Kal Penn shared about his experience of coming out. Image Source: Indulge Express

Indian American actor, Kal Penn who rose to fame with his role in the Harold and Kumar recently came out as gay to the public last month and took his fans by surprise. In his announcement, he said that it was not easy to come out to the public but compared to other people he discovered his sexuality later but stated that there is no specific timeline when it comes to this because everyone is different, and he is glad when he did.

Kal Penn was a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania in 2008, where he taught two undergraduate courses: Images of Asian Americans in the Media and Contemporary American Teen Films.

The actor further shared about how his family took him coming out by stating, "After telling your Indian parents that you intend to defy Indian-American norms and become an actor instead of a doctor, …any other conversation is relatively easy! Haha. My parents and the community have very loved, supportive, and wonderful. I do feel very blessed."

In his recent interview with First Post, the actor shared when he looks back to his journey in terms of career, he feels grateful and happy, especially when the support and love come from other desi artists. Although he mentioned that the initial years of his career included stereotypical and typecast roles and there is so much to be done, but he is thankful for every opportunity he has received. Kal Penn also mentioned that he feels extremely happy to see many South Asian writers, producers, studio executives, directors, having opportunities to showcase their talent on a bigger platform.

Kal Penn has previously shared about the racism he faced during the initial years of his career. He had shared experts from the scripts he was given during his initial years. The scripts he shared highlighted the parts where the part he was auditioning for television, film, or advertisement. The parts titled, "Gandhi lookalike," snake charmer," and "Pakistani computer geek... in a perpetual state of perspiration" roles were clearly a cultural stereotype. He also mentioned that he was usually asked to speak in an accent. 

Being a strong-headed individual, Kal Penn has worked in the White House Office of Public Engagement under President Barack Obama from 2009-2011. Talking about his stint at the White House, the actor shared that he is an American progressive, and it was an honor for him to work under Barack Obama. He was asked during the interview on what he feels that whether America has fallen led from the frying pan to fire as the presidency shifted from Donald Trump to Joe Biden.

Commenting on the question asked, Kal Penn stated that in any democracy, people would experience and see things moving forward then go back and move forward again, which seems like a reminder for the audience that the beautiful mess of the democratic process requires people to stay involved constantly. He said, "I look back at my White House stint with lots of pride — I was so proud to help plan the first-ever Diwali celebration held by a sitting president (in person). We made some real progress on climate change, health care, and human rights. Politics will always fluctuate, but as my grandparents – who marched with Gandhi Ji – would tell us, you always need to do the right thing, and stand up for what you believe".

Kal Penn and Josh are engaged and are planning a wedding. Image Source: Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong

Continuing further in the interview, Kal Penn was asked about his coming out to the public where he mentioned that he is excited for people to know his stories and experiences starting from his parents’ struggle when they came to America, working in Hollywood while he faced racism along with it to his time at the White House which he has shared in his memoir "You Can’t Be Serious". Kal Penn also shared about his 11-year-long relationship with Josh, and the two are planning to get married soon. He has shared, "Josh, and I've been together for 11 years. We had our 11th anniversary in October. So, writing about it… it's very matter-of-fact in our lives, and when you're the son of Indian immigrants who says that you want to be an actor, the chaos that that creates in your family and your community will trump anything else, always".

Being a strong individual with opinions, Kal Penn was asked how liberal and accepting the audience is when it comes to alternative sexuality, and does he find the entertainment business of today? To which Kal Penn said that with the hype of streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, which plans on stating diverse stories, and the shows they put out for the public. These diverse stories have managed to connect with people, and this is how the mindset of people in the industry and society will change.

Kal Penn shared, "I remember when we shot Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, the general thinking in Hollywood was, "We don’t think two Asian guys can sell a movie" and the reason we proved them wrong was because the fans showed up – they just wanted to laugh with us, and experience a road trip movie about friendship. It was universal. The streaming platforms offer that on a global scale now, and it’s so refreshing. Speaking of, when’s the next season of Made in Heaven dropping?"

The interviewer asked the 44-year-old actor about how did he convince his parents to be a part of his book to which the actor said that when he started writing the book he casually asked his parents if they would like to share their stories and what they brought to America and how was the community back when he was growing up to which his parents agreed to.

Kal Penn has worked in the White House Office of Public Engagement under President Barack Obama from 2009-2011. Image Source: Newsweek

Talking about his partner, Kal Penn shared that Josh and he are the opposite of each other, which is why they exactly work well. The actor describes himself as ‘loud in your face Gujju from New Jersey’ whereas he describes his partner as ‘quiet, reserved guy from Mississippi’, and mentioned that they had plans to get married, but the pandemic has put their wedding plans on hold. The interviewer also asked him about having a baby soon to which the actor laughed and said that they are just focusing on getting married right now. 

Kal Penn shared that one of the most relevant parts of his memoir is the one how he got to the White House. He said he doesn’t want to spoil it for the readers, but it is a hilarious story that involved both getting hazed by Mrs. Obama and his father stalking Tiger Woods in a backstage tent before former President Barack Obama’s inauguration concert. He said, "I love that section because it’s a fun story, but it also talks about the realities of the job market, our own human insecurities, my parents’ immigration story, and how we can all make the world a better place. My book is a story about hope and possibility. And I think that chapter especially encompasses that".

The interviewer asked the actor, "Indian entertainers are notoriously famous for lying in their memoirs. How difficult was it for him to tell the truth about himself? To which Kal Penn replied that he appreciates this question a lot because he has put in all the work. The actor said that one of the reasons his memoir took four years to write is because he fact-checked everything and spent months on Zoom calls and meetings and e-mails with people who were in the room for all the stories he tells. Kal said, "Some people had additional color to add to the stories (like the Van Wilder casting director and my friend Lauren Grey, who was the casting assistant on the film I did with Ashton Kutcher and Meghan Markle). It was important to me that I get things right, and that other people could confirm what I recollect. It also just makes for a better, more honest story, I think".

Cover of Kal Penn's memoir, "You Can't Be Serious". Image Source: Amazon

The actor was also asked that why at the age of 44 is he coming out with a memoir to which he said that he decided to write his memoir for his 20-year-old version, who had dreams, hopes and knew that there was some book out there in the universe to guide him to share his stories. Kal Penn also shared that he wrote this book for anyone who is constantly told that the thing they want whether it is a hobby, new passion, career change, or class they want to take is crazy. He quoted, "I don’t view the world as binary, we have so many opportunities, and it’s okay to take the plunge, change your mind, and do all sorts of things with your life and career. So this book is for anyone who has ever toyed with that. I wanted to write it in a way that makes you feel like we’re having a beer together, like we’re in the journey together. I hope it makes people laugh and smile".

Kal Penn was asked about his forthcoming projects that he shared that he is hoping that his memoir does well, and he aspires to sell the rights and make a series on it. Kal Penn is going to produce Comedy Central’s first-ever Diwali movie which is titled, "Hot Mess Holiday" which is slated for the 11th December 2021 release. Hot Mess Holiday is a fun story about two women named Surina and Mel. He is also looking forward to a couple of horror films this winter and developing some television. He lastly added, "I also launched a Food Network show over the winter, and we’re waiting to see if that gets a season two pickup. So thankful for all the opportunities".

Information Source: First Post