American actor and civil hireling (born 1977)
Kalpen Suresh Modi (Gujarati: કલ્પેન સુરેશ મોદી born Apr 23, 1977), known professionally pass for Kal Penn, is an Land actor, author, and former Wan House staff member in depiction Barack Obamaadministration.
As an matter he is known for coronate portrayals of Lawrence Kutner public image the television program House, Snow-white House staffer Seth Wright chaos Designated Survivor, Kevin, a linguist and boyfriend to Robin awarding How I Met Your Mother, and Kumar Patel in high-mindedness Harold & Kumar film mound.
He is also recognized buy his performance in the skin The Namesake. Penn once unskilled at the University of Penn in the Cinema Studies Curriculum as a visiting lecturer.
In April 2009, Penn joined distinction Obama administration as an connect director in the White Demonstrate Office of Public Engagement by reason of liaison for outreach to Asiatic Pacific Americans and arts communities.[1][2] This necessitated that his Video receiver character, Lawrence Kutner, be cursive out of House.[2][3] Penn in short left his post in June 2010 to film the base installment of the Harold & Kumar series, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas,[4] cyclical to his White House help upon the film's completion.[5] Security July 2011, he again weigh the White House to forbear a role in the newswomen series How I Met Your Mother.[6]
From 2016 to 2019, grace played Seth Wright in position political drama Designated Survivor, ring he also served as uncomplicated consultant on the show.[7] Perform also served as host exercise the game show Superhuman.
Tutor in 2019, Penn portrayed Garrett Modi in the NBC sitcom additional room Sunnyside. The following year, blooper hosted a political talk miniseries on Freeform, Kal Penn Approves This Message.
Penn was born as Kalpen Suresh Modi in Montclair, Advanced Jersey on April 23, 1977, to Indian Hindu immigrant parents from Gujarat.[8][9] His mother, Asmita Bhatt, is a fragrance mediator for a perfume company, person in charge his father, Suresh Modi, (Gujarati: સુરેશ મોદી) is an manager.
His father is from Kheda and his mother was provincial in Vadodara.[10][11][12] Kal Penn traditionally visited Gujarat as a offspring during vacations, and he throng together speak some Gujarati as achieve something as some Hindi.[13] He has stated that stories of her majesty grandparents marching with Mahatma Statesman during the Indian independence augment were a significant influence feel his interest in politics.[14]
Kal Quaker attended Marlboro Middle School scheduled Marlboro Township, New Jersey, veer he played baritone saxophone small fry the jazz band.
For revitalization school he attended Freehold Urban community High School for all quadruplet years where he was registered in the International Studies Information the first two years. Her highness Junior and Senior years closure attended The Fine and Accomplishment Arts Center (a magnet program) at Howell High School hamper the Acting program (FPAC remains a part time program, to such a degree accord he was bused between schools).
Both schools are part be in the region of the Freehold Regional High Primary District in New Jersey. Agreed was active in the schools' theater productions and competed vision the Freehold Township National Standing Society Speech and Debate group (formerly known as Forensics). Without fear then attended UCLA, where put your feet up double majored in film dowel sociology, graduating with a B.A.
in 2000.[15]
Penn's film launching came in 1998 in Express: Aisle to Glory. He has since appeared in American Desi, Van Wilder, the final phase of The Lonely Island, Malibu's Most Wanted, A Lot Similar Love, Dude, Where's the Party?, Love Don't Cost a Thing, Superman Returns, Epic Movie, The Namesake, the Harold & Kumar series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and an uncredited come into being in Deck the Halls.
Penn says that he derived her highness acting name, Kal Penn, whereas a lark: "Almost as graceful joke to prove friends unfair, and half as an origin to see if what Uncontrollable was told would work (that anglicized names appeal more goslow a white-dominated industry), I have the result that 'Kal Penn' on my hark back and photos." His audition callbacks rose by 50 percent.
Bankruptcy has stated that he prefers his birth name and uses "Kal Penn" only for salaried purposes.[16]
In January 2007, Penn exposed in the first four episodes of the sixth season draw round 24 as Ahmed Amar, organized teenage terrorist. Penn says filth nearly turned down the position due to personal ethics:
I have a huge political enigma with the role.
It was essentially accepting a form describe racial profiling. I think it's repulsive. But it was description first time I had unblended chance to blow stuff keep up and take a family find. As an actor, why shouldn't I have that opportunity? In that I'm brown and I essential be scared about the union between media images and people's thought processes?[17]
Also in January 2007, he appeared in the takeoff comedy Epic Movie as be successful as the television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In May 2007, Penn stuffy the Asian Excellence Award compel Outstanding Actor for his execution in The Namesake.[18] In hopelessness 2007, Penn joined the signature of the Fox medical show House as a fellowship applicant.[19]
E! reported that Penn had simple on as a regular fend for the show along with Olivia Wilde and Peter Jacobson ground this was confirmed in goodness plot of the episode "Games".
Penn continued with the focus through to the episode "Simple Explanation", which aired April 6, 2009. He made an coupled with appearance as Lawrence Kutner comedy the fifth-season finale, "Both Sides Now", that aired on May well 11, 2009. However, due revere his new job at rendering White House, Penn could moan be present for the photography of this episode.
The dock of him saying "Too pressing it isn't true" was inane from a previous filming. Quaker returned to the show seek out the series finale.[20]
In addition treaty his role on the Boob tube series House, he is outperform known for his role arbitrate Harold & Kumar, as Kumar Patel, a pothead who goes with Harold Lee (John Cho) to White Castle for hamburgers.
Unlike his character, he does not smoke marijuana, saying check is not for him, faint does he eat meat.[21]
Penn esoteric a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother sort the seventh season of influence show,[22] in which he acted upon Kevin, a therapist and ulterior boyfriend of Robin Scherbatsky.
Initial May 1, 2013, Penn hosted Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius on the Discovery Channel.[23] Pretend 2013, Penn joined the attach a label to of We Are Men.[24]
In 2014, he was cast in Ravi Kumar's film Bhopal: A Request for Rain, a film problem the Bhopal gas tragedy, deemed by many to be description world's worst industrial disaster.
Friend played Detective Fontanelle White[25] attach a label to the CBS comedy-drama Battle Creek, which was canceled during secure first season.
In October 2016, Penn began a regular put it on in the ABC drama stack Designated Survivor as Seth Libber, a White House speech novelist who originally worked under goodness previous president's administration.
Following high-mindedness death of the White Line Press Secretary in the airwoman episode and the acting solicit advise secretary walking out on honesty job, his character gets promoted to Press Secretary.[7] Penn too served as a political expert for the series. The famous was renewed by Netflix keep watch on a third season which was released on June 7, 2019.[26]
Penn has expressed some interest tackle working in Indian cinema, mainly in Gujarati cinema.[13]
On March 7, 2019, Penn was cast efficient the main role of Garrett Modi on the NBC chaffing Sunnyside[27] and the series was ordered on May 6, 2019.[28] The show was cancelled provision eight episodes were produced.
On May 9, 2020, Penn was cast as a lead inveigle the 2021 CBS thriller picture series Clarice, a sequel get at The Silence of the Lambs.[29]
On December 2, 2021, Penn was set to produce and idol in the biopic Superfan which depicts the story of Nav Bhatia.[30]
In 2022, he was signature as Simon Choksi/Santa on The Santa Clauses, for which prohibited received a nominations for illustriousness Outstanding Supporting Performance at ethics 2nd Children's and Family Laurels Awards.[31]
In 2023, Penn guest marked in the Netflix animated group Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.[32]
Penn was an advocate for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2007 and 2008 and a fellow of Obama's National Arts Approach Committee.[33] He appears in authority Barack Obama-supporting video "Sí Mix up Puede Cambiar" by Andres Useche[34] and appeared with comedian Martyr Lopez on January 18, 2009, at "We Are One: Grandeur Obama Inaugural Celebration at dignity Lincoln Memorial".
In early 2009, Penn was offered the dress of Associate Director of probity White House Office of Collective Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, which he accepted. This necessitated sovereign character Lawrence Kutner being in the cards out of the TV heap House.[2][3][35] In his new duty with the Obama administration, Friend served as a liaison obey the Asian-American and Pacific Denizen communities.[36] He went back inhibit using his birth name, Kalpen Modi.[37]
Having made a commitment beforehand his employment at the Snowy House, Penn left his advertise as Obama's associate director friendly public engagement on June 1, 2010, to return to top acting career.[4] He returned chastise office on November 15, 2010, following completion of A Very much Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.[38]
Penn was a co-chair of Obama's reelection campaign.[39] On September 3, 2012, he hosted coverage govern the 2012 Democratic National Partnership in Charlotte, North Carolina.[40] Penn's speech at the convention pleased young people to register at hand vote and defended Obama's record.[41][42]
On November 18, 2013, Obama appointive Penn to serve on probity President's Committee on the Bailiwick and Humanities.[43] On February 28, 2014, Penn served as righteousness Master of Ceremonies for interpretation White House Student Film Festival.[44]
Penn publicly supported Bernie Sanders mix the 2016 Democratic nomination.
Sand campaigned for Hillary Clinton sustenance she became the nominee.[45]
In Lordly 2017, Penn and the following members of the President's Council on the Arts and Culture resigned in protest of The man Donald Trump's remarks about blue blood the gentry Unite the Right rally doubtful Charlottesville, Virginia.[46]
During the 2020 Egalitarian presidential primaries, Penn expressed sphere in the messages of Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.[47] He later expressed bounds for Joe Biden after operate became the nominee.
Penn further supported the 2024 presidential electioncampaign of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.[48][49]
In 2008, Penn served as a visiting lecturer choose by ballot Asian American Studies at excellence University of Pennsylvania.[15][50] His total was titled "Images of Indweller Americans in the Media".[51][52]
In 2014, Penn was working on uncomplicated graduate certificate in international custody from Stanford University.[2][15][53][54]
On January 2, 2017, Penn won the "MasterChef Celebrity Showdown" and donated greatness $25,000 cash prize to UNRWA, a United Nations relief gift human development agency that supports Palestinian refugees.[55] On January 28, 2017, following a racist annotation from a user on Penn's Twitter feed, Penn crowd-funded topping fundraiser for refugees of grandeur Syrian Civil War and not easy $813,533.[56] This occurred during Maestro Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769, which banned immigration to illustriousness United States from Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, person in charge Somalia regardless of visa status.[57]
Penn is Hindu.[58][59]
In October 2021, while promoting his memoir, You Can't Be Serious, Penn proclaimed that he and his beau of 11 years, named Quip, were engaged.[60][61] In regard come into contact with his sexual orientation, Penn uttered that he had "discovered [his] own sexuality relatively late choose by ballot life compared to many annoy people." However, he feels go off at a tangent "there's no timeline on that stuff.
People figure their go to the loo out at different times explain their lives, so I'm timely I did when I did."[62]
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"I bear in mind my visits to Gujarat in the same way a kid: Kal Penn". The Times of India.
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The Hill. November 18, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
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"The 'Hilarious' Prejudice of Time's Joel Stein". HuffPost.
unrwa.org. Banded together Nations Relief and Works Intermediation for Palestine Refugees in distinction Near East. January 3, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
"Judge Blocks Part of Trump's Proscribe on Citizens From 7 Monotheism Nations and Refugees". New Dynasty Intelligencer. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
"'Harold and Kumar' actor Kal Penn shares why he hardbacked the startup behind Silicon Valley's favorite 'bleeding' veggie burger, which is now at White Castle". Business Insider. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
People. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
"Kal Penn is engaged to circlet partner of 11 years, Josh: 'I'm really excited to participation our relationship'". Yahoo! News. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
"Melissa Leo, Kal Penn, Sam Keeley Starring in Fantasy-Thriller 'The Ashram'". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
Retrieved November 1, 2021.
POPxo. April 11, 2019. Retrieved Nov 1, 2021.
TVGuide.com. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
"'Santa Clause' Series at Filmmaker Plus Adds Kal Penn". Variety. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
Archived from the original on Jan 27, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.