Acting · Montclair, New Jersey, USA · Born April 23, 1977
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
MovieTrust Me, I'm a Doctor
2026
as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor
TVCelebrity Weakest Link
2025
as Self - Contestant
MovieThe Underdoggs
2024
as Ryan Kauffman
TVScott Pilgrim Takes Off
2023
as Ventakish (voice)
MovieSchoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong
2023
as Self
TVThe Santa Clauses
2022
as Simon Choksi
MovieSmile
2022
as Dr. Morgan Desai
MovieHot Mess Holiday
2021
as Kal Penn
MovieUntitled Horror Movie
2021
as Mark
TVClarice
2021
as Shaan Tripathi
MovieClarice: Behind the Scenes with Stars and Producers
2021
as Self
TVCelebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021
as Self - Contestant
TVName That Tune
2021
as Self - Contestant
TVIndustry
2020
as Jay 'Jonah' Atterbury
TVKal Penn Approves This Message
2020
as Self - Host
MovieThe Girl in the Woods
2020
TVWho Wants to Be a Millionaire
2020
as Self - Contestant
TVMira, Royal Detective
2020
as Mikku (voice)
TVSunnyside
2019
as Garrett Modi
TVA Little Late with Lilly Singh
2019
as Self
TVTamron Hall
2019
as Self - Guest
TVThe Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
TVFancy Nancy
2018
as Mr. Singh (voice)
MovieThe Ashram
2018
as Nitin
MovieThe Problem with Apu
2017
as Self
MovieThe Layover
2017
as Anuj
TVSuperhuman
2017
as Self - Host
MovieOnce Upon a Time in Venice
2017
as Rajeesh
MovieSpeech & Debate
2017
as James
MovieBetter Off Single
2016
as Brice
TVDesignated Survivor
2016
as Seth Wright
TVThe $100,000 Pyramid
2016
as Self
TVMatch Game
2016
as Self - Panelist
TVTo Tell the Truth
2016
as Self - Panelist
MovieThe Girl in the Photographs
2015
as Peter Hemmings
TVThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
MovieEmily & Tim
2015
as Tim (Segment 2)
MovieThe Sisterhood of Night
2015
as Gordy Gambhir
TVThe Big Picture with Kal Penn
2015
as Himself - Host
TVThe Late Late Show with James Corden
2015
as Self - Guest
TVBattle Creek
2015
as Detective Fontanelle
MovieA Prayer for Rain
2014
as Motwani
TVDeadbeat
2014
as Clyde
TVLate Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self
TVWe Are Men
2013
as Gil Bartis
MovieDementamania
2013
TVHollywood Game Night
2013
as Self
TVThe Big Brain Theory
2013
as Self - Host
TVFinding Your Roots
2012
as Self
TVImpractical Jokers
2011
as Self
MovieA Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
2011
as Kumar Patel
MovieHarold & Kumars Yuletide Jamz
2011
as Kumar Patel
TVAmerican Horror Story
2011
as Mac Marzara
TVNew Girl
2011
as Tripp
TVTop Gear
2010
TVWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
MovieWe Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
2009
as Self
MovieHarold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam
2008
as Kumar
MovieHarold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
2008
as Kumar Patel
TVThe Big Bang Theory
2007
as Kevin Campbell
MovieEpic Movie
2007
as Edward
MovieVan Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
2006
as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
MovieDeck the Halls
2006
as Amit Sayid (uncredited)
MovieThe Namesake
2006
as Gogol / Nikhil
MovieSuperman Returns
2006
as Stanford
MovieMan About Town
2006
as Alan Fineberg
MovieBachelor Party Vegas
2006
as Z-Bob
MovieAwesometown
2006
as Guy Reading Newspaper
MovieSueno
2005
as Raj
TVHow I Met Your Mother
2005
as Kevin Venkataraghavan
MovieA Lot Like Love
2005
as Jeeter
MovieSon of the Mask
2005
as Jorge
TVThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005
as Self
MovieDancing in Twilight
2005
as Sam
TVHouse
2004
as Lawrence Kutner
MovieHarold & Kumar Go to White Castle
2004
as Kumar Patel
TVThe Soup
2004
as Self
MovieBall and Chain
2004
as Bobby
MovieHomeland Security
2004
as Harrison
MovieLove Don't Co$t a Thing
2003
as Kenneth Warman
TVTru Calling
2003
as Steven
TVAll About the Andersons
2003
as Doctor George
MovieWhere's the Party Yaar?
2003
as Mo
MovieMalibu's Most Wanted
2003
as Hadji
MovieRegarding Ardy
2003
as Fred
TVJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self - Guest
Cosmopolitan
2003
as Vandana's Fiancee
MovieNational Lampoon's Van Wilder
2002
as Taj Mahal Badalandabad
TV24
2001
as Ahmed Amar
TVThe Agency
2001
as Malek
MovieAmerican Desi
2001
as Ajay Pandya
TVAngel
1999
as Young Man in Fez
TVLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
as Henry Chanoor
MovieFreshmen
1999
as Ajay
TVIndependent Lens
1999
as Jagdesh
TVSpongeBob SquarePants
1999
as Himself
MovieExpress: Aisle to Glory
1998
as Jackie Newton
TVThe View
1997
as Self - Guest
TVBuffy the Vampire Slayer
1997
as Hunt
TVSabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996
as Prajeeb
TVSpin City
1996
as Buddy
TVThe Daily Show
1996
as Self - Guest Host
TVER
1994
as Narajan
TVThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
TVLIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988
as Self - Guest
TVCBS News Sunday Morning
1979
as Self
TVSesame Street
1969
Brookfield
as Kumar Zimmerman
Patel
What the F*ck Is My Password?!
Contra
as Dale Stone
Untitled Harold & Kumar Sequel
as Kumar Patel
