Kal Penn
Birthdate
April 23, 1977 (48 years old)
Place of Birth
Montclair, New Jersey, USA
Known For
Acting
Details
Birthdate
April 23, 1977 (48 years old)
Place of Birth
Montclair, New Jersey, USA
Known For
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
Kal Penn's LGBTQ+ Titles
Speech & Debate
James
Acting (105)
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor
Brookfield as Kumar Zimmerman
Patel
What the F*ck Is My Password?!
2024
The Underdoggs as Ryan Kauffman
2023
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off as Ventakish (voice) (1 episode)
2023
Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong as Self
2022
The Santa Clauses as Simon Choksi (6 episodes)
2022
Smile as Dr. Morgan Desai
2021
Hot Mess Holiday as Kal Penn
2021
Untitled Horror Movie as Mark
2021
Clarice as Shaan Tripathi (10 episodes)
2021
Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers as Self
2021
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune as Self - Contestant (1 episode)
2020
Kal Penn Approves This Message as Self - Host (6 episodes)
2020
The Girl in the Woods
2020
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as Self - Contestant (1 episode)
2020
Mira, Royal Detective as Mikku (voice) (104 episodes)
2019
Sunnyside as Garrett Modi (11 episodes)
2019
A Little Late with Lilly Singh as Self (3 episodes)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self (4 episodes)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self - Guest Host (1 episode)
2019
Tamron Hall as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2018
Fancy Nancy as Mr. Singh (voice) (123 episodes)
2018
The Ashram as Nitin
2018
Lie Detector as Self (1 episode)
2017
The Problem with Apu as Self
2017
The Layover as Anuj
2017
Superhuman as Self - Host (8 episodes)
2017
Once Upon a Time in Venice as Rajeesh
2017
Speech & Debate as James
2016
Better Off Single as Brice
2016
Designated Survivor as Seth Wright (53 episodes)
2016
The $100,000 Pyramid as Self (2 episodes)
2016
Match Game as Self - Panelist (3 episodes)
2016
To Tell the Truth as Self - Panelist (4 episodes)
2015
The Girl in the Photographs as Peter Hemmings
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (1 episode)
2015
Emily & Tim as Tim (Segment 2)
2015
The Sisterhood of Night as Gordy Gambhir
2015
The Big Picture with Kal Penn as Himself - Host (12 episodes)
2015
The Late Late Show with James Corden as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2015
Battle Creek as Detective Fontanelle (13 episodes)
2014
A Prayer for Rain as Motwani
2014
Deadbeat as Clyde (13 episodes)
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self (1 episode)
2013
We Are Men as Gil Bartis (11 episodes)
2013
Dementamania
2013
Hollywood Game Night as Self (1 episode)
2013
The Big Brain Theory as Self - Host (8 episodes)
2012
Finding Your Roots as Self (1 episode)
2011
Impractical Jokers as Self (1 episode)
2011
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas as Kumar Patel
2011
Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz as Kumar Patel
2011
American Horror Story as Mac Marzara (5 episodes)
2011
New Girl as Tripp (2 episodes)
2010
Top Gear (1 episode)
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2009
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial as Self
2008
Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam as Kumar
2008
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay as Kumar Patel
2007
The Big Bang Theory as Kevin Campbell (3 episodes)
2007
Epic Movie as Edward
2006
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
2006
Deck the Halls as Amit Sayid (uncredited)
2006
The Namesake as Gogol / Nikhil
2006
Superman Returns as Stanford
2006
Man About Town as Alan Fineberg
2006
Bachelor Party Vegas as Z-Bob
2006
Awesometown as Guy Reading Newspaper
2005
Sueno as Raj
2005
How I Met Your Mother as Kevin Venkataraghavan (10 episodes)
2005
A Lot Like Love as Jeeter
2005
Son of the Mask as Jorge
2005
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self (1 episode)
2005
Dancing in Twilight as Sam
2004
House as Lawrence Kutner (40 episodes)
2004
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle as Kumar Patel
2004
Where's the Party Yaar? as Mo
2004
Ball and Chain as Bobby
2004
Homeland Security as Harrison
2003
Love Don't Co$t a Thing as Kenneth Warman
2003
Tru Calling as Steven (1 episode)
2003
All About the Andersons as Doctor George (1 episode)
2003
Malibu's Most Wanted as Hadji
2003
Regarding Ardy as Fred
2003
Cosmopolitan as Vandana's Fiancee
2002
National Lampoon's Van Wilder as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
2001
24 as Ahmed Amar (4 episodes)
2001
American Desi as Ajay Pandya
1999
Angel as Young Man in Fez (1 episode)
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Henry Chanoor (1 episode)
1999
Freshmen as Ajay
1999
Independent Lens as Jagdesh (1 episode)
1999
Independent Lens as Vandana's Fiancee (1 episode)
1998
Express: Aisle to Glory as Jackie Newton
1997
The View as Self - Guest (1 episode)
1997
Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Hunt (1 episode)
1996
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as Prajeeb (1 episode)
1996
Spin City as Buddy (1 episode)
1996
The Daily Show as Self - Guest Host (8 episodes)
1994
ER as Narajan (1 episode)
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1 episode)
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest (5 episodes)
1979
CBS News Sunday Morning as Self (1 episode)
Production (3)
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
• Producer
Patel
• Executive Producer
2006
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
• Executive Producer
Creator (1)
2019
Sunnyside
• Creator