Kal Penn, hilarious star of the "Harold & Kumar" films, has just revealed he is engaged to be married to his partner of 11 years, Josh.
He did so via his upcoming biography, You Can’t Be Serious. He recently gave a little more insight into the relationship and the book to People.
"I've always been very public with everybody I've personally interacted with,” said Penn. “Whether it's somebody that I meet at a bar, if Josh and I are out, or we're talking to friends. I'm really excited to share our relationship with readers.”
“But,” he continued, “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."
So one might assume that telling their families about the relationship might have been tough.
“When you've already told your Indian parents and the South Asian community that you intend to be an actor for a living,” Penn says,” really any conversations that come after that are super easy. They're just like, 'Yeah, okay.' I felt very supported by everyone. That's a wonderful thing. I know everybody has different experiences with that, and so I definitely feel very fortunate."
Penn added, "I discovered my own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people. There's no timeline on this stuff. People figure their s--- out at different times in their lives, so I'm glad I did when I did."
Penn has become an increasingly busy and accomplished actor beyond the beloved "Harold & Kumar" franchise (“House,” “Designated Survivor”), not to mention that he spent two years working in the White House for the Obama administration. So for Kal, between his busy life and the privacy he respects and expects concerning his and Josh’s family, it meant he hasn’t gone totally public with the relationship, until now.
"Figuring out the narrative [in the book],” Penn explains, “of how to respect who they really are, with telling my story -- that includes my work life, both in Hollywood and DC; it includes my love life with Josh and how we met; it includes my parents, to the extent that I'm willing to share stories about their upbringing. So that was the most important thing for me. I wanted my story to be authentic from my perspective and told in a way that makes you feel like you really get to know me."
In the book, Penn tells the tale of the couple’s first date, when Josh showed up sporting a case of Coors Light and demanding to watch NASCAR.
"I thought, 'This obviously is not going to work out," Penn recalls. "I have one day off from The White House and this dude is unironically watching cars go around and make left turns? Next thing you know, it's been a couple months and we're watching NASCAR every Sunday. I'm like, 'What is happening?'
It’s apparent Penn will bring his brand of non-annoying bro-humor to the book.
"The whole point of writing this book was for the reader to feel like we're having a beer together. I thought, if we're supposed to feel like we're having a beer together, then I want to take you into my stories and I want you to experience them with the same joy that I've experienced them."
After admitting the two are torn on what kind of wedding they’ll have -- “I want the big ass Indian wedding; Josh, hates attention” -- Penn said of his book in general, "I really hope that people enjoy the book. I hope it makes people laugh and smile."
You Can’t Be Serious arrives on shelves and online November 2.
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