FILM INTERVIEW: KAL PENN
Indo Hollywood Actor Shifts from White House to 'A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas'
Burbank, California – Returning back to his thespian roots in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas after a brief stint at the White House serving under President Barack Obama, Harold & Kumar, Superman Returns, Van Wilder, and House star Kal Penn was one of several people honored at the Eighth Annual Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards at the Colony Theater here in Burbank. Also honored was actor CCH Pounder, Yvette Lee Bowser and the Deaf West Theatre Company. In receiving the honor, Mr. Penn’s acceptance was somewhat metaphoric of the changing face of Hollywood.
Named in honor of Ivy Bethune, the Tri-Union Diversity Awards is the only recognition awarding actors and artists who are members of three unions — Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and Screen Actors Guild (SAG).
Mr. Pen — who just finished shooting the third chapter of the Harold & Kumar series (a 3D film entitled A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas) and also had appearances in 24, ER, and Malibu’s Most Wanted — was honored for his philanthropy, leadership, and contributions to the performing arts. The actor, who graduated from UCLA and has also dabbed in politics and education, said he feels as if his career has come full circle in being honored at the Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards.
“It’s an incredible honor. I was talking to my parents about this. It’s so hard to get into one of these labor unions, let alone all three. To be recognized … for playing a wide array of characters is an honor,” Mr. Penn said moments prior to being honored. “But as I am going to mention (as I accept my award) tonight, I think (the credit) really goes to the writers and producers who cast color-blind roles and focus on storytelling.”
While Mr. Penn paid homage to those working behind the scenes to give actors such as himself and his Harold and Kumar co-star John Cho an opportunity to play leading roles, the thespian himself has been quite the noble human being himself. Not only has he supported various philanthropic causes, but Mr. Penn has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching two courses in film and the media. Further, shortly after President Obama’s historic election in 2008, Mr. Penn joined the administration in Washington, D.C. to serve as the associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. There, he helped push forward programs encouraging minorities to take greater interest in local and national politics.
In maintaining a sense of self and humility, Mr. Penn rightfully avoided affairs of state and instead focused on the issue at hand — the positively ever-changing face of Hollywood.
“If you look at what things were like when I was 14-years-old, it’s a lot different than what you see today,” Mr. Penn observed. “Same thing with just five years ago, before shows like Lost or Grey’s Anatomy (or The Office) hit the air, things were really black-and-white, which is not the way America looks. It’s nice to see characters come around that look like the rest of America and don’t focus on a specific ethnicity or race.”
In maintaining a sense of perspective, integrity, and humility, Mr. Penn himself avoided delving into ethnicity and race. Considered by many as the most successful Indian-American actor in mainstream Hollywood, Mr. Penn wisely answered a question thrown his way about where along the spectrum of progress he currently pegs Indian-Americans.
“I always hesitated putting a marker on (where Indian-American actors stand in Hollywood) because times fluctuate back-and-forth. Someone will say Slumdog Millionaire came out so suddenly things have changed,” Mr. Penn told Buzzine in an exclusive chat just outside Burbank’s Colony Theater. “But not really. It’s a foreign film with foreign actors. It doesn’t really impact American actors making American films.”
That being said, no one can deny the impact Mr. Penn has had in both Hollywood and Washington, D.C., what with his opening new doors and opportunities for Indian-Americans that did not exist prior to his success as an actor. It is an impact rightfully acknowledged and honored by the evening’s festivities here in Burbank. The very mission statement of the Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards fittingly recognizes the impact of Mr. Penn’s contributions in cinema and the arts.
According to the event’s organizers, the Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards “celebrate individuals and organizations in the performing arts that have taken an active stand to make a difference toward a more representational, multicultural community by helping build a foundation for diversity within the industry. This year celebrates those who challenge and change preconceptions.”
Past honorees include Ossie Davis, George Takei, Edward James Olmos, Robert Guillaume, casting director April Webster, Debbie Allen, Raven-Symoné, newscaster Belva Davis, Tony Plana, and Wendy Raquel Robinson.
In addition to recognizing various actors and artists, the evening’s program incorporated several stage performances, including a dance number by Bollywood Step Dance and wheelchair artist Lindsay Berkovitz. Mylo Ironbear, Shoshannah Stern, and Matt Jaeger also performed.
Five years ago, the Tri-Union Diversity Awards were formally renamed for Ivy Bethune, a member of all three unions who devoted more than 80 years of her life to civil rights activism and equal opportunity rights.
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