Kal Penn
Acting
1977-04-23 · Montclair, New Jersey, USA
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
Filmography
TheatersTrust Me, I'm a Doctor
2026 · Movie
Celebrity Weakest Link
2025 · Series
The Underdoggs
2024 · Movie
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
2023 · Series
Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong
2023 · Movie
The Santa Clauses
2022 · Series
Smile
2022 · Movie
Hot Mess Holiday
2021 · Movie
Untitled Horror Movie
2021 · Movie
Clarice
2021 · Series
Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers
2021 · Movie
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021 · Series
Name That Tune
2021 · Series
Industry
2020 · Series
Kal Penn Approves This Message
2020 · Series
The Girl in the Woods
2020 · Movie
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
2020 · Series
Mira, Royal Detective
2020 · Series
Sunnyside
2019 · Series
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
2019 · Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019 · Series
Tamron Hall
2019 · Series
Fancy Nancy
2018 · Series
The Ashram
2018 · Movie
The Problem with Apu
2017 · Movie
The Layover
2017 · Movie
Superhuman
2017 · Series
Once Upon a Time in Venice
2017 · Movie
Speech & Debate
2017 · Movie
Better Off Single
2016 · Movie
Designated Survivor
2016 · Series
The $100,000 Pyramid
2016 · Series
Match Game
2016 · Series
To Tell the Truth
2016 · Series
The Girl in the Photographs
2015 · Movie
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015 · Series
Emily & Tim
2015 · Movie
The Sisterhood of Night
2015 · Movie
The Big Picture with Kal Penn
2015 · Series
The Late Late Show with James Corden
2015 · Series
Battle Creek
2015 · Series
A Prayer for Rain
2014 · Movie
Deadbeat
2014 · Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014 · Series
We Are Men
2013 · Series
Dementamania
2013 · Movie
Hollywood Game Night
2013 · Series
The Big Brain Theory
2013 · Series
Finding Your Roots
2012 · Series
Impractical Jokers
2011 · Series
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
2011 · Movie
Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz
2011 · Movie
American Horror Story
2011 · Series
New Girl
2011 · Series
Top Gear
2010 · Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009 · Series
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
2009 · Movie
Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam
2008 · Movie
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
2008 · Movie
The Big Bang Theory
2007 · Series
Epic Movie
2007 · Movie
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
2006 · Movie
Deck the Halls
2006 · Movie
The Namesake
2006 · Movie
Superman Returns
2006 · Movie
Man About Town
2006 · Movie
Bachelor Party Vegas
2006 · Movie
Awesometown
2006 · Movie
Sueno
2005 · Movie
How I Met Your Mother
2005 · Series
A Lot Like Love
2005 · Movie
Son of the Mask
2005 · Movie
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005 · Series
Dancing in Twilight
2005 · Movie
House
2004 · Series
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
2004 · Movie
The Soup
2004 · Series
Ball and Chain
2004 · Movie
Homeland Security
2004 · Movie
Love Don't Co$t a Thing
2003 · Movie
Tru Calling
2003 · Series
All About the Andersons
2003 · Series
Where's the Party Yaar?
2003 · Movie
Malibu's Most Wanted
2003 · Movie
Regarding Ardy
2003 · Movie
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003 · Series
Cosmopolitan
2003 · Movie
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
2002 · Movie
24
2001 · Series
The Agency
2001 · Series
American Desi
2001 · Movie
Angel
1999 · Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999 · Series
Freshmen
1999 · Movie
Independent Lens
1999 · Series
Express: Aisle to Glory
1998 · Movie
The View
1997 · Series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
1997 · Series
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996 · Series
Spin City
1996 · Series
The Daily Show
1996 · Series
ER
1994 · Series
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992 · Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988 · Series
CBS News Sunday Morning
1979 · Series
Sesame Street
1969 · Series
Brookfield
Movie
Contra
Movie
Patel
Movie
What the F*ck Is My Password?!
Movie
Untitled Harold & Kumar Sequel
Movie