Acting credits
107
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
0.9
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Movies: 48Series: 59Crew 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: 6.36
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.
Oct 16
as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
2026 • Movie
as Ryan Kauffman
The Underdoggs
2024 • Movie
as Self
Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong
2023 • Movie
as Dr. Morgan Desai
Smile
2022 • Movie
as Kal Penn
Hot Mess Holiday
2021 • Movie
as Mark
Untitled Horror Movie
2021 • Movie
as Self
Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers
2021 • Movie
The Girl in the Woods
2020 • Movie
as Nitin
The Ashram
2018 • Movie
as Self
The Problem with Apu
2017 • Movie
as Anuj
The Layover
2017 • Movie
as Rajeesh
Once Upon a Time in Venice
2017 • Movie
as James
Speech & Debate
2017 • Movie
as Brice
Better Off Single
2016 • Movie
as Peter Hemmings
The Girl in the Photographs
2015 • Movie
as Tim (Segment 2)
Emily & Tim
2015 • Movie
as Gordy Gambhir
The Sisterhood of Night
2015 • Movie
as Motwani
A Prayer for Rain
2014 • Movie
Dementamania
2013 • Movie
as Kumar Patel
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
2011 • Movie
as Kumar Patel
Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz
2011 • Movie
as Self
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
2009 • Movie
as Kumar
Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam
2008 • Movie
as Kumar Patel
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
2008 • Movie
Series
Series
Series credits linked with Kal Penn.
as Self - Contestant • 1 eps
Celebrity Weakest Link
2025 • Series
as Ventakish (voice) • 1 eps
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
2023 • Series
as Simon Choksi • 6 eps
The Santa Clauses
2022 • Series
as Shaan Tripathi • 10 eps
Clarice
2021 • Series
as Self - Contestant • 1 eps
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021 • Series
as Self - Contestant • 1 eps
Name That Tune
2021 • Series
as Jay 'Jonah' Atterbury • 3 eps
Industry
2020 • Series
as Self - Host • 6 eps
Kal Penn Approves This Message
2020 • Series
as Self - Contestant • 1 eps
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
2020 • Series
as Mikku (voice) • 104 eps
Mira, Royal Detective
2020 • Series
as Garrett Modi • 11 eps
Sunnyside
2019 • Series
as Self • 3 eps
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
2019 • Series
as Self • 4 eps
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019 • Series
as Self - Guest • 1 eps
Tamron Hall
2019 • Series
as Mr. Singh (voice) • 123 eps
Fancy Nancy
2018 • Series
as Self - Host • 8 eps
Superhuman
2017 • Series
as Seth Wright • 53 eps
Designated Survivor
2016 • Series
as Self • 2 eps
The $100,000 Pyramid
2016 • Series
as Self - Panelist • 3 eps
Match Game
2016 • Series
as Self - Panelist • 4 eps
To Tell the Truth
2016 • Series
1 eps
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015 • Series
as Himself - Host • 12 eps
The Big Picture with Kal Penn
2015 • Series
as Self - Guest • 2 eps
The Late Late Show with James Corden
2015 • Series
as Detective Fontanelle • 13 eps
Battle Creek
2015 • Series