The 'Office' alum believes that the backlash over the reimagined Velma only represents 'a really small percentage of people,' but it doesn't mean that Mindy is planning to take it lightly.
- Jul 24, 2021
AceShowbiz - Mindy Kaling has reacted to the backlash surrounding her plans to reimagine the character of Velma in an upcoming "Scooby Doo" spin-off series for HBO Max. It was previously announced that Velma is South Asian on the new show and people were not thrilled.
"When it was announced that I was going to do the voice of Velma, people were very supportive and happy on Twitter," Mindy, who voices the character and executive produces the show, explained during her appearance in the Thursday, July 22 episode of "Late Night With Seth Meyers". "So I felt great because these are really intense fans -- cartoon, comic book fans."
However, things were different when the show revealed the reimagination of Velma back in June. "People were not happy," the actress explained to host Seth Meyers. "There was a lot of, 'So, not Velma?' Those kind of tweets. 'Not the classic Velma that I'm always thinking about?' "
Of the response, "The Office" alum shared, "First of all, I didn't know that she elicited such strong reactions in either direction." She went on to say, "I just couldn't understand how people couldn't imagine a really smart, nerdy girl with terrible eyesight who loved to solve mysteries could not be Indian. There are Indian nerds. It shouldn't be a surprise to people, but people are like, 'No, no, no.' "
Mindy believed that the backlash only represented "a really small percentage of people." However, it didn't mean that Mindy is planning to take it lightly. "It made me think, 'OK, we've got to be really careful with this character,' which we will be because we love her," she admitted.
In addition to Velma, the actress is currently voicing the character of Val on the new Disney+ series, "Monsters at Work", a spin-off of "Monsters Inc". She shared that her 3-year-old daughter, Katherine, was so excited for her mom's new animated role. "She loves it," Mindy divulged. "She's already, like, driven crazy with power. She's like, 'That's my mom!' "
