Kal Penn

ActorProducer Apr 23 (age 48) Montclair, New Jersey, USA 1979–2025 (46 year career)

6.1 avg rating

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…

Known For

Film

House

Lawrence Kutner

Film

Smile

Dr. Morgan Desai

Film

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Kumar Patel

Film

Designated Survivor

Seth Wright

Film

Love Don't Co$t a Thing

Kenneth Warman

Film

A Lot Like Love

Jeeter

Film

Superman Returns

Stanford

Film

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Kumar Patel

Filmography

Acting (112)

Movies (53)

The Underdoggs

2024

as Ryan Kauffman

7.0

Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong

as Self

Smile

as Dr. Morgan Desai

Hot Mess Holiday

as Kal Penn

Untitled Horror Movie

2021

as Mark

4.2

Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers

2021

as Self

The Girl in the Woods

The Ashram

as Nitin

The Layover

as Anuj

Once Upon a Time in Venice

as Rajeesh

Speech & Debate

as James

The Problem with Apu

as Self

Better Off Single

as Brice

Emily & Tim

as Tim (Segment 2)

The Sisterhood of Night

2015

as Gordy Gambhir

6.2

The Girl in the Photographs

as Peter Hemmings

A Prayer for Rain

as Motwani

Dementamania

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

2011

as Kumar Patel

6.0

Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz

2011

as Kumar Patel

7.0

We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial

2009

as Self

4.6

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

2008

as Kumar Patel

6.3

Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam

as Kumar

Epic Movie

as Edward

Superman Returns

as Stanford

Deck the Halls

as Amit Sayid (uncredited)

5.6

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj

2006

as Taj Mahal Badalandabad

Man About Town

as Alan Fineberg

The Namesake

as Gogol / Nikhil

Bachelor Party Vegas

as Z-Bob

Awesometown

as Guy Reading Newspaper

Son of the Mask

as Jorge

A Lot Like Love

as Jeeter

Sueno

as Raj

Dancing in Twilight

as Sam

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

as Kumar Patel

Ball and Chain

as Bobby

Homeland Security

as Harrison

Love Don't Co$t a Thing

as Kenneth Warman

Cosmopolitan

as Vandana's Fiancee

Regarding Ardy

as Fred

Malibu's Most Wanted

2003

as Hadji

5.1

Where's the Party Yaar?

2003

as Mo

4.5

National Lampoon's Van Wilder

2002

as Taj Mahal Badalandabad

American Desi

as Ajay Pandya

Freshmen

as Ajay

Express: Aisle to Glory

1998

as Jackie Newton

Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor

Untitled Harold & Kumar Sequel

as Kumar Patel

Patel

What the F*ck Is My Password?!

Brookfield

as Kumar Zimmerman

1.0

Contra

as Dale Stone

Television (59)

Celebrity Weakest Link

2025

as Self - Contestant

4.0

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

as Ventakish (voice)

The Santa Clauses

as Simon Choksi

Clarice

as Shaan Tripathi

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

as Self - Contestant

Name That Tune

as Self - Contestant

Industry

as Jay 'Jonah' Atterbury

6.8

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

2020

as Self - Contestant

9.8

Mira, Royal Detective

2020

as Mikku (voice)

6.5

Kal Penn Approves This Message

2020

as Self - Host

7.0

The Kelly Clarkson Show

as Self

Tamron Hall

as Self - Guest

A Little Late with Lilly Singh

as Self

Sunnyside

as Garrett Modi

Fancy Nancy

as Mr. Singh (voice)

Superhuman

as Self - Host

Designated Survivor

as Seth Wright

The $100,000 Pyramid

as Self

To Tell the Truth

as Self - Panelist

Match Game

as Self - Panelist

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015

6.2

The Late Late Show with James Corden

2015

as Self - Guest

5.2

Battle Creek

2015

as Detective Fontanelle

6.9

The Big Picture with Kal Penn

2015

as Himself - Host

8.0

Late Night with Seth Meyers

as Self

Deadbeat

as Clyde

Hollywood Game Night

as Self

We Are Men

as Gil Bartis

The Big Brain Theory

as Self - Host

Finding Your Roots

as Self

American Horror Story

as Mac Marzara

New Girl

as Tripp

Impractical Jokers

as Self

Top Gear

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

as Self - Guest

The Big Bang Theory

as Kevin Campbell

How I Met Your Mother

2005

as Kevin Venkataraghavan

8.1

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

as Self

House

as Lawrence Kutner

House

as Lawrence Kutner

The Soup

as Self

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

as Self - Guest

Tru Calling

as Steven

All About the Andersons

as Doctor George

as Ahmed Amar

The Agency

as Malek

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

as Henry Chanoor

Angel

as Young Man in Fez

Independent Lens

as Vandana's Fiancee

The View

as Self - Guest

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

as Hunt

The Daily Show

as Self - Guest Host

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

as Prajeeb

Spin City

as Buddy

as Narajan

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

1992

5.4

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

1988

as Self - Guest

5.4

CBS News Sunday Morning

as Self

Sesame Street

Crew (3)

Movies (3)

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj

2006

Executive Producer

5.1

Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

Producer

Patel

Executive Producer