Poster/New Line Cinema
4:20 on 4/25
By Andrew Plotkin

Few actors in Hollywood can display true skill in both their comedic and more serious endeavors. Even fewer people on Earth would probably spell Kal with a ‘K’ instead of a ‘C’. For these and many other reasons, Kal Penn, co-star of the upcoming Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and TV’s House, is more of a badass than you are.
Penn is one half of a film duo (John Cho is the other half, but he thought I smelled funny and walked out of the room, so we never got the chance to talk - none of that happened) that many have dubbed this generation’s Cheech and Chong, even though he admitted to never having seen any the iconic films, which is one of those things that he thinks “the fans find disappointing.” (Penn also says that he doesn’t smoke pot. And those burgers he so righteously scarfed down in the first film? Veggie.)) It’s a good thing Penn didn’t reveal any more personal info during a recent press trip to NYC to promote the flick, lest his fans actually abandon him. (When I added more personal info to my FaceBook profile, three people un-friended me.)

And those fans are the reason why his character even got the chance to smuggle marijuana onto a plane in this movie. By Penn’s own admittance, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, released in the summer of 2004, “tanked” at the box office. When the “Extreme Unrated” version of the film was released on DVD, despite not having a “real marketing campaign,” people inhaled its dank goodness, and many of them passed the Dutchie ‘pon the left-hand and right-hand sides. ‘ “People went out and discovered the DVD,” Penn explained. “They bought it for friends. They gifted it to each other. That’s the only reason we could do a sequel, was thanks to the fans.”
Something that will give the fans as much pleasure as it gave Penn: the return of Neil Patrick Harris, who reprises his role as, well, Neil Patrick Harris. Penn relished “having more scenes with him. ” He continued, “I mean, he was a pivotal part of the first one, but he really advances the plot in this one. He’s the only reason that we’re able to continue moving forward.” (Check back for the NPH interview later this week)

The film wasn’t the only thing on Kal-Kal’s mind. He touched upon his involvement with numerous charitable organizations, and his observation that some of the students at the University of Pennsylvania (where he’s a guest instructor of two classes this semester) had difficulty distinguishing between Tinseltown and reality. “It’s an early morning class. There’s a fair amount of research papers, the exams are tough. 20-25 people dropped the class in the first two weeks, and I think those were people who thought it was gonna be an easy class because they couldn’t separate me from my character,” he said.

Had it not been for that character, though, Penn admits he never would have had the chance to star in The Namesake, as the son of very traditional immigrants who desperately wants to fit in (a role for which he was praised by critics worldwide).

“[Director] Mira Nair’s son, Zohran, was 13 or 14 at the time when they were casting to do the film. He was a huge Harold and Kumar fan. I had been lobbying [her] office to let me audition and she kept saying ‘No’. Finally, after 2 months of Zohran every night before being tucked into bed saying ‘Mom, audition Kal Penn to play Gogol’ she had to cave and said ‘my son will not leave me alone. I have to audition you.”
Before being whisked out the door by very officious (and by officious I mean dominatrix-like) publicist, KP discussed the possibility of White Castle and Guantanamo Bay being joined by a third strain in the future, noting that he would need to get by with a little help from his friends. “If people go out, if it’s the number #1 movie this weekend, then there’s a good chance.”

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not so extreme, and 10 being extremely extreme, I give the idea of H&K3 a 9.5!