Mindy Kaling Joins 'Running Point' Season 3 Cast as Rival CEO Divya

Mindy Kaling will star in Season 3 of "Running Point," the Netflix comedy she co-created, taking the recurring role of Divya, an outspoken CEO of a gambling app. Production on the new season is already underway in Los Angeles.

Kaling adds the acting credit to her existing titles as writer, executive producer and co-creator of the show. Her character, per the official description, "Much like Isla (Kate Hudson), she's proudly the first female leader in her male dominated field. Their similarities end there with Divya becoming a thorn in Isla's plans all season."

Who else returns for Season 3?

Kate Hudson will direct the first episode of the season, marking her television directorial debut. The returning cast includes:

• Drew Tarver
• Scott MacArthur
• Brenda Song
• Fabrizio Guido
• Chet Hanks
• Toby Sandeman
• Justin Theroux

Ray Romano, Uche Agada, Ken Marino and Jay Ellis return in recurring roles.

The series follows Isla, played by Hudson, a former party girl and college dropout who is unexpectedly put in charge of her family's professional basketball team. Season 2 found her "no longer the surprise choice to lead the Los Angeles Waves, she's the one everyone is watching," according to the logline.

That season pitted Isla against her brother Cam, played by Justin Theroux, who was "quietly maneuvering behind the scenes to reclaim his post, turning every misstep into ammunition." The logline promised she would "have to rip up last season's game plan and come up with a whole new playbook if she wants to close out the season on top."

What does Kaling's casting change for the show?

It puts the series' most recognizable creative voice directly into the story's central conflict. Divya functions as a rival to Isla, a second female leader in a male-dominated field whose methods diverge sharply from the protagonist's. That gives Hudson and the writers a season-long antagonist with a built-in thematic mirror.

The off-screen structure remains stable. The sports comedy hails from writers and executive producers Kaling, David Stassen, who also serves as showrunner, and Ike Barinholtz. Hudson, Howard Klein, Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis also executive produce.

Kaling International produces the series in association with Warner Bros. Television. Kaling and Stassen both hold overall deals with WBTV, which keeps the creative team locked to the studio behind the show.

Netflix has not announced a premiere date for Season 3. With production underway in Los Angeles and Hudson directing the opener, the new season adds both a first-time television director and a co-creator turned on-screen antagonist to its roster.