Kal Penn: Ryan Reynolds helped me land 'Van Wilder'

HOLLYWOOD star Kal Penn revealed that during his final audition for the 2002 film Van Wilder, he was competing against a "white dude in brown face" for the role, which eventually became one of his early major parts.

The film, starring Ryan Reynolds in the lead, marked a significant moment in Penn's career, who later gained widespread fame with the 2004 hit Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, co-starring John Cho.

Penn, 47, praised Reynolds for his support during the audition process, recalling how Reynolds encouraged him and even improvised a scene with him to help him land the role of an Indian exchange student.

"He said to me, ‘How do you feel about improv?’ So we improvised the scene, and he was obviously rooting for me to get the job,” Penn told the Rolling Stone magazine in a 20th anniversary piece for Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

During the filming of Van Wilder, Reynolds, also 47, had promised he would play the supporting role to Penn's lead character and honoured his word with a cameo in Harold & Kumar Go to White House.

“The entire production (on Van Wilder) was awesome. He told me once in passing, ‘When you get your first lead, let me know and I’ll play the supporting guy.’ When Harold & Kumar happened and we were talking about cameos, I reached out to Ryan and he was immediately like, ‘Yes, absolutely.'”

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle follows roommates Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) on their adventure to a White Castle restaurant after smoking marijuana.

Reynolds' appearance got the indie comedy greenlit, said producer Nathan Kahane, adding they paid the actor $10,000 (£7,787.35) for his appearance.

“I remember calling Ryan’s agent and was like, ‘Is this happening?’ He told me Ryan was totally supportive because Ryan loves Kal. We paid him $10,000, and he was a beautiful man of his word. Ryan joining that cast got the movie greenlit,” Kahane added.

How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris had a supporting role in the stoner comedy that has become a cult hit since its release in 2004. It also launched the career of Cho, who played Harold to Penn's Kumar.

The success of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle spawned a franchise with Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) and A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011) as follow-ups. (PTI)