Getty
"They're not that expensive, and they're never gonna say anything," Penn recalled being told by one of his manager's colleagues.
Kal Penn opened up about a dating mixup he had shortly after coming out to his inner circle as gay.
During an appearance on SiriusXM's Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa podcast, the 45-year-old "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle" star opened up to the "Live!" host about how he struggled to meet someone while also being in the public eye.
Penn recalled calling his manager for dating advice, before his manager instead recommended he grab dinner with one of his gay coworkers who may be able to provide more insight.
"Hey, I don't know if this is ever gonna impact anything in work, but I'm just curious, how do actors meet nice people to date?" he remembered asking his manager over the phone. "Like how do you know that somebody that you're dating wants to date you for you? Like what are the ground rules here and is it any different?"
Offering up his colleague instead, his manager said, "Why don't you guys just grab sushi and have a conversation and you know, he might have thoughts for you.'"
Once the pair met, Penn recalled asking man -- who he noted was a producer -- for advice on how to meet "a nice guy." The man responded by telling him, "So listen, the first thing I just want you to know is like, just don't worry."
Getty
11 Heartwarming Celebrity Coming Out Stories
View Story"He goes, 'Yeah, I mean, I'm just gonna email you a list just of some guys and their photos,'" Penn then shared. "And I'm like, 'Whoa, that's so cool! Playing matchmaker already,'" he recalled thinking, before the rug was pulled out from under him.
The man then told him: "Yeah, and you know, they're not that expensive, and they're never gonna say anything, so you never have to worry about anybody saying anything."
While Kal noted he meant "no disrespect to sex workers," the former White House staff member said he told the man, "I don't think you understand ... that's not what I'm looking for. My question to you is, how do I meet a nice guy, go on a couple of dates."
The other guy's response? "I don't know anything about all that."
Penn went on to tell Ripa he never saw the list, but was "very curious" about it in retrospect. After noting he still has the same manager, Ripa also tasked her guest with trying to get a hold of the list now.
The actor came out publicly in 2021 white promoting his memoir "You Can't Be Serious" -- announcing he and his then boyfriend of 11 years Josh were engaged. He told PEOPLE at the time that he "discovered my own sexuality relatively late in life," adding, "People figure their s--- out at different times in their lives, so I'm glad I did when I did."
Warner Bros.
