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

House

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Daily Show

Sesame Street

24

All Movies (53)

• The Underdoggs2024 · as Ryan Kauffman
• Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong2023 · as Self
• Smile2022 · as Dr. Morgan Desai
• Hot Mess Holiday2021 · as Kal Penn
• Untitled Horror Movie2021 · as Mark
• Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers2021 · as Self
• The Girl in the Woods2020
• The Ashram2018 · as Nitin
• The Problem with Apu2017 · as Self
• The Layover2017 · as Anuj
• Once Upon a Time in Venice2017 · as Rajeesh
• Speech & Debate2017 · as James
• Better Off Single2016 · as Brice
• The Girl in the Photographs2015 · as Peter Hemmings
• Emily & Tim2015 · as Tim (Segment 2)
• The Sisterhood of Night2015 · as Gordy Gambhir
• A Prayer for Rain2014 · as Motwani
• Dementamania2013
• A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas2011 · as Kumar Patel
• Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz2011 · as Kumar Patel
• We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial2009 · as Self
• Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam2008 · as Kumar
• Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay2008 · as Kumar Patel
• Epic Movie2007 · as Edward
• Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj2006 · as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
• Deck the Halls2006 · as Amit Sayid (uncredited)
• The Namesake2006 · as Gogol / Nikhil
• Superman Returns2006 · as Stanford
• Man About Town2006 · as Alan Fineberg
• Bachelor Party Vegas2006 · as Z-Bob
• Awesometown2006 · as Guy Reading Newspaper
• Sueno2005 · as Raj
• A Lot Like Love2005 · as Jeeter
• Son of the Mask2005 · as Jorge
• Dancing in Twilight2005 · as Sam
• Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle2004 · as Kumar Patel
• Ball and Chain2004 · as Bobby
• Homeland Security2004 · as Harrison
• Love Don't Co$t a Thing2003 · as Kenneth Warman
• Where's the Party Yaar?2003 · as Mo
• Malibu's Most Wanted2003 · as Hadji
• Regarding Ardy2003 · as Fred
• Cosmopolitan2003 · as Vandana's Fiancee
• National Lampoon's Van Wilder2002 · as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
• American Desi2001 · as Ajay Pandya
• Freshmen1999 · as Ajay
• Express: Aisle to Glory1998 · as Jackie Newton
• Trust Me, I'm a Doctor— · as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor
• Brookfield— · as Kumar Zimmerman
• Patel—
• What the F*ck Is My Password?!—
• Contra— · as Dale Stone
• Untitled Harold & Kumar Sequel— · as Kumar Patel

All TV Shows (61)

• Celebrity Weakest Link2025 · as Self - Contestant
• Scott Pilgrim Takes Off2023 · as Ventakish (voice)
• The Santa Clauses2022 · as Simon Choksi
• Clarice2021 · as Shaan Tripathi
• Celebrity Wheel of Fortune2021 · as Self - Contestant
• Name That Tune2021 · as Self - Contestant
• Industry2020 · as Jay 'Jonah' Atterbury
• Kal Penn Approves This Message2020 · as Self - Host
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire2020 · as Self - Contestant
• Mira, Royal Detective2020 · as Mikku (voice)
• Sunnyside2019 · as Garrett Modi
• A Little Late with Lilly Singh2019 · as Self
• Tamron Hall2019 · as Self - Guest
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self - Guest Host
• Fancy Nancy2018 · as Mr. Singh (voice)
• Superhuman2017 · as Self - Host
• Designated Survivor2016 · as Seth Wright
• The $100,000 Pyramid2016 · as Self
• Match Game2016 · as Self - Panelist
• To Tell the Truth2016 · as Self - Panelist
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015
• The Big Picture with Kal Penn2015 · as Himself - Host
• The Late Late Show with James Corden2015 · as Self - Guest
• Battle Creek2015 · as Detective Fontanelle
• Deadbeat2014 · as Clyde
• Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
• We Are Men2013 · as Gil Bartis
• Hollywood Game Night2013 · as Self
• The Big Brain Theory2013 · as Self - Host
• Finding Your Roots2012 · as Self
• Impractical Jokers2011 · as Self
• American Horror Story2011 · as Mac Marzara
• New Girl2011 · as Tripp
• Top Gear2010
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• The Big Bang Theory2007 · as Kevin Campbell
• How I Met Your Mother2005 · as Kevin Venkataraghavan
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson2005 · as Self
• House2004 · as Lawrence Kutner
• The Soup2004 · as Self
• Tru Calling2003 · as Steven
• All About the Andersons2003 · as Doctor George
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Guest
• 242001 · as Ahmed Amar
• The Agency2001 · as Malek
• Angel1999 · as Young Man in Fez
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit1999 · as Henry Chanoor
• Independent Lens1999 · as Jagdesh
• Independent Lens1999 · as Vandana's Fiancee
• SpongeBob SquarePants1999 · as Himself
• The View1997 · as Self - Guest
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer1997 · as Hunt
• Sabrina, the Teenage Witch1996 · as Prajeeb
• Spin City1996 · as Buddy
• The Daily Show1996 · as Self - Guest Host
• ER1994 · as Narajan
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self - Guest
• CBS News Sunday Morning1979 · as Self
• Sesame Street1969