Kal Penn to star in, co-write new comedy project about former New York City councilman for NBC

The American actor, known for his roles in Harold & Kumar, House and How I Met Your Mother, takes a leading role in a new series in development at NBC, US entertainment media reports. After a brief appearance in the latest season of The Big Bang Theory, Kal Penn is back with a leading role in a new project in the works at NBC. Various US entertainment media sources report that the actor will star in and co-write the forthcoming comedy ordered to pilot by the American TV network. [caption id=“attachment_5989991” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Kal Penn. Image from Twitter @senorasantos[/caption] The as-yet-untitled project follows a former New York City councilman named Garrett Shah. He finds his calling when faced with six recent immigrants who need his help as they search for the American Dream. Kal Penn will join forces with Matt Murray (Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place) to write the screenplay for this new comedy, which he will also executive produce. There’s no word yet on how many episodes to expect or who else might be on the cast. The project marks Kal Penn’s return as a regular character in a new TV series. The actor put his onscreen career on hold during former US President Barack Obama’s first term in office in 2009, stepping down from his then role in Fox’s House. Kal Penn went on to star in season seven of How I Met Your Mother on CBS. Since 2016, the American actor has played the recurring role of speechwriter Seth Wright in the ABC drama, Designated Survivor. His brief political career also allowed him to serve as a political consultant on the show, available internationally via Netflix.