Movie Credits
Harold and Kumar Go to Amsterdam	(2007)
Bob Bailey	(2007)
[ Sala Baker ]
Van Wilder 2: Rise of the Taj	(2006)
The Danny Comden Project	(2006)
[ Scott Caan ]
The Namesake	(2006)
Superman Returns	(2006)
[ Frank Langella ][ James Marsden ][ Brandon Routh ][ Kevin Spacey ][ Bryan Singer ]
Bachelor Party Vegas	(2006)
[ Daniel Stern ][ Donald Faison ][ Jonathan Bennett ][ Vincent Pastore ]
Man About Town	(2006)
[ Ben Affleck ][ John Cleese ][ Jerry O'Connell ][ Adam Goldberg ][ Mike Binder ]
Sueño	(2005)
[ John Leguizamo ][ Michael Pena ][ Jsu Garcia ]
A Lot Like Love	(2005)
[ Ashton Kutcher ][ Jeremy Sisto ][ Richie Sambora ][ Gabriel Mann ]
Son of the Mask	(2005)
[ Alan Cumming ][ Bob Hoskins ][ Jamie Kennedy ][ Sandy Winton ][ Ben Stein ]
Dancing in Twilight	(2005)
[ Erick Avari ]
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle	(2004)
[ Ethan Embry ][ Neil Patrick Harris ][ Jamie Kennedy ][ Christopher Meloni ][ Ryan Reynolds ]
Ball & Chain	(2004)
Homeland Security	(2004)
[ Grant Show ][ Scott Glenn ][ Tom Skerritt ][ Andrew Robinson ][ Michael Cudlitz ]
Love Don't Cost a Thing	(2003)
[ Kenan Thompson ][ Nick Cannon ][ Nicole Scherzinger ][ Dante Basco ][ Pharrell Williams ]
American Made	(2003)
Malibu's Most Wanted	(2003)
[ Taye Diggs ][ Jamie Kennedy ][ Ryan O'Neal ][ Blair Underwood ][ Nick Swardson ]
Where's the Party Yaar?	(2003)
Cosmopolitan	(2003)
Badger	(2002)
Van Wilder	(2002)
[ Tim Matheson ][ Ryan Reynolds ][ Tom Everett Scott ][ Curtis Armstrong ][ Pharrell Williams ]
Hector	(2002)
American Desi	(2001)
[ David Bowie ][ Robert Davi ]
Freshmen	(1999)
Brookfield	(1999)
Express: Aisle to Glory	(1998)

By the time Kal Penn took to the screen for a scene-stealing performance in the 2002 comedy Van Wilder, the emerging actor had been appearing in television and film for nearly four years. With roles in such high-profile small-screen efforts as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and Spin City already under Penn's belt, it was obvious to those in the know that it was only a matter of time before the young comic talent's career took off. The New Jersey native started out his education at the Freehold Regional High School District's Performing Arts High School, followed by intense training in the New York theater scene. Penn next set his sites on the West Coast and the University of California. A slew of television roles including the aforementioned efforts followed, with a feature debut coming in the form of the 1999 culture-clash drama Freshmen. A supporting role in the Indian-American-themed romantic comedy American Desi was quick to follow, with the next year's Van Wilder providing Penn with the most exposure to date. In 2003, Penn stepped up the credit list with a role in Where's the Party Yaar?, a comedy that once again humorously addressed the issues of being an Indian-American. By the time Penn landed a role in the 2003 romantic comedy Love Don't Cost a Thing, the talented young actor had become a familiar face to moviegoers and his comic skills were widely recognized. Back on television, Penn could be seen in the 9/11 NBC drama Homeland Security, though television was not functioning as a safe haven in this case, and it was only a matter of time before he was given his own starring role in a mainstream blockbuster. Cast as one-half of a pair of twentysomething roommates whose overwhelming case of the munchies leads them on a wild search for the eponymous hamburger in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Penn was able to flex his comic abilities opposite American Pie and Better Luck Tomorrow star John Cho. While roles in such widely-panned 2005 comedies did little to keep Penn in the public eye, a supporting part as one of Lex Luthor's henchmen in the 2006 blockbuster Superman Returns did afford the talented comic actor a bit of screen time, along with provoiding him the rare opportunity to rough-up the Man of Steel before his character was unceremoniously disposed of without having so much as uttered a single line of dialogue.