Acting credits
106
Prolific
Very extensive acting filmography.
Actor
Kal Penn
Acting
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
2.7
Moderate attention
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Movies: 48Series: 58Crew credits: 3
TMDB ID: 53493
IMDb ID: nm0671980
Known for: Acting
Born: April 23, 1977
Age: 49
Place of birth: Montclair, New Jersey, USA
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1969 - 2026
Years active: 58
Average TMDB rating: 6.32
Wikidata: Q220536
Also known as
Kalpen Suresh Modi • Cal Pen
Other jobs
Executive Producer (2)Creator (1)
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 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
Photos
Movies
Movies
Movie credits linked with Kal Penn.
In 2 weeks
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor
2026 Movie
The Underdoggs
as Ryan Kauffman
2024 Movie
Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong
as Self
2023 Movie
Smile
as Dr. Morgan Desai
2022 Movie
Hot Mess Holiday
as Kal Penn
2021 Movie
Untitled Horror Movie
as Mark
2021 Movie
Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers
as Self
2021 Movie
The Girl in the Woods
2020 Movie
The Ashram
as Nitin
2018 Movie
The Problem with Apu
as Self
2017 Movie
The Layover
as Anuj
2017 Movie
Once Upon a Time in Venice
as Rajeesh
2017 Movie
Speech & Debate
as James
2017 Movie
Better Off Single
as Brice
2016 Movie
The Girl in the Photographs
as Peter Hemmings
2015 Movie
Emily & Tim
as Tim (Segment 2)
2015 Movie
The Sisterhood of Night
as Gordy Gambhir
2015 Movie
A Prayer for Rain
as Motwani
2014 Movie
Dementamania
2013 Movie
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
as Kumar Patel
2011 Movie
Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz
as Kumar Patel
2011 Movie
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
as Self
2009 Movie
Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam
as Kumar
2008 Movie
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
as Kumar Patel
2008 Movie
Series
Series
Series credits linked with Kal Penn.
Celebrity Weakest Link
as Self - Contestant • 1 eps
2025 Series
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
as Ventakish (voice) • 1 eps
2023 Series
The Santa Clauses
as Simon Choksi • 6 eps
2022 Series
Clarice
as Shaan Tripathi • 10 eps
2021 Series
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
as Self - Contestant • 1 eps
2021 Series
Name That Tune
as Self - Contestant • 1 eps
2021 Series
Industry
as Jay 'Jonah' Atterbury • 3 eps
2020 Series
Kal Penn Approves This Message
as Self - Host • 6 eps
2020 Series
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
as Self - Contestant • 1 eps
2020 Series
Mira, Royal Detective
as Mikku (voice) • 104 eps
2020 Series
Sunnyside
as Garrett Modi • 11 eps
2019 Series
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
as Self • 3 eps
2019 Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
as Self • 4 eps
2019 Series
The Tamron Hall Show
as Self - Guest • 1 eps
2019 Series
Fancy Nancy
as Mr. Singh (voice) • 123 eps
2018 Series
Superhuman
as Self - Host • 8 eps
2017 Series
Designated Survivor
as Seth Wright • 53 eps
2016 Series
The $100,000 Pyramid
as Self • 2 eps
2016 Series
Match Game
as Self - Panelist • 3 eps
2016 Series
To Tell the Truth
as Self - Panelist • 4 eps
2016 Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
1 eps
2015 Series
The Big Picture with Kal Penn
as Himself - Host • 12 eps
2015 Series
The Late Late Show with James Corden
as Self - Guest • 2 eps
2015 Series
Battle Creek
as Detective Fontanelle • 13 eps
2015 Series