Like many children of immigrants, Kal Penn had to have 1000 times more tenacity and grit to get to where he is today. In this latest episode of Amanda de Cadenet’s special series, “The Conversation: About the Men,” she talks to the actor about his early influences, how he got the courage to pursue acting, as well as a really funny story about how he landed a job at the White House (pro-tip: get in front of Michelle Obama to make your case). Along the way, Amanda learns from Kal about what he means when he talks about the “white diversity” of his childhood in New Jersey as well as “The Brown Catch-22,” that South Asian actors of his generation had to navigate in Hollywood. 

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