Kal Penn
- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
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 (2004).
Several Harold & Kumar films have followed. He went on to appear for 2
years in the television series
House (2004). 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.
