B.J. Novak on His Relationship With Mindy Kaling and Returning to The Mindy Project

Finale. Coming soon. Get ready. #themindyproject

A photo posted by Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) on Feb 26, 2015 at 5:41pm PST

Glamour: You were a consulting producer on season one, right?

B.J.: Yes.

Glamour: Then what happened? Who did you piss off?

B.J.: Ha-ha, no one! Although it would have been Mindy, of course, since we're so used to pissing each other off that there's no risk of that. I was an executive producer with her on the pilot, and I worked very closely with her on that. I wanted to help contribute to the first season in some way, but I know we would murder each other if it was any formal way. So we decided on consulting producer, which is a way for me to come in whenever I could be helpful and when I was wanted. And if either of those things weren't true, I just wouldn't come in. So after the first season it just felt like they had found their own voice, and I was being less and less and helpful or relevant to the process just because they had 10 full-time writers who were there five days a week. I just figured it was time. Again, she's a loyal person and would have kept me on the payroll forever, but I just felt like, "Great, I helped them the first year and got to have my name on a project I'm proud of."

Glamour: You and Mindy have such a special relationship. What advice can you share with us for why it works so well?

B.J.: I think Mindy and I have broken every rule possible and still have maintained a connection. So I guess I'm either the worst person to ask for advice or I'm the best person to give some Zen advice that it will all just work out and don't worry too much about rules and just worry about the quality of the person that you're with.

Glamour: I love that. She really is one of the most quality people I've gotten the chance to know. There's just not many people like that, and I appreciate it so much.

B.J.: Absolutely.

#Tbt to when @picturesoftext and I dressed up as Harry and Sally for People Magazine

A photo posted by Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) on Nov 20, 2014 at 7:52am PST

Glamour: Speaking of Mindy, she once told me that Danny Castellano was 1/3 Chris Messina, 1/3 B.J. Novak, and 1/3 made up. Do you see those similarities in the character?

B.J.: I definitely think that's how Mindy sometimes see me, but [Danny's] a very masculine, swaggering character, which I'm not as much of in real life. I like Messina's character and would like to be more like that, but I don't recognize myself in Danny that much. I do notice the dynamic in which they fight without the love ever being in doubt. That reminds me of me and Mindy.