Mindy Kaling has recalled how her 'worst' moment in Hollywood led to her breakout role

Mindy Kaling says getting fired from her own sitcom was her "worst experience" in Hollywood.

Before the 46-year-old actress found fame on The Office and The Mindy Project, she and college friend and co-writer Brenda Withers were working on a show about their real life friendship, only for bosses to recast them with "much better-looking actors".

She told The Hollywood Reporter: “I’ve had some bad experiences in Hollywood, but this was the worst experience…

"They [The WB] loved the idea of a show based on our friendship [her and Brenda Withers, her college friend with whom she co-wrote Matt and Ben], but they didn’t want us to play the leads.

"So we had to write the show, and then we had to audition against other, much better-looking actors than us, for our show."

Despite not getting cast in their own comedy, they still had to keep working on the project.

She recalled: "Then, we didn’t get cast, so we had to produce a pilot for the show with two very beautiful and very talented actresses, and that didn’t go.

"But that show not going — that pilot not getting picked up — was the best thing that ever happened to me, because I wouldn’t have been able to write on The Office if it had.”