Kal Penn reveals he is gay in new memoir

INDIAN AMERICAN actor and former White House staff member Kal Penn, 44, has revealed that he is gay in a new memoir, reported The Daily Mail. 

In his book, You Can't Be Serious, the Harold & Kumar actor has said that he is engaged to his partner, Josh, who he has been with for more than eleven years. He added that his partner likes to stay away from the limelight.

Penn joined the Obama administration as the principal associate director in the White House office of public engagement in 2009.

On Sunday (31), he appeared on Instagram to promote his upcoming project with his 260,000 followers.

In the book, he has shared the story of how his long-term relationship came to be, starting with a first date that included an 18-pack of beer.

"I'm really excited to share our relationship with 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," Penn said.

In the forthcoming book, Penn said he feels 'very fortunate' that his family and friends have been supportive of his relationship.

"I shared things with my parents and close friends first. 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," he was quoted as saying in the report.

Penn said that he 'discovered [his] own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people,' adding that 'there's no timeline on this stuff.

He said 'the whole point of writing this book was for the reader to feel like we're having a beer together.

Based in Montclair, New Jersey, Penn has already established his presence in Hollywood for more than 20 years. He appeared in movies including Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its sequel Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay; as well as Van Wilder and Superman Returns.

He's also appeared on a number of TV shows, including Clarice, Designated Survivor, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and House.

'What I love and am passionate about with service, is this concept that, yes, we elect officials but things don't actually get done until we put our boots to the ground and become part of that solution,' he told ABC News in 2011.