Kal Penn Still Interested In Taking Over ‘The Daily Show’

Jon Stewart might have returned to The Daily Show in 2024. However, Kal Penn has shown interest in taking over hosting duties if he leaves the show. Penn, who previously served as a guest host on the show, has had quite a career, both in media and in politics.

Penn Talked About His Two-Week Run On The Show

During the Global Citizens Festival back in September, Penn revealed he had hoped he could one day host The Daily Show. Back in 2023, Penn served as a guest host for The Daily Show for eight episodes.

Prior to this, Jon Stewart presented the series from 1999 to 2015, having taking on the role from Craig Kilborn. After Stewart initially left the show, Trevor Noah took over hosting duties until 2022. Without a permanent host, the show featured various guest hosts, with Stewart hosting Monday night shows in 2024.

In a conversation with People, Penn shared that, “I had the chance to guest host two weeks on The Daily Show last season so we’ll see…They say Jon is back for one season. The fanboy part of me is like I hope Jon stays on The Daily Show, because I’m such a fan and I grew up on [it].”

“Then the agent part is when your team calls and is like, ‘Jon may be leaving after the election. Are you still interested in this job?’…I’m like, ‘Yes, of course! I’m still interested in that job!’ There’s a lot of fun stuff happening. Any time we’re around an election, it’s so tense, so what I love about what I do in the comedy space is you have the chance to do the ‘opposite’ of like, the stress.”

From Actor To White House Staff, Penn Has Had Quite The Career

Penn has also cut his teeth as a host for other shows. These include the documentary series, The Big Picture with Kal Penn and the Freeform series, Kal Penn Approves This Message.

Penn has worn many hats throughout his career. Many were introduced to him as an actor. Some roles he is known for include Lawrence Kutner on House, Kevin on How I Met Your Mother, and Kumar Patel of the Harold & Kumar films. Fitting with his connection to politics, he also played White House staffer Seth Wright in the political drama Designated Survivor.

 

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However, Penn has also had a career in politics, having become a White House staff member back in 2009. As an Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, he served as a liaison for Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. This experience proved useful for Designated Survivor, as he served as a political consultant on the show.

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