Kal Penn was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey, to Asmita, a fragrance evaluator, and Suresh Modi, an engineer. His parents are Gujarati immigrants to America from India. He attended the Freehold Regional High School District's Performing Arts High School where he participated in the school's theater productions. In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles to study at the UCLA's prestigious School of Theatre, Film and Television. He majored in film and sociology. He began his acting career in several indie films. His breakthrough film role came in the comedy _Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle . He developed an interest in politics from his grandparents who marched for India's independence. In 2009, he joined the Obama administration as an Associate Director.
Born in New Jersey, now resides in L.A.
He and the other students were banned from using the word "like" in his acting classes, this was to make them sound more intelligent during auditions.
He attended the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Howell High School in Farmingdale, New Jersey where he went though an intense study of the arts in acting, dance/movement, and vocal training.
Once directed Jason Allentoff in a short film for a college project.
Is a vegetarian, contrary to the role that he plays in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle .
Met future Wheres the Party Yaar? co-star Datta Dave and Daves current financial adviser Mihir Upadhyaya during college at UCLA. He assisted Dave in his pursuit of an acting career.
Has one younger brother.
His father is an engineer and his mother, who has a masters in chemistry, worked as a fragrance evaluator for a perfume company.
When he was in 8th grade he was in a school production of the musical "The Wiz".
Is of Gujarati Indian descent.
Although he attended Howell High Schools performing arts program, he later transferred to Freehold Township (NJ) High School, where he graduated in 1995.
Lives in same Los Angeles apartment building as director Christian Levatino.
Attended UCLA.
Began using the name Kal Penn, a variation on his first name Kalpen, to get more roles; he believed that his difficult foreign name would scare away potential employers.
Was offered a part in "Planet Terror," the Robert Rodriguez segment of Grindhouse , but turned it down due to the conflicting shoot of The Namesake .
His favorite book is "The Namesake" and used to check into hotels under the pseudonym of "Gogol Ganguli", the lead character of the book. When found out that Mira Nair was making a film out of it, despite her having already cast an actor in the part, Penn lobbied for the role and eventually won it.
Studied acting under the same teacher (Reynold Forman) as Anthony Bradford.
During the Spring 2008 semester, he was an adjunct faculty member in the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania (familiarly called "Penn") in Philadelphia. He taught a lecture course, "Images of Asian Americans in the Media," and a seminar, "Contemporary American Teen Films," both of which were cross-listed in the Cinema Studies department. His faculty listing on the Asian American Studies Program website gave his name as Kalpen Modi (his real name) first, with his stage name, Kal Penn, in parentheses.
Is in the process of earning a graduate certificate in international security from Stanford University.
In April 2009, Penn told Entertainment Weekly Magazine that the writers killed off his character on "House M.D." because he had asked to be allowed to leave the show to go work for the Barack Obama Administration as the Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison.
Accepted a position as the associate director in the White Houses Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs [April 7, 2009].
Kal Penn was invited for an audition for the role of "Gogol Ganguly" in the movie The Namesake , because director Mira Nair s son, Zohan, and her agents son, Sam, were big fans of Kal Penns earlier movie - Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle .
The brother of one of Peta 2s senior coordinator Pulin Modi.
Close friends with Olivia Wilde.
He was a member of the Freehold Township High School Forensics Speech & Debate Team. His lucky shirt is the team shirt which depicts the "Fighting Opi".
(Late April 2010) Was robbed at gunpoint at 1:20 a.m. in Washington D.C. His wallet and other belongings were stolen.
Is best friends with John Cho , Ryan Reynolds and Neil Patrick Harris.
Played saxophone in his schools marching band.
(November 2008) With Rachael Leigh Cook , he appeared at Keene State College; Keene, New Hampshire, on November 3rd to campaign for Barack Obama.
(January 2008) Currently teaches a course at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The course is entitled "Asian-Americans in the Media".
(October 2002) L.A.
Raised Over $500,000 for Syrian Refugees.[January 2017].
Kal Penn has both worked as a real-life White House staffer (as Associate Director of the Obama administrations White House Office of Public Engagement) and played one on TV (as Seth in the TV series Designated Survivor).
