Director Ava DuVernay, having addressed a screening audience a few nights prior, said that this film was for 12-year-olds, and adults should reach down and find their own inner 12-year-olds within themselves.
The story takes middle-schooler Meg Murry (Storm Reid) on an epic adventure to find her long lost father. She is accompanied by her younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and classmate Calvin (Levi Miller), getting a little help along the way from three celestial beings, Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey).
Comedienne-actor-writer Mindy Kaling plays the astral guide Mrs. Who, a character who has adopted the language of some of the greatest spiritual warriors as a means of communication, speaking in proverbs and quotes from the likes of Shakespeare, Churchill and Buddha. The actress talked about how she loved fantasy as a child, even if she didn’t always see herself in the stories.
“I loved science fiction and fantasy growing up but it was a genre that largely did not love me back. I never saw any representation of like a dark-skinned Indian woman, Indian girl, anybody, in anything that I saw. And it’s a really peculiar thing when you grow up loving something that shows you no love back. It’s such a pure love, because you’re not getting anything from it,” said Kaling.
Previously starring in comedies like The Office and The Mindy Project—Kaling was no stranger to Disney—having also voiced the hilariously always-annoyed Disgust in Inside Out. For the comedienne, being embraced for this film was a dream come true, “To be part of this movie and to be—I broke out in TV which is so welcoming to me, and comedy which is so welcoming to me—but to be part of this, and to be on a green screen stage in harnesses because you’re doing a science fiction fantasy movie, it’s so fun because I finally feel welcomed with open arms to something that has ignored me completely. And so, that is so profound and I think if that can be something that the miniature version of me could watch and be excited by, I think that’s such a huge thing. So that was exciting.”
Kaling knows the importance of representation and doesn’t take the opportunity for granted, “It’s absolutely incredible. It feels, I can’t believe that I was selected to do this. It’s such an honor to act with all these incredible actors.”
A Wrinkle in Time opens in theaters everywhere March 9th.
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Images: Disney
