Not Suitable for Work is Hulu's latest comedy series, and it's already gaining attention online. Created by Mindy Kaling, the show follows 'five work-obsessed twenty-somethings who strive for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness, in Manhattan.'
Viewers were surprised to see Gigi Hadid appear in Episode 3. The supermodel plays Catherine, Jay Ellis' angry girlfriend.
In the scene, Catherine unexpectedly arrives at Bill's (Ellis) office and confronts him for leaving without saying goodbye on their anniversary. Bill later says she's irrational, leading her to throw a pan of chilaquiles at him before storming out.
The moment quickly caught viewers' attention, with one fan writing on TikTok, 'When I casually start watching the new show 'Not Suitable for Work' and pops Gigi Hadid in the most iconic role possible I can already tell I will be obsessed with this show.'
Kaling, who also created other television comedies, including Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls, recently revealed how Hadid's cameo came to be.
How Gigi Hadid's Cameo Happened
'The character of Jay Ellis' girlfriend, Catherine, was sort of mythical, like she was gorgeous. She was a little bit volatile. So when we thought of Gigi, we were like, "She's very funny. I don't know if she acts on camera." But we felt so lucky that she said yes,' Kaling said.
Kaling also told PEOPLE that they know Bill's girlfriend had to make a 'big impression' in the 'larger-than-life scene' because he's a 'larger-than-life character who has this famously gorgeous, tempestuous girlfriend.'
'We knew we just had this one scene, and we thought, "It would be so funny if Gigi Hadid did this,"' she said.
Kaling had previously worked with Hadid on Never Have I Ever, where the model did a voiceover in Season 2.
'That was a very different type of thing, but I knew she was funny. But I didn't know if she wanted to do anything on screen. So we just asked her, and the commitment was low, and she lives in New York, and we felt so lucky that she said yes,' Kaling told PEOPLE.
Ella Hunt, who plays AJ on the show, also said she didn't know Hadid would be appearing in the series.
'We have a bunch of really incredible guest appearances in this show, but because of the nature of our schedule, we weren't really told in advance who they would be. In the case of Gigi, I turned up to work not knowing who was going to be playing this very fabulous character,' Hunt told USA TODAY.
The actress added, 'She really crushes that scene, as well. She came in and cracked [the whip].'
Will Gigi Hadid Appear in More Episodes?
Kaling told PEOPLE she thinks Hadid is 'fabulous' on the show and teased that her character could return in a potential future season.
'It was really great. I was, like, thinking about how we could bring back that character,' she said.
As the series has just premiered, there is no confirmation of a second season yet. Three episodes are currently streaming on Hulu, with two episodes dropping weekly through 23 June.
