Indian origin Hollywood actor Kal Penn, who is known for his role in the Harold & Kumar comedy series, has come out as gay, sharing that he is engaged to his partner Josh of 11 years.
Penn gave his story during an interview on this week’s CBS Sunday Morning while promoting his new tell-all memoir You Can’t Be Serious, touching on his introduction to acting, his time working with the Obama administration and his relationship with his partner.
“Josh and I’ve been together for 11 years,” Penn said, discussing how he presented his sexuality in his memoir.
He added: “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 creates in your family and your community, will trump anything else, always.”
After moving to Los Angeles to work as an actor, Penn broke out with the 2004 comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle alongside his co-star John Cho.
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The film spawned two sequels and led Penn to other projects, including the 2006 drama Namesake and the series House.
Penn also took a hiatus from acting to campaign for President Barack Obama.
He went on to work within the administration in the office of public engagement, working to connect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Penn met his fiance during his time working in Washington, D.C.
“I discovered my own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people,” Penn told People magazine.
“There’s no timeline on this stuff. People figure their shit out at different times in their lives, so I’m glad I did when I did.”
“I’ve always been very public (about my relationship) with everybody I’ve personally interacted with,” Penn continued.
“I’m really excited to share our relationship with readers. But Josh, my partner, my parents, and my brother, four people who I’m closest to in the family, are fairly quiet. They don’t love attention and shy away from the limelight.”
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