Hollywood actor of Indian origin Kalpen Modi aKa Kal Penn has come out as gay and has detailed about his sexuality in his upcoming memoir ‘You Can’t Be Serious’. The ‘Namesake’ actor, while promoting his book, also revealed that he is engaged to his long term partner for 11 years, Josh.
“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 creates in your family and your community, will trump anything else, always,” he said.
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Penn, who has been part of several popular films and TV series including the ‘Harold & Kumar’ film franchise and ‘The Designated Survivor’, stated that he is "excited to share" his relationship with the 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," he added.
Penn also opened up on how he wanted to be completely transparent with his readers but didn't want to compromise on the privacy of his loved ones at the same time. He chose proper narratives to write every story concerning him, but with respecting the boundaries of his loved ones. While figuring out the narratives, Penn, also opened up about his work life, love life with Josh, his parents, and stories about his upbringing.
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"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," the actor said.
He also apoke about his hiatus from acting while he was campaigning for former American President Barack Obama, working to connect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. This is where, Penn reveals, he met his fiancé, Josh, in Washington D.C.
"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**t 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," he said.
(With Inputs From Pinkvilla)
