8 Things You Didn’t Know About Kal Penn

Kal Penn is an American actor, producer, and civil servant who was born Kalpesh Suresh Modi. Kal was born in Montclair, New Jersey, and attended the Performing Arts High School of the Freehold Regional High School District. In the short film Express: Aisle to Glory, he made his Hollywood debut (1998). He then appeared in a number of popular television shows, including Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Aside from his acting career, let’s learn more about him by the unknown facts listed below.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Kal Penn

1. Anglisized His Name

He anglicized his name on his headshot and résumé after discussing with friends the impact it would have on his career. After changing his name from Kalpen Modi to Kal Penn, he witnessed a 50% increase in audition callbacks. ^[1]

2. Revealed His Sexuality

Kal Penn has acknowledged that he is gay. His revelation came at a time when, with the exception of a few conservatives, American culture is becoming more open and supportive of so-called LGBTQ rights.

3. His Break-Through Role

Penn’s breakthrough role in 2002’s Van Wilder was as Taj Mahal Badalandabad, a nerdy exchange student. Penn stated that he did not enjoy producing the picture since the character was “stereotypical.” ^[2]

4. Tried To Get The Rights To Turn The Novel Into A Movie

Penn attempted to acquire the film rights to Mira Nair’s novel The Namesake, but she beat him to it. Nair’s teenage son, a huge fan of Penn’s 2004 film Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, convinced her to cast him in the 2007 picture. ^[3]

5. Guest Instructor At the University Of Pennsylvania

Penn was engaged as a guest lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 2008. Images of Asian Americans in the Media and Contemporary American Teen Films were two of his classes. ^[4]

6. Favourite Movie Comedies

Kal Penn enjoys his free time watching movies, he revealed in a n interview that his favorite comedy movies include The Muppets Take Manhattan, Office Space, About a Boy, The Rules of Attraction, and Knocked Up.

7. A Vegetarian

Penn is a vegetarian despite being inducted into the White Castle Craver’s Hall of Fame. He is never seen eating any kind of meaty things so we can conclude that he is a pure vegetarian.

8. An Educated Person

Penn attended the University of California-Los Angeles and majored in sociology and film. He also attended Stanford University and studied international security.