John Cho and Kal Penn smoked their comedic competitors as Harold and Kumar. Now they’re back for another hit. Puff, puff, pass? Nah-puff, puff, puff...

By Gabriel Alvarez; Photographs by Piotr Sikora; Styling By Anoma Ya Whittaker

The question, as with any milestone movie role, is how much John Cho and Kal Penn have in common with the catastrophe-prone cheeba chasers of ’Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle’ fame (and its long-awaited sequel, ’Escape From Guantanamo Bay’). The easy answer is: not much. And also: a lot.

You already know the characters. Harold is the introvert-the uptight, straight-A’s, by-the-books kind of fella. Kumar is the rebellious underachiever, capable of becoming the doctor his physician father demands, but opting to party any chance he gets. Yet in real life, John Cho is a singer in an L.A. band-although he wasn’t comfortable talking about his music during this interview, which is something Harold probably would do. And Kal Penn kept himself busy during the writers’ strike with a teaching gig at the University of Pennsylvania and by volunteering his time and energy to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign-although he showed up shockingly late for the interview, which is something Kumar probably would do.

Regardless of the similarities, or differences, one thing is certain: Both are hilarious, with talent to spare. So grab yourself a fat sack-of White Castles!-and listen up.

Kal, the first question is-

John Cho: Why are you supporting Mitt Romney for President? He’s an evil Mormon.
Kal Penn: [Laughs] Wow, you’re startin’ out that way?

So what were your lives like before the autographs, limos, and red-carpet events?

Kal Penn: John doesn’t ride limos; he rides a horse, which is a fact.
John Cho: Yep. I roll up on a horse to premieres, a white horse. And sometimes I have them mount a horn on the head of the horse. And I ride it nude, wearing a very long wig.

But really, was it difficult at the beginning of your acting careers?

John Cho: Both of us are actors of color, so there’s special hurdles that you have to overcome early on.
Kal Penn: I think for every actor, regardless of their background, it’s tough to start out. But I think when the opportunities are even further limited by race or ethnicity, it’s even harder to get your foot in the door. But certainly Harold & Kumar has opened doors for both of us.

Have you guys based any of the personalities of these characters on any real people?

Kal Penn: Kumar is partially based on one of my best friends from college, who helped me understand how a guy could be sitting around completely naked for no reason. You come home from class and he’s just sitting there, and you wonder: at what point did you remove your clothes and decide that it was OK for you to sit there completely naked, possibly for hours, without even laying a towel down on the couch? That’s just the kind of guy he is. He just doesn’t care. He’s awesome. It’s that sort of carefree side to him that I used a little bit in Kumar.
John Cho: I don’t think I channeled anybody in particular. I actually was thinking of a lot of like classic [comedic] straight guys, Tom Hanks kind of guys. But I didn’t particularly do any research, because I was very lazy.

How often do fans refer to you as Harold and Kumar in public?

John Cho: Every time we leave the house. This movie is a bit like a disease, and it’s infected the nation.

Do you have any snappy comebacks for people who call you Harold and Kumar at a time you don’t want to be bothered?

John Cho: [Funny voice] “Leave me alone, serf.”
Kal Penn: Did you say “serf”? I got to use that. I think when you’re eating and stuff, especially if you’re with family or close friends, and somebody yells, “Hey, Kumar!” I feel like they immediately feel retarded after it...and I hope that they do. [Laughs.]
John Cho: By the way, 50 percent of the time I get “Yo, Kumar!”
Kal Penn: Well, I get that, too. [Funny voice,] “Hey, Harollllld! What’s up?! Where’s your friend at?”
John Cho: [Funny voice] “I love your movie. Who was you? Harold or Kumar?” Home // CELEBRITIES // COVER STORY // John Cho and Kal Penn