Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
2026 · Movie
as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor
Kal Penn
1977-04-23
•
Montclair, New Jersey, USA
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
Celebrity Weakest Link
2025 · TV Show
as Self - Contestant
The Underdoggs
2024 · Movie
as Ryan Kauffman
Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong
2023 · Movie
as Self
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
2023 · TV Show
as Ventakish (voice)
Smile
2022 · Movie
as Dr. Morgan Desai
The Santa Clauses
2022 · TV Show
as Simon Choksi
Hot Mess Holiday
2021 · Movie
as Kal Penn
Untitled Horror Movie
2021 · Movie
as Mark
Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers
2021 · Movie
as Self
Clarice
2021 · TV Show
as Shaan Tripathi
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021 · TV Show
as Self - Contestant
Name That Tune
2021 · TV Show
as Self - Contestant
The Girl in the Woods
2020 · Movie
Mira, Royal Detective
2020 · TV Show
as Mikku (voice)
Kal Penn Approves This Message
2020 · TV Show
as Self - Host
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
2020 · TV Show
as Self - Contestant
Industry
2020 · TV Show
as Jay 'Jonah' Atterbury
Tamron Hall
2019 · TV Show
as Self - Guest
Sunnyside
2019 · TV Show
as Garrett Modi
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019 · TV Show
as Self, Self - Guest Host
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
2019 · TV Show
as Self
The Ashram
2018 · Movie
as Nitin
Fancy Nancy
2018 · TV Show
as Mr. Singh (voice)
The Layover
2017 · Movie
as Anuj
Once Upon a Time in Venice
2017 · Movie
as Rajeesh
Speech & Debate
2017 · Movie
as James
The Problem with Apu
2017 · Movie
as Self
Superhuman
2017 · TV Show
as Self - Host
Better Off Single
2016 · Movie
as Brice
Designated Survivor
2016 · TV Show
as Seth Wright
Match Game
2016 · TV Show
as Self - Panelist
To Tell the Truth
2016 · TV Show
as Self - Panelist
The $100,000 Pyramid
2016 · TV Show
as Self
The Sisterhood of Night
2015 · Movie
as Gordy Gambhir
Emily & Tim
2015 · Movie
as Tim (Segment 2)
The Girl in the Photographs
2015 · Movie
as Peter Hemmings
Battle Creek
2015 · TV Show
as Detective Fontanelle
The Big Picture with Kal Penn
2015 · TV Show
as Himself - Host
The Late Late Show with James Corden
2015 · TV Show
as Self - Guest
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015 · TV Show
A Prayer for Rain
2014 · Movie
as Motwani
Deadbeat
2014 · TV Show
as Clyde
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014 · TV Show
as Self
Dementamania
2013 · Movie
The Big Brain Theory
2013 · TV Show
as Self - Host
We Are Men
2013 · TV Show
as Gil Bartis
Hollywood Game Night
2013 · TV Show
as Self
Finding Your Roots
2012 · TV Show
as Self
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
2011 · Movie
as Kumar Patel
Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz
2011 · Movie
as Kumar Patel
Impractical Jokers
2011 · TV Show
as Self
New Girl
2011 · TV Show
as Tripp
American Horror Story
2011 · TV Show
as Mac Marzara
Top Gear
2010 · TV Show
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
2009 · Movie
as Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009 · TV Show
as Self - Guest
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
2008 · Movie
as Kumar Patel
Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam
2008 · Movie
as Kumar
Epic Movie
2007 · Movie
as Edward
The Big Bang Theory
2007 · TV Show
as Kevin Campbell
Superman Returns
2006 · Movie
as Stanford
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
2006 · Movie
as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
Man About Town
2006 · Movie
as Alan Fineberg
Bachelor Party Vegas
2006 · Movie
as Z-Bob
Deck the Halls
2006 · Movie
as Amit Sayid (uncredited)
The Namesake
2006 · Movie
as Gogol / Nikhil
Awesometown
2006 · Movie
as Guy Reading Newspaper
A Lot Like Love
2005 · Movie
as Jeeter
Son of the Mask
2005 · Movie
as Jorge
Sueno
2005 · Movie
as Raj
Dancing in Twilight
2005 · Movie
as Sam
How I Met Your Mother
2005 · TV Show
as Kevin Venkataraghavan
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005 · TV Show
as Self
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
2004 · Movie
as Kumar Patel
Ball and Chain
2004 · Movie
as Bobby
Homeland Security
2004 · Movie
as Harrison
House
2004 · TV Show
as Lawrence Kutner
The Soup
2004 · TV Show
as Self
Love Don't Co$t a Thing
2003 · Movie
as Kenneth Warman
Where's the Party Yaar?
2003 · Movie
as Mo
Malibu's Most Wanted
2003 · Movie
as Hadji
Regarding Ardy
2003 · Movie
as Fred
No image
Cosmopolitan
2003 · Movie
as Vandana's Fiancee
Tru Calling
2003 · TV Show
as Steven
All About the Andersons
2003 · TV Show
as Doctor George
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003 · TV Show
as Self - Guest
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
2002 · Movie
as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
American Desi
2001 · Movie
as Ajay Pandya
24
2001 · TV Show
as Ahmed Amar
The Agency
2001 · TV Show
as Malek
Freshmen
1999 · Movie
as Ajay
Angel
1999 · TV Show
as Young Man in Fez
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999 · TV Show
as Henry Chanoor
Independent Lens
1999 · TV Show
as Jagdesh, Vandana's Fiancee
SpongeBob SquarePants
1999 · TV Show
as Himself
Express: Aisle to Glory
1998 · Movie
as Jackie Newton
The View
1997 · TV Show
as Self - Guest
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
1997 · TV Show
as Hunt
Spin City
1996 · TV Show
as Buddy
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996 · TV Show
as Prajeeb
The Daily Show
1996 · TV Show
as Self - Guest Host
ER
1994 · TV Show
as Narajan
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992 · TV Show
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988 · TV Show
as Self - Guest
CBS News Sunday Morning
1979 · TV Show
as Self
Sesame Street
1969 · TV Show
No image
Brookfield
· Movie
as Kumar Zimmerman
No image
Patel
· Movie
No image
What the F*ck Is My Password?!
· Movie
No image
Contra
· Movie
as Dale Stone
No image
Untitled Harold & Kumar Sequel
· Movie
as Kumar Patel
