Biography
Kal Penn (born Kalpen Suresh Modi) is an American actor, comedian, and former White House staff member in the Obama administration. He is best known for his roles as Kumar Patel in the Harold & Kumar movie franchise, Taj Mahal Badalandabad in Van Wilder and Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj,
Known For
Complete Filmography

The Underdoggs
2024
as Ryan Kauffman
Jaycen 'Two Js' Jennings is a washed-up former pro football star who has hit rock bottom. When sentenced to community service coaching the Underdoggs,...

Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong
2023
as Self
Black Eyed Peas, Derek Hough, Hayley Erbert, Fortune Feimster, Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen, Julianne Hough, Kal Penn, The Muppets, NE-YO, Raven Symoné a...

Smile
2022
as Dr. Morgan Desai
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain...

Hot Mess Holiday
2021
as Kal Penn
A jilted woman and her friends end up with a 35-carat blood diamond during Diwali, but when it goes missing, they must find it before they get their e...

Untitled Horror Movie
2021
as Mark
Set on computer screens and found footage style content, the movie follows six actors who decide to shoot their own horror movie as their hit TV show ...

Clarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers
2021
as Self
A look at the personal story of FBI agent Clarice Starling, as she returns to the field about a year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs (199...

The Girl in the Woods
2020
Preteen Carrie as she learns under the mentorship of reclusive Arthur Dean (A.D.) to reclaim her power and defend herself against the monsters that bu...

The Ashram
2018
as Nitin
After receiving a cryptic message, American skeptic Jamie travels to the Indian Himalayas to pick up on the trail of his disappeared girlfriend. There...

The Problem with Apu
2017
as Self
In the history of “The Simpsons,” few characters outside the title family have had as much cultural impact as Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Springfield ...

The Layover
2017
as Anuj
When their plane is rerouted due to a hurricane warning, two single female best friends find themselves competing for the same guy during an extended ...

Once Upon a Time in Venice
2017
as Rajeesh
Steve Ford is a private detective in Venice Beach, Calif., who's good with the ladies, bad with the punches and wild about his dog Buddy. When local t...

Speech & Debate
2017
as James
Frustrated by the hypocrisy they see in their parents, teachers, and the entire school board, an unlikely trio set out to find a common truth and make...

Better Off Single
2016
as Brice
A comedy that follows a man on a mission of self-discovery that results in hallucinations, flashbacks and fantasies in his quest to find new love and ...

The Girl in the Photographs
2015
as Peter Hemmings
Small-town store clerk Colleen is eager to escape her tedious existence and annoying boyfriend. Then gruesome photos of murdered women start appearing...

Emily & Tim
2015
as Tim (Segment 2)
The movie is comprised of six vignettes. A look at the tumultuous marriage of Tim and Emily Hanratty over half a century.

The Sisterhood of Night
2015
as Gordy Gambhir
When a teenage girl says she's the victim of a secret network called The Sisterhood of Night, a quiet suburban town becomes the backdrop for a modern-...

A Prayer for Rain
2014
as Motwani
Thirty years on from the 1984 Union Carbide plant malfunction, the consequences of which are tragically ongoing, A Prayer for Rain is the powerful and...

Dementamania
2013
A frustrated office worker finds himself caught between the realms of his deranged imagination and the mundane reality of his everyday existence.

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
2011
as Kumar Patel
Six years have elapsed since Guantanamo Bay, leaving Harold and Kumar estranged from one another with very different families, friends and lives. But ...

Harold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz
2011
as Kumar Patel
Join Harold & Kumar as they sing all of your favorite holiday classics... and some songs they just made up while they were high.

We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
2009
as Self
A public celebration of the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America at the Lincoln Memorial and the Nationa...

Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam
2008
as Kumar
This 12 minute short was released as part of the Choose Your Own Adventure option on the H&K Guantanamo Bay DVD. The blurb is: "Ever wonder what would...

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
2008
as Kumar Patel
Having satisfied their urge for White Castle, Harold and Kumar jump on a plane to catch up with Harold's love interest, who's headed for the Netherlan...

Epic Movie
2007
as Edward
When the Pevensie siblings each follow their own path, they find themselves at Willy's Chocolate Factory. Walking through a wardrobe, they discover th...

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
2006
as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
Taj Mahal Badalandabad leaves Coolidge College behind for the halls of Camford University in England, where he looks to continue his education, and te...

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
2006
Executive Producer
Taj Mahal Badalandabad leaves Coolidge College behind for the halls of Camford University in England, where he looks to continue his education, and te...

Deck the Halls
2006
as Amit Sayid (uncredited)
Determined to unseat Steve Finch's reign as the town's holiday season king, Buddy Hall plasters his house with so many decorative lights that it'll be...

The Namesake
2006
as Gogol / Nikhil
After moving from Calcutta to New York, members of the Ganguli family maintain a delicate balancing act between honoring the traditions of their nativ...

Superman Returns
2006
as Stanford
Superman returns to discover his 5-year absence has allowed Lex Luthor to walk free, and that those he was closest to felt abandoned and have moved on...

Man About Town
2006
as Alan Fineberg
A top Hollywood talent agent finds his cushy existence threatened when he discovers that his wife is cheating on him and that his journal has been swi...

Bachelor Party Vegas
2006
as Z-Bob
A planned evening of debauchery in Las Vegas to celebrate their best friend's wedding goes horribly -- but hilariously -- wrong for five average guys.

Awesometown
2006
as Guy Reading Newspaper
In May, 2005, The Dudes were hired to create a pilot for Fox.

Sueno
2005
as Raj
A Mexican immigrant new to Los Angeles enters into a love triangle with two very different women.

A Lot Like Love
2005
as Jeeter
On a flight from Los Angeles to New York, Oliver and Emily make a connection, only to decide that they are poorly suited to be together. Over the next...

Son of the Mask
2005
as Jorge
Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist, finds himself in a predicament when his dog stumbles upon the mask of Loki. Then after conceiving an infant son "bo...

Dancing in Twilight
2005
as Sam
When the wife of Indian immigrant Matt Singh dies suddenly (having kept her illness a secret), the successful businessman suddenly finds himself adrif...

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
2004
as Kumar Patel
Nerdy accountant Harold and his irrepressible friend, Kumar, get stoned watching television and find themselves utterly bewitched by a commercial for ...

Where's the Party Yaar?
2004
as Mo
In a small village in India, Hari Patel visits an astrologer before his big trip to America. Upon his arrival in the U.S., Hari stays with the Bakshi ...

Ball and Chain
2004
as Bobby
Somewhere in the middle of Texas, Ameet (Sunil Malhotra) and Saima (Lisa Ray) have a problem. They were perfectly happy avoiding each other until thei...

Homeland Security
2004
as Harrison
Admiral McKee is retired, when following the events of 9/11 he receives a call from the White House informing him that his commander in chief requires...

Love Don't Co$t a Thing
2003
as Kenneth Warman
A high school outcast pays a cheerleader to pose as his girlfriend so he can be considered cool.

Malibu's Most Wanted
2003
as Hadji
A senator arranges for his son, a rich white kid who fancies himself black, to be kidnapped by a couple of black actors pretending to be murderers to ...

Regarding Ardy
2003
as Fred
In The Lonely Island's second attempt at a sitcom, Ardy breaks his finger, so Kiv and Jorm try to find him a new one.
Cosmopolitan
2003
as Vandana's Fiancee
A single bachelor, an oddly attractive neighbor and a popular women's magazine are the ingredients of this delicious romance that pays homage to class...

National Lampoon's Van Wilder
2002
as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
Van Wilder has been attending college for far too many years and is scared to graduate, but Van’s father eventually realizes what is going on. When he...

American Desi
2001
as Ajay Pandya
College freshman Krishna Reddy, who has never cared for his Indian-American cultural heritage, looks forward to a new life on campus but is surprised ...

Express: Aisle to Glory
1998
as Jackie Newton
PBA Films and renowned bagging filmmaker Jonathan Buss bring the heart-pounding action of pro bagging to the screen in the inspiring story of a small ...
Jodie
N/A
as Sandeep (voice)
Movie spin-off of Daria.

Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
N/A
as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor
The life of Dr. Sandeep Kapoor was turned upside down when he's implicated in the wrongful death trial of one-time Playboy centerfold Anna Nicole Smit...
Brookfield
N/A
as Kumar Zimmerman

Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
N/A
Producer
The life of Dr. Sandeep Kapoor was turned upside down when he's implicated in the wrongful death trial of one-time Playboy centerfold Anna Nicole Smit...