Singer Solange Knowles and actress Mindy Kaling are celebrating their birthdays today.
Solange Knowles, 28
image courtesy of Kristin Callahan/ACE/INFphoto.com
Singer, songwriter, and model Solange Knowles turns 28 today. After expressing an interest in music from an early age, Knowles had several temporary substitutions in Destiny's Child, before signing with her father's Music World Entertainment label. At 16, Knowles released her first studio album, Solo Star, in 2003 to moderate commercial and critical success.
Between 2005 and 2007, Knowles had several minor acting roles, including the direct-to-video Bring It On: All or Nothing in 2006, and continued writing music for Beyoncé and ex-Destiny Child band members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Her second studio album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams was released in 2008 and featured Motown Sounds of the '60s and '70s. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from critics. She followed this up with True in 2012, and intends to release her third studio album this year on her own label Saint Records.
Knowles has been recognized as a fashion icon. Her other ventures include an endorsement deal with Rimmel London and a line of hip-hop-oriented merchandise for young children. In 2004, Knowles married Daniel Smith, and had a son, Daniel Julez J. Smith Jr. In 2007, Knowles divorced Smith and moved to Los Angeles, California to focus on her music career.
Mindy Kaling, 35
image courtesy of INFphoto.com
Actress, comedian, writer, and producer Mindy Kaling turns 35 today. Born Vera Mindy Chokalingam, Kaling is best known for portraying Kelly Kapoor on the NBC sitcom The Office and creating and starring as Mindy Lahiri in the Fox sitcom The Mindy Project. She is also a co-executive producer, director, and writer of several of the show's episodes. Mindy also wrote, was executive producer for and directed various episodes of The Office.
Kaling's notable films include This Is the End, Wreck-It Ralph and The Five-Year Engagement. Kaling was nominated five times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series as a producer of The Office. In 2010, she received a nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series with Greg Daniels. The next year, she published a memoir, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). In 2013, Entertainment Weekly identified Kaling as one of the "50 Coolest and Most Creative Entertainers" in Hollywood. That same year, Kaling was recognized by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.