Kal Penn

Kal Penn is an Indian-American actor, author, and former White House staffer who publicly came out as gay in October 2021 while promoting his memoir You Can't Be Serious, revealing his engagement to his partner of eleven years, Josh. He has spoken about discovering his sexuality "relatively late in life," emphasizing that there is no timeline for queer self-understanding. Penn rose to fame through the Harold & Kumar films and later starred in House (2004), Designated Survivor (2016), and The Namesake (2006), while also serving in the Obama administration's Office of Public Engagement. His memoir and interviews detail the intersections of being queer, South Asian, and a public figure navigating Hollywood's racial barriers, making him a significant voice in queer South Asian representation.