'Harold and Kumar' Star Kal Penn Not 'Vanilla' Enough for a lot of Casting Company company directors

Kal Penn's extended, strange visit to the 'Harold & Kumar' franchise is well-recorded -- Penn needed couple of years taken off acting to make use of Obama and also the administration -- but no matter time away, it seems hardly any has changed since his sabbatical began. Inside an interview with Movieline's Jen Yamato, Penn spoken concerning the "color bar" in Hollywood that prevents non-Whitened stars and stars from getting certain roles. While saying he's been "fortunate" while using roles he's become -- in 'Harold & Kumar,' 'Superman Returns' and TV's '24' and 'How I Met Your Mother' among others -- Penn states he still misses on parts because of his race (Penn's parents are natives of India). "It's become infinitely better in the last eight years, specifically in television. However, you'll still audition for things constantly and so they inform you, 'We desire to maintain it a little more vanilla' [...] The other day there's a movie that we was up for getting a really prominent African-American actor which i had been told one reason I didn't have the job was simply because they were not at ease with several people of color inside the cast. So, still happens. It happens although less now laptop or computer did eight in the past, and hopefully it happens less eight years from now laptop or computer does today, but you will discover sadly some backwards-thinking producers left in Hollywood." For further on Penn's in time the White-colored House, mind to Movieline to determine the whole interview. 'A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas' hits theaters on Friday. [via Movieline] [Photo: Getty] RELATED Moviefone 2011 Holiday Movie Preview 'Tower Heist''A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas''J. Edgar''Jack & Jill''Immortals''Happy Foot Two''Breaking Beginning Part 1''The Descendants''Arthur Christmas''Hugo''The Muppets''The Artist''My Week With Marilyn''A Dangerous Method''Shame''New Year's Eve''The Sitter''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy''W.E.''Young Adult''We Need to Discuss Kevin''Alvin as well as the Chipmunks 3''Sherlock Holmes: A Game Title Title of Shadows''Carnage''The Iron Lady''Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol''The Adventures of Tintin''The Girl While using Dragon Tattoo''We Bought a Zoo''In the Land of Blood stream and Honey''War Equine''Extremely Noisy and very Close' See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED