Kal Penn

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

104

Gender

Male

Birthday

1977-04-23 (48 years old)

Place of Birth

Montclair, New Jersey, USA

Kal Penn

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

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

    Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

  • House

    House

  • The Daily Show

    The Daily Show

  • How I Met Your Mother

    How I Met Your Mother

  • 24

    24

  • Late Night with Seth Meyers

    Late Night with Seth Meyers

  • The Kelly Clarkson Show

    The Kelly Clarkson Show

  • The Kelly Clarkson Show

    The Kelly Clarkson Show

  • The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

  • American Horror Story

    American Horror Story

  • Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

    Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

  • The Late Late Show with James Corden

    The Late Late Show with James Corden

  • The Big Bang Theory

    The Big Bang Theory

  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    Buffy the Vampire Slayer

  • CBS News Sunday Morning

    CBS News Sunday Morning

  • ER

    ER

  • New Girl

    New Girl

  • LIVE with Kelly and Mark

    LIVE with Kelly and Mark

  • The View

    The View

  • Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

    Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

  • Angel

    Angel

  • Tamron Hall

    Tamron Hall

  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

  • Designated Survivor

    Designated Survivor

  • Spin City

    Spin City

  • Impractical Jokers

    Impractical Jokers

  • Independent Lens

    Independent Lens

  • Independent Lens

    Independent Lens

  • Finding Your Roots

    Finding Your Roots

  • Smile

    Smile

  • Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

    Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

  • Match Game

    Match Game

  • Tru Calling

    Tru Calling

  • To Tell the Truth

    To Tell the Truth

  • Love Don't Co$t a Thing

    Love Don't Co$t a Thing

  • Clarice

    Clarice

  • Lie Detector

    Lie Detector

  • A Little Late with Lilly Singh

    A Little Late with Lilly Singh

  • Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

    Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

  • Fancy Nancy

    Fancy Nancy

  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

    Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

  • The $100,000 Pyramid

    The $100,000 Pyramid

  • Son of the Mask

    Son of the Mask

  • Hollywood Game Night

    Hollywood Game Night

  • Top Gear

    Top Gear

  • Mira, Royal Detective

    Mira, Royal Detective

  • The Santa Clauses

    The Santa Clauses

  • Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

    Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

  • A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

    A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

  • Superman Returns

    Superman Returns

  • The Layover

    The Layover

  • Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

    Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

  • The Underdoggs

    The Underdoggs

  • Deadbeat

    Deadbeat

  • Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj

    Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj

  • Emily & Tim

    Emily & Tim

  • National Lampoon's Van Wilder

    National Lampoon's Van Wilder

  • Epic Movie

    Epic Movie

  • A Lot Like Love

    A Lot Like Love

  • A Prayer for Rain

    A Prayer for Rain

  • Brookfield

    Brookfield

  • Battle Creek

    Battle Creek

  • Untitled Horror Movie

    Untitled Horror Movie

  • Malibu's Most Wanted

    Malibu's Most Wanted

  • Once Upon a Time in Venice

    Once Upon a Time in Venice

  • Deck the Halls

    Deck the Halls

  • We Are Men

    We Are Men

  • Homeland Security

    Homeland Security

  • Bachelor Party Vegas

    Bachelor Party Vegas

  • Better Off Single

    Better Off Single

  • Hot Mess Holiday

    Hot Mess Holiday

  • Sunnyside

    Sunnyside

  • The Sisterhood of Night

    The Sisterhood of Night

  • Man About Town

    Man About Town

  • The Girl in the Photographs

    The Girl in the Photographs

  • Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong

    Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong

  • Ball and Chain

    Ball and Chain

  • Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam

    Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam

  • Sueno

    Sueno

  • The Namesake

    The Namesake

  • All About the Andersons

    All About the Andersons

  • The Ashram

    The Ashram

  • Superhuman

    Superhuman

  • Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

    Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

  • Dancing in Twilight

    Dancing in Twilight

  • Speech & Debate

    Speech & Debate

  • Awesometown

    Awesometown

  • Cosmopolitan

    Cosmopolitan

  • The Big Picture with Kal Penn

    The Big Picture with Kal Penn

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

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

  • Kal Penn Approves This Message

    Kal Penn Approves This Message

  • American Desi

    American Desi

  • What the F*ck Is My Password?!

    What the F*ck Is My Password?!

  • The Girl in the Woods

    The Girl in the Woods

  • Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz

    Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz

  • The Big Brain Theory

    The Big Brain Theory

  • Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers

    Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers

  • Where's the Party Yaar?

    Where's the Party Yaar?

  • The Problem with Apu

    The Problem with Apu

  • Dementamania

    Dementamania

  • Regarding Ardy

    Regarding Ardy

  • Patel

    Patel

  • Express: Aisle to Glory

    Express: Aisle to Glory