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Kal Penn

Kal Penn

Department: Acting

Biography

Kalpen Suresh Modi (born April 23, 1977) is an American actor, author, comedian, and former White House staff member in the Obama administration. He is best known for his role as Kumar Patel in the Harold & Kumar movie franchise. He is also known for his roles as Lawrence Kutner on the television program House, White House staffer Seth Wright on Designated Survivor, Kevin in How I Met Your Mother and Nikhil Ganguli in the film The Namesake (2006). In early 2009, Penn was offered the position of Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, which he accepted, necessitating his character Lawrence Kutner being written out of the TV series House. In 2020, Penn wrote a memoir called "You Can't Be Serious". While promoting this memoir, Penn announced that he and his boyfriend of 11 years, named Josh, were engaged

Known For

Superman Returns

Superman Returns

2006

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj

2006

Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong

Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong

2023

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

2004

Love Don't Co$t a Thing

Love Don't Co$t a Thing

2003

Smile

Smile

2022

National Lampoon's Van Wilder

National Lampoon's Van Wilder

2002

Where's the Party Yaar?

Where's the Party Yaar?

2003

American Desi

American Desi

2001

A Lot Like Love

A Lot Like Love

2005

Epic Movie

Epic Movie

2007

Man About Town

Man About Town

2006

Express: Aisle to Glory

Express: Aisle to Glory

1998

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

2008

Malibu's Most Wanted

Malibu's Most Wanted

2003

Bachelor Party Vegas

Bachelor Party Vegas

2006

Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls

2006

Ball and Chain

Ball and Chain

2004

The Namesake

The Namesake

2006

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

2011

Dementamania

Dementamania

2013

The Sisterhood of Night

The Sisterhood of Night

2015

Regarding Ardy

Regarding Ardy

2003

A Prayer for Rain

A Prayer for Rain

2014

Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz

Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz

2011

Hot Mess Holiday

Hot Mess Holiday

2021

Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam

Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam

2008

The Underdoggs

The Underdoggs

2024

Emily & Tim

Emily & Tim

2015

Better Off Single

Better Off Single

2016

The Layover

The Layover

2017

Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

Awesometown

Awesometown

2006

The Girl in the Photographs

The Girl in the Photographs

2015

Once Upon a Time in Venice

Once Upon a Time in Venice

2017

Speech & Debate

Speech & Debate

2017

We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial

We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial

2009

Son of the Mask

Son of the Mask

2005

Sueno

Sueno

2005

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan

2003

The Ashram

The Ashram

2018

The Problem with Apu

The Problem with Apu

2017

Dancing in Twilight

Dancing in Twilight

2005

The Girl in the Woods

The Girl in the Woods

2020

Untitled Horror Movie

Untitled Horror Movie

2021

Homeland Security

Homeland Security

2004

Brookfield

Brookfield

Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers

Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers

2021

Patel

Patel

What the F*ck Is My Password?!

What the F*ck Is My Password?!

Freshmen

Freshmen

1999

Contra

Contra

Untitled Harold & Kumar Sequel

Untitled Harold & Kumar Sequel

How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother

2005

House

House

2004

Spin City

Spin City

1996

24

24

2001

Angel

Angel

1999

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

1988

Mira, Royal Detective

Mira, Royal Detective

2020

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

1992

Finding Your Roots

Finding Your Roots

2012

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

2005

Independent Lens

Independent Lens

1999

Impractical Jokers

Impractical Jokers

2011

The Big Brain Theory

The Big Brain Theory

2013

Battle Creek

Battle Creek

2015

The Big Picture with Kal Penn

The Big Picture with Kal Penn

2015

Tru Calling

Tru Calling

2003

We Are Men

We Are Men

2013

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

1996

Deadbeat

Deadbeat

2014

Designated Survivor

Designated Survivor

2016

ER

ER

1994

Top Gear

Top Gear

2010

The Late Late Show with James Corden

The Late Late Show with James Corden

2015

New Girl

New Girl

2011

Superhuman

Superhuman

2017

The Santa Clauses

The Santa Clauses

2022

Clarice

Clarice

2021

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

2023

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

2021

Fancy Nancy

Fancy Nancy

2018

Match Game

Match Game

2016

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

2014

The View

The View

1997

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory

2007

All About the Andersons

All About the Andersons

2003

Tamron Hall

Tamron Hall

2019

American Horror Story

American Horror Story

2011

To Tell the Truth

To Tell the Truth

2016

Sunnyside

Sunnyside

2019

The $100,000 Pyramid

The $100,000 Pyramid

2016

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

2019

A Little Late with Lilly Singh

A Little Late with Lilly Singh

2019

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

2009

Hollywood Game Night

Hollywood Game Night

2013

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

1997

The Daily Show

The Daily Show

1996

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015

Independent Lens

Independent Lens

1999

Kal Penn Approves This Message

Kal Penn Approves This Message

2020

CBS News Sunday Morning

CBS News Sunday Morning

1979

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

2019

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

2020

Sesame Street

Sesame Street

1969

Celebrity Weakest Link

Celebrity Weakest Link

2025

Name That Tune

Name That Tune

2021

The Agency

The Agency

2001

The Soup

The Soup

2004

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

2003

Industry

Industry

2020