Kalpen Suresh Modi (Gujarati: કલ્પેન સુરેશ મોદી; born April 23, 1977), known by his stage name Kal Penn is an American actor and producer. He is known for his starring roles in National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, The Namesake (2007), Epic Movie (2007), and the recently released Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (2008). He currently plays the role of Dr. Lawrence Kutner in the TV series House. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,280 × 960 pixels, file size: 604 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kal Penn speaking at a rally for Barack Obama at the University of Marylands Nyumburu Cultural Center on February 8, 2008. ... “Barack” redirects here. ... The University of Maryland, College Park (also known as UM, UMD, or UMCP) is a public university located in the city of College Park, in Prince Georges County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., in the United States. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Montclair is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. ... Gujarati (ગુજરાતી GujÇŽrātÄ«; also known as Gujerati, Gujarathi, Guzratee, and Guujaratee[3]) is an Indo-Aryan language descending from Sanskrit, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... For the Okkervil River album, see The Stage Names. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. ... National Lampoons Van Wilder (also known as Van Wilder, Van The Man and Van Wilder: Party Liaison) is a 2002 comedy movie directed by Walt Becker and stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character. ... Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (released in some countries as Harold and Kumar get the Munchies or American High, due to few international White Castle locations) is a comedy movie released in 2004. ... The Namesake is a 2007 film which received a limited release in the United States on March 9, 2007. ... For the film genre see Epic film. ... Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is a comedy film, the sequel to Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. ... These are the characters in the television series House. ... House, also known as House, M.D., is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning American medical drama, which debuted on the FOX network on November 16, 2004. ...

Biography

Early life

Penn was born in Montclair, New Jersey to an engineer father and a mother who worked as a fragrance evaluator for a perfume company; both of his parents were immigrants of Indian Gujarati ancestry.^[1] He attended middle school at Marlboro Middle School, and played baritone saxophone in the jazz band there. Penn is an alumnus and graduate of Freehold Township High School, but is sometimes said to be a graduate of Howell High School where he was active in the school's theater productions, and The Fine and Performing Arts Specialized Learning Center for three years. He attended UCLA where he double majored in Film and Sociology. While at UCLA, he was a founding member of the underground intellectual society, "6 South". He also played a big role in the on-campus club, Sanganhj, which has also disbanded. Montclair is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Odor receptors on the antennae of a Luna moth An odor is the object of perception of the sense of olfaction. ... Languages Gujarati Religions Hinduism, Islam, Zoroastrianism (see Parsis), Jainism, Christianity Gujarati people (Gujarati: ગુજરાતી લોકો Gujǎrātī loko), or Gujaratis, is an umbrella term used to describe traditionally Gujarati-speaking Indo-Aryan people who can trace their ancestry to the Gujarat region in India. ... Freehold Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located within Freehold Township, New Jersey, and is part of the Freehold Regional High School District. ... Howell High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Howell Township, New Jersey, as part of the Freehold Regional High School District. ... The University of California, Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Sociology (from Latin: socius, companion; and the suffix -ology, the study of, from Greek λόγος, lógos, knowledge [1]) is the scientific or systematic study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture[2]. Areas studied in sociology can range from the analysis of brief contacts between anonymous...

Career

Penn's feature film debut came in 1998 in Express: Aisle to Glory. He has since appeared in American Desi, National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Malibu's Most Wanted, A Lot Like Love, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Dude, Where's the Party?, Love Don't Cost a Thing, Superman Returns, National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj, Epic Movie, The Namesake, and Harold & Kumar 2. Penn was featured in the The Lonely Island's rejected Awesometown MTV pilot music video, along with his friend Brandon Routh (who played Superman in Superman Returns). American film featuring almost all Indian American actors. ... National Lampoons Van Wilder (also known as Van Wilder, Van The Man and Van Wilder: Party Liaison) is a 2002 comedy movie directed by Walt Becker and stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character. ... Malibus Most Wanted is a 2003 comedic feature film starring Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, and Blair Underwood. ... A Lot Like Love is a 2005 drama/romantic comedy film, directed by Nigel Cole. ... Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (published internationally under the title Harold and Kumar get the Munchies) is a 2004 stoner movie that explores stereotypes, especially racial, in American culture. ... Dude, Wheres the Party? aka Wheres the party yaar? is a 2003 film directed by Benny Mathews. ... Christina Milian and Nick Cannon in Love Dont Cost a Thing. ... For the video game of the same name, see Superman Returns (video game). ... For the film genre see Epic film. ... The Namesake is a 2007 film which received a limited release in the United States on March 9, 2007. ... Harold & Kumar 2 is the sequel to the cult hit Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. ... The Lonely Island: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Brandon Routh (born October 9, 1979) is an American actor and former fashion model. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ...

Penn says that he chose the stage name Kal Penn (from Kalpen Suresh Modi) as a lark: “Almost as a joke to prove friends wrong, and half as an attempt to see if what I was told would work (that anglicized names appeal more to a white-dominated industry), I put ‘Kal Penn’ on my resume and photos." His audition callbacks rose by 50%.^[2] Penn has stated that he prefers his birth name and uses "Kal Penn" only for professional purposes.

In January 2007, Penn appeared in the first four episodes of the sixth season of 24 as Ahmed Amar, a teenage terrorist. Penn says he nearly turned down the role due to personal ethics, stating, "I have a huge political problem with the role. It was essentially accepting a form of racial profiling. I think it’s repulsive. But it was the first time I had a chance to blow stuff up and take a family hostage. As an actor, why shouldn’t I have that opportunity? Because I'm brown and I should be scared about the connection between media images and people's thought processes?"^[3] 24 is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American action drama television series. ... Ahmed Amar was a fictional character from the sixth season of the television series 24. ...

Also in January 2007, he appeared in the spoof comedy Epic Movie as well as the television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where he played a recognition-starved rapist and murderer. In May 2007, Penn received the Asian Excellence Award for Outstanding Actor for his performance in The Namesake.^[4] For the film genre see Epic film. ... Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Season 5 DVD Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU) is the first of three spin-offs of Law & Order (the other two being Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial by Jury; all series are presented on the NBC... The Namesake is a 2007 film which received a limited release in the United States on March 9, 2007. ...

In fall 2007, Penn joined the cast of the FOX medical drama House as one of Dr. House's new fellowship applicants.^[5] According to E!, Penn has signed on as a regular on the show along with Olivia Wilde and Peter Jacobson and this was confirmed in the plot of the episode Games. FOX redirects here. ... House, also known as House, M.D., is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning American medical drama, which debuted on the FOX network on November 16, 2004. ... Dr. Gregory House, M.D., is a fictional character and protagonist of the Fox medical drama House. ... Olivia Wilde (born Olivia Jane Cockburn[1] on March 10, 1984) is an Irish-American actress. ... Peter Jacobson is an American film and television actor. ... Games is the ninth episode of the fourth season of House and the seventy-ninth episode overall. ...

In spring 2008, Penn served as visiting lecturer in Asian American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.^[6][7] He taught a course titled “Images of Asian Americans in the Media”.^[8] This article is about the private Ivy League university in Philadelphia. ...

Personal life

Penn is a noted vegetarian. During the filming of Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, technicians provided him with veggie burgers for the scenes requiring ingestion. For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ... Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (released in some countries as Harold and Kumar get the Munchies or American High, due to few international White Castle locations) is a comedy movie released in 2004. ...

Penn was a guest professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the spring of 2008. According to his students, he asked to be referred to as Professor Modi rather than Kal Penn, which he considered assumptive and disrespectful. He was noted to be as strict as any other professor.^[9] This article is about the private Ivy League university in Philadelphia. ...

In 2008, Penn campaigned for Senator Barack Obama's presidential bid with House co-star Olivia Wilde.^[10] He appears in the Obama video, Si Se Puede Cambiar by Andres Useche. The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... “Barack” redirects here. ... Barack Obama, the junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. ... House, also known as House, M.D., is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning American medical drama, which debuted on the FOX network on November 16, 2004. ... Olivia Wilde (born Olivia Jane Cockburn[1] on March 10, 1984) is an Irish-American actress. ... Sí Se Puede Cambiar (English translation: Yes, we can change) is a song and music video created in support of Sen. ... Andres Useche grew up in Manizales, Colombia, where he was born in 1977. ...

Penn moved to Des Moines, Iowa during the Hollywood writers' strike in 2007 to work full-time for Senator Obama's Presidential Campaign. He continues to serve as a surrogate and also serves on the Campaign's National Arts Policy Committee.

Filmography

Films

The year 1998 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 1999 in film involved some significant events. ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... American film featuring almost all Indian American actors. ... The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. ... For other uses, see Hector (disambiguation). ... National Lampoons Van Wilder (also known as Van Wilder, Van The Man and Van Wilder: Party Liaison) is a 2002 comedy movie directed by Walt Becker and stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character. ... The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. ... Christina Milian and Nick Cannon in Love Dont Cost a Thing. ... Malibus Most Wanted is a 2003 comedic feature film starring Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, and Blair Underwood. ... Dude, Wheres the Party? aka Wheres the party yaar? is a 2003 film directed by Benny Mathews. ... The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. ... Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (released in some countries as Harold and Kumar get the Munchies or American High, due to few international White Castle locations) is a comedy movie released in 2004. ... Ball & Chain is a 2004 romantic comedy written by Thomas Mortimer. ... The year 2005 in film involved some significant events. ... We dont have an article called Sueño Start this article Search for Sueño in. ... A Lot Like Love is a 2005 drama/romantic comedy film, directed by Nigel Cole. ... Son of the Mask is the Raspberry Award-Winning 2005 sequel to the 1994 comedy film, The Mask, directed by Lawrence Guterman. ... The year 2006 in film involved some significant events. ... Bachelor Party Vegas is an adventure/comedy film that was released in 2006 starring Kal Penn, Jonathan Bennett, and Donald Faison. ... Man About Town is a 2006 independent drama/comedy film written and directed by Mike Binder. ... For the video game of the same name, see Superman Returns (video game). ... Deck the Halls is a 2006 family comedy film set during the Christmas season. ... 2007 has been referred to, by film and media critics, as the year of the threequels, a nickname referring to both the 2004 summer movie season and several film franchises which premiered or had installments released in 2004, which appear again this year: Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Ocean... The Namesake is a 2007 film which received a limited release in the United States on March 9, 2007. ... For the film genre see Epic film. ... 2008 in film is slated to have sequels such as: Rambo, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Lost Boys: The Tribe, The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Files... Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is a comedy film, the sequel to Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. ...

Television roles

The year 2007 in television involves some significant events. ... 24 is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American action drama television series. ... The following is a list of minor fictional characters from the American television drama 24. ... House, also known as House, M.D., is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning American medical drama, which debuted on the FOX network on November 16, 2004. ... These are the characters in the television series House. ... Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Season 5 DVD Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU) is the first of three spin-offs of Law & Order (the other two being Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial by Jury; all series are presented on the NBC... The year 2006 in television involved some significant events. ... The year 2004 in television involved some significant events. ... Homeland Security was a made for TV movie, which was intended as a pilot for a series which never materialized. ... The year 2003 in television involved some significant events. ... Tru Calling is an American television program, which premiered on the Fox Network in October 2003. ... All About the Andersons is a TV show that aired on The WB network during the 2003-04 season. ... This is a list of television-related events in 2001. ... Main Cast of The Agency Main article: The Agency The Agency was a CBS television show that first aired during 2001. ... NYPD Blue was an Emmy Award-winning hour long-running American television police drama set in New York City. ... The following is a list of episodes for the long-running Peabody and Emmy Award-winning U.S. medical drama ER. Some episodes have separate, more detailed summaries. ... That Vision Thing is the 2nd episode of season 3 of the television show Angel. ... The year 2000 in television involved some significant events. ... Spin City is an American sitcom television series that ran from 1996 to 2002 on ABC, and was created by Gary David Goldberg & Bill Lawrence, based on a fictional local government running New York City, originally starring Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York. ... For the comic book series, see Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. ... The year 1999 in television involved some significant events. ... Episode 5 of season 4, Beer Bad is an episode of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer that packs a double moral. ...

References

is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

External links

• Kal Penn at the Internet Movie Database
• Five Questions for Kal Penn, Nirali Magazine, December 2006
• Kal Penn Goes to Hollywood, Nirali Magazine, September 2004