Kal Penn

Acting

Kal Penn

Born April 23, 1977Montclair, New Jersey, USA111 credits

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

Filmography

Celebrity Weakest Link
2025Celebrity Weakest Link
as Self - ContestantTV
The Underdoggs
2024The Underdoggs
as Ryan KauffmanMovie
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
2023Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
as Ventakish (voice)TV
The Santa Clauses
2022The Santa Clauses
as Simon ChoksiTV
Smile
2022Smile
as Dr. Morgan DesaiMovie
Hot Mess Holiday
2021Hot Mess Holiday
as Kal PennMovie
Clarice
2021Clarice
as Shaan TripathiTV
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
as Self - ContestantTV
Name That Tune
2021Name That Tune
as Self - ContestantTV
Industry
2020Industry
as Jay 'Jonah' AtterburyTV
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
2020Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
as Self - ContestantTV
Mira, Royal Detective
2020Mira, Royal Detective
as Mikku (voice)TV
Sunnyside
2019Sunnyside
as Garrett ModiTV
Tamron Hall
2019Tamron Hall
as Self - GuestTV
Fancy Nancy
2018Fancy Nancy
as Mr. Singh (voice)TV
The Ashram
2018The Ashram
as NitinMovie
The Layover
2017The Layover
as AnujMovie
Superhuman
2017Superhuman
as Self - HostTV
Speech & Debate
2017Speech & Debate
as JamesMovie
Designated Survivor
2016Designated Survivor
as Seth WrightTV
Match Game
2016Match Game
as Self - PanelistTV
To Tell the Truth
2016To Tell the Truth
as Self - PanelistTV
The Girl in the Photographs
2015The Girl in the Photographs
as Peter HemmingsMovie
Emily & Tim
2015Emily & Tim
as Tim (Segment 2)Movie
The Sisterhood of Night
2015The Sisterhood of Night
as Gordy GambhirMovie
Battle Creek
2015Battle Creek
as Detective FontanelleTV
A Prayer for Rain
2014A Prayer for Rain
as MotwaniMovie
Deadbeat
2014Deadbeat
as ClydeTV
We Are Men
2013We Are Men
as Gil BartisTV
The Big Brain Theory
2013The Big Brain Theory
as Self - HostTV
New Girl
2011New Girl
as TrippTV
The Big Bang Theory
2007The Big Bang Theory
as Kevin CampbellTV
Epic Movie
2007Epic Movie
as EdwardMovie
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
2006Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
as Taj Mahal BadalandabadMovie
Deck the Halls
2006Deck the Halls
as Amit Sayid (uncredited)Movie
The Namesake
2006The Namesake
as Gogol / NikhilMovie
Superman Returns
2006Superman Returns
as StanfordMovie
Man About Town
2006Man About Town
as Alan FinebergMovie
Awesometown
2006Awesometown
as Guy Reading NewspaperMovie
Sueno
2005Sueno
as RajMovie
How I Met Your Mother
2005How I Met Your Mother
as Kevin VenkataraghavanTV
A Lot Like Love
2005A Lot Like Love
as JeeterMovie
Son of the Mask
2005Son of the Mask
as JorgeMovie
House
2004House
as Lawrence KutnerTV
The Soup
2004The Soup
as SelfTV
Ball and Chain
2004Ball and Chain
as BobbyMovie
Homeland Security
2004Homeland Security
as HarrisonMovie
Love Don't Co$t a Thing
2003Love Don't Co$t a Thing
as Kenneth WarmanMovie
Tru Calling
2003Tru Calling
as StevenTV
All About the Andersons
2003All About the Andersons
as Doctor GeorgeTV
Regarding Ardy
2003Regarding Ardy
as FredMovie
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self - GuestTV
C
2003Cosmopolitan
as Vandana's FianceeMovie
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
2002National Lampoon's Van Wilder
as Taj Mahal BadalandabadMovie
24
200124
as Ahmed AmarTV
The Agency
2001The Agency
as MalekTV
American Desi
2001American Desi
as Ajay PandyaMovie
Angel
1999Angel
as Young Man in FezTV
Freshmen
1999Freshmen
as AjayMovie
Express: Aisle to Glory
1998Express: Aisle to Glory
as Jackie NewtonMovie
The View
1997The View
as Self - GuestTV
Spin City
1996Spin City
as BuddyTV
The Daily Show
1996The Daily Show
as Self - Guest HostTV
ER
1994ER
as NarajanTV
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
as Dr. Sandeep KapoorMovie
B
Brookfield
as Kumar ZimmermanMovie
C
Contra
as Dale StoneMovie