VAN WILDER 2: THE RISE OF THE TAJ: The Rise of Kal Penn
By Brad Balfour

December 4, 2006

For Kal Penn, doing this spin-off of National Lampoon's spin off "Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj" from the first Van Wilder comedy (which starred Ryan Reynolds), keeps him employed and laughing. Not necessarily the same kind of work he started out doing when he began--doing a bunch of TV shows like "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Spin City" to some of the first comic indies to feature authentic South Asian American characters (especially "American Desi")--but the ideal stepping stone to making the first Van Wilder film. That film put Penn on the map--one that he made a mess of when he cruised all over New Jersey as stoner Kumar--the Indian American med student who pals around with Harold, Korean American investment banker buddy in search of the perfect White Castle burger.

Since that benchmark, he offer character support in a slew of comedies and few dramas like "Superman Returns," but now with "The Rise of Taj"--the story of how Van Wilder's protege, Taj Mahal Badalandabad, goes from Coolidge College to the halls of England's Camford University (where he continues his education and teach a band of ultimate Anglo-geeks uptight student how to get cool and triumph on campus)--Penn again grabs the comic lead and makes it his own. Of course, Penn doesn't want his audience to think comedy is all he's capable of because he has also tackled the male lead in master director Mira Nair's rendition of Jhumpa Lahiri's acclaimed story, "The Namesake"--a film that's been garner accolades and will be released in the States next year.

Where did your goofiness from? You started doing indie films but then did "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle;" that certainly changed the kind of roles you've been doing now.

Kal Penn: I think the characters I’ve played early on have definitely appealed to the goofy comedy element, but it’s really random. When you start out as a young actor, it’s pretty much the WB TV network or teen comedies that you can get jobs in. I have to not be pretty enough for the WB, so…

I don’t think you’re too broken up about that. But which WB show would you have wanted to be on?

KP: You know, I really liked "Off Center," which was a sitcom John Cho was in. I really liked "Everwood." They do have some good shows. I also like "Supernatural."

Would you prefer to be a demon on "Supernatural" or the love interest in "Everwood?"

KP: What, I can’t do both? I prefer film to television. For the most part.

Why is that?

KP: You have more freedom with your characters.

Some people say TV gives you the chance to really stretch out.

KP: I haven’t really seen that. I can see it if you’re on a series for eight years, but I’ve had limited experiences in television.

What about you creating a series?

KP: There’s been some discussion about that.

But in a way, you have created a franchise both with "Harold and Kumar" and now with "The Rise of Taj." You even took an Executive Producer credit with this film.

KP: When they first approached me to do another “Van Wilder,” I said no. I thought Ryan Reynolds did a great job and didn’t think a sequel was necessary. But after they explained that it was a spin-off and not just a sequel I thought it would be fun to develop the concept of Taj having his own film.

But if they really wanted it to be about Taj, I had many notes. I didn’t want to play a one-dimensional sidekick and, at first, I didn’t see how Taj could have his own film. After all, the one-note joke gets old and I wanted to make that didn’t happen if we were shooting an entire film based on Taj. The producers are smart men.

They produced “Wedding Crashers” after “Van Wilder” and had a lot of success with comedies. I wanted to be part of that and have creative input. We worked out an arrangement where I helped produce, had some creative and casting input. So we all worked together.

What was different this time around?

KP: It’s not a Brit-slamming movie. It slams the characters, not the British. I actually think it shouldn’t be called “Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj,” because it’s a little misleading. It’s not a sequel. It’s a spin-off film, in the same vein that the National Lampoon’s vacation movies were. We are not trying to imitate the same character in the same plot. So if you enjoyed the first film, this is probably another film that you’ll enjoy. I don’t see it as being in competition with each other. I think Ryan Reynolds did a great job at being Van Wilder. Taj is not trying to be Van Wilder—Taj is trying to being Taj. They complement each other.

Did you contribute any of your own jokes to the film?

KP: Yes though it’s hard to say. There was a lot of improvising and when you give your own material to a film it becomes part of the project so it’s hard to separate what is “mine” and what is “the film’s.

With “Harold and Kumar,” you created a series that follows in the National Lampoon tradition. Did it shock you that you became an icon?

KP: Yeah. You do these films, which are fairly low-budget compared to a film like “Lord of the Rings” or “Superman,” and you meet with other actors who love storytelling and love making people laugh. Sometimes the movies do well in theaters, sometimes they don’t. Then they do really well on DVD and some kid comes up to you on the street and yells a line from your movie that you shot three years ago. It takes you a few seconds to realize what they’re doing. It’s really weird.

Is a sequel planned for “Harold and Kumar”?

KP: Yes, we’re shooting it in January in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Oh, like "Harold and Kumar meets Superman?"

KP: No, no. I don’t think so! But we are in discussions with Brandon Routh [who played Superman] to play a cameo. I don’t know if I was allowed to say that but many of our friends were in the first “Harold and Kumar.” Ryan Reynolds had a cameo and so did Jamie Kennedy. Obviously we met because of “Van Wilder” and “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” but we enjoy working together. It’s the same with John Cho and Eddie Kaye Thomas. So, I love working with friends because you develop a work relationship that is also a friendship.

What will Brandon be doing with you?

KP: Right now they don’t even have a title for the script yet, so it’s in the very early stages. The first one, I wouldn’t say it was ‘cameo heavy’ but the movie really benefited from fantastic actors who did our film for not a huge paycheck but because they liked our film. I know Brandon was a fan of the first film, Mos Def was a fan of the first film I heard. I met Kanye West last year who said he was a big fan of the movie. It’s all these guys we’ve met over the past two years that we’ve had the chance to hang out with because of a mutual appreciation of the work. We kind of compiled a list together and see who might want to be in the sequel with us.

Who else is on your list?

KP: I’m a huge Lil Kim fan. I don’t even know if she knows the movie exists, but I would love to work with her.

Were you the funny kid growing up?

KP: I don’t know. Off and on, I guess.

Though you got into acting in films through teen comedies, you really do have a genuinely funny side to you. There must be something to that.

KP: It’s enjoyable.

A lot of comics say they were the class clown, but you didn’t do standup.

KP: No, I’m scared of stand-up. Is there something I do a lot?

Were there funny movies you found inspirational?

KP: I like really bizarre characters that are grounded in something. Sometimes they come from really weird places. I really like "Office Space" and "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off." I really like "Dude Where’s My Car?" I really like a lot of the characters—there’s a lady at the DMV who I think is hilarious because she laughs for no reason during her entire scene. You know during the filming of that scene, that character drives some sadistic pleasure out of making people miserable at the DMV. And it’s clear that that’s her intention as an actor. But you never get to see weird characters like that. Like, why is she doing that and why is she at the DMV? I don’t want to deconstruct the setting of a scene, but those are the types of things I really like.

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