Kal Penn is tackling his biggest queer role yet.
In the new biographical comedy-drama film Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, the talented actor portrays Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, a closeted gay doctor whose private life is thrust into the public eye when he is implicated in the 2007 overdose death of his former patient, reality television star Anna Nicole Smith.
The movie is explicitly adapted from the Dr. Kapoor's 2017 memoir and focuses heavily on his personal life unraveling as he deals with high-stakes courtroom battles to clear his name. This film also serves as the first time Penn has played a queer character in a movie.
"This is a deeply vulnerable, flawed person who makes bad decision after bad decision. He had been to The Abbey so many times with Anna Nicole Smith. He's got handsome guys coming up to talk him too! It was intoxicating that he felt like he belonged in this place. Here's this guy who finally feels seen in this space because he's with her," Penn tells Out.
Although Trust Me, I'm a Doctor serves as a milestone for Penn's career, he's had the support of the LGBTQ+ community since his humble beginnings as an actor. He may have come out at 44 when he released a memoir of his own, but he's always felt connected to his queer peers.
"I've never paid for a drink at a lesbian bar over the years! I've got to give the ladies a big shout out. They've been diehard Harold & Kumar fans since the beginning. I love them for that. Even with this movie, I don't think you could make it 20 years ago. He's queer, but it's ultimately a story about vulnerability in a dark comedy. We wouldn't be able to make it without previous films, so I'm very grateful."
Linda Hamilton also gets to tackle another strong, independent woman in the film. She portrays Ellyn Garofalo (sometimes spelled Garafalo), a no-nonsense, powerhouse Los Angeles defense attorney who guides Dr. Kapoor through a high-stakes drug conspiracy trial.
"I love the fact that it's queer! Everything about the film was so beautifully laid out. There are people who are still entranced by Anna Nicole Smith, so it was cool to do a deep dive on that. I love the audacity of trying to make a dark comedy and I thought it was sensitively done."
Trust Me, I'm a Doctor is playing now in theaters.
