Kal Penn
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Henry Chanoor
1999
Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self
2014
Series
The Daily Show
Self - Guest Host
1996
Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self - Guest Host
2019
Series
American Horror Story
Mac Marzara
2011
Series
House
Lawrence Kutner
2004
Series
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
2005
Series
The View
Self - Guest
1997
Series
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self - Guest
2015
Series
Sesame Street
1969
Series
24
Ahmed Amar
2001
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
1988
Series
How I Met Your Mother
Kevin Venkataraghavan
2005
Series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Hunt
1997
Series
ER
Narajan
1994
Series
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Series
The Tamron Hall Show
Self - Guest
2019
Series
New Girl
Tripp
2011
Series
CBS News Sunday Morning
Self
1979
Series
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Prajeeb
1996
Series
The Big Bang Theory
Kevin Campbell
2007
Series
Angel
Young Man in Fez
1999
Series
Spin City
Buddy
1996
Series
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
Self
2019
Series
Designated Survivor
Seth Wright
2016
Series
Impractical Jokers
Self
2011
Series
The Soup
Self
2004
Series
Industry
Jay 'Jonah' Atterbury
2020
Series
Independent Lens
Jagdesh
1999
Series
Independent Lens
Vandana's Fiancee
1999
Series
To Tell the Truth
Self - Panelist
2016
Series
The $100,000 Pyramid
Self
2016
Series
Finding Your Roots
Self
2012
Series
Match Game
Self - Panelist
2016
Series
The Agency
Malek
2001
Series
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
Self - Contestant
2021
Series
Fancy Nancy
Mr. Singh (voice)
2018
Series
Tru Calling
Steven
2003
Series
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Ventakish (voice)
2023
Series
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Self - Contestant
2020
Film
Smile
Dr. Morgan Desai
2022
Series
Name That Tune
Self - Contestant
2021
Series
Hollywood Game Night
Self
2013
Film
Superman Returns
Stanford
2006
Film
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
Taj Mahal Badalandabad
2002
Series
The Santa Clauses
Simon Choksi
2022
Series
Mira, Royal Detective
Mikku (voice)
2020
Film
Son of the Mask
Jorge
2005
Series
Clarice
Shaan Tripathi
2021
Series
Celebrity Weakest Link
Self - Contestant
2025
Series
Battle Creek
Detective Fontanelle
2015
Film
Epic Movie
Edward
2007
Series
Deadbeat
Clyde
2014
Series
Top Gear
2010
Film
A Lot Like Love
Jeeter
2005
Film
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
Kumar Patel
2004
Film
Deck the Halls
Amit Sayid (uncredited)
2006
Film
The Layover
Anuj
2017
Film
Love Don't Co$t a Thing
Kenneth Warman
2003
Series
Sunnyside
Garrett Modi
2019
Film
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Kumar Patel
2008
Series
All About the Andersons
Doctor George
2003
Film
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
Kumar Patel
2011
Film
Once Upon a Time in Venice
Rajeesh
2017
Film
The Underdoggs
Ryan Kauffman
2024
Series
We Are Men
Gil Bartis
2013
Film
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
Taj Mahal Badalandabad
2006
Film
Malibu's Most Wanted
Hadji
2003
Series
Superhuman
Self - Host
2017
Film
Man About Town
Alan Fineberg
2006
Film
The Namesake
Gogol / Nikhil
2007
Film
The Girl in the Photographs
Peter Hemmings
2015
Film
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
Dr. Sandeep Kapoor
2026
Film
Bachelor Party Vegas
Z-Bob
2006
Film
Speech & Debate
James
2017
Series
The Big Brain Theory
Self - Host
2013
Film
A Prayer for Rain
Motwani
2014
Series
The Big Picture with Kal Penn
Himself - Host
2015
Film
The Problem with Apu
Self
2017
Film
Untitled Horror Movie
Mark
2021
Film
Sueno
Raj
2005
Film
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
Self
2009
Film
Hot Mess Holiday
Kal Penn
2021
Film
The Sisterhood of Night
Gordy Gambhir
2015
Film
Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam
Kumar
2008
Series
Kal Penn Approves This Message
Self - Host
2020
Film
Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong
Self
2023
Film
The Girl in the Woods
2020
Film
Emily & Tim
Tim (Segment 2)
2015
Film
Homeland Security
Harrison
2004
Film
Ball and Chain
Bobby
2004
What the F*ck Is My Password?!
Film
Better Off Single
Brice
2016
Film
Regarding Ardy
Fred
2003
Film
Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers
Self
2021
Untitled Harold & Kumar Sequel
Kumar Patel
Film
American Desi
Ajay Pandya
2001
Film
Awesometown
Guy Reading Newspaper
2006
Film
The Ashram
Nitin
2018
Film
Dancing in Twilight
Sam
2005
Film
Express: Aisle to Glory
Jackie Newton
1998
Film
Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz
Kumar Patel
2011
Film
Where's the Party Yaar?
Mo
2003
Brookfield
Kumar Zimmerman
Cosmopolitan
Vandana's Fiancee
2003
Film
Freshmen
Ajay
1999
Film
Dementamania
2013
Patel
Contra
Dale Stone