United Kingdom, May 19 -- Mindy Kaling was just "scraping by" in her early 20s.

The 46-year-old star first gained recognition for playing Kelly Kapoor in The Office, the hit TV sitcom, between 2005 and 2013 - but prior to that, Mindy felt "insecure and panicked" about her career.

She told Bustle: "All I wanted to do was have health insurance, make money, and write on a hit show because I was so insecure and panicked about my career."

Mindy said that while she was an overachiever professionally from an early age, her personal life never quite matched her ambitions.

She said: "All I wanted was a serious boyfriend and to follow this path that I'd set out for myself. I remember feeling like an overachiever at work and just wishing that my...