Kumail Nanjiani, Kunal Nayyar and Kal Penn Keep Getting Mistaken for One Another

One has an Oscar nomination and is about to be seen in the fifth season of his hit HBO program.

The other is one of the best-paid actors on television, after ten years on the world’s most watched show.

And another has the incredible distinction of having worked for President Barack Obama and starred in three Harold and Kumar films.

All three were born in different countries.

And yet, people keep apparently mistaking Kumail Nanjiani, Kunal Nayyar and Kal Penn for one another.

(Honestly, it’s harder to identify individually distinguishable features of the four Chrises.)

Nanjiani—aka Dinesh from Silicon Valley and Oscar-nommed screenwriter and star of The Big Sick—recently tweeted his frustration over being mistaken for "another brown actor".

A day may come when I am not mistaken for another brown actor. But it is not this day.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 8, 2018

The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar replied to Nanjiani, sweetly, to say, "Every time I get recognised for you I think 'man I wish it were true.'"

Same. https://t.co/4Nr4vXRftB

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 8, 2018

And then, Kumar himself, Kal Penn, chimed in with the following: "I have taken credit for both of your accolades in the last two weeks so I guess I owe you each a photo, half a beer, and an awkward extended hug."

Kal, you are our alpha. https://t.co/hWm5laJiDk

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 8, 2018

Leave it to Sarah Silverman to cap the exchange:

I like @SarahKSilverman pic.twitter.com/wPzAKhq2n2

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 11, 2018

Jokes aside, this is no new thing for the three actors.

Back in 2015, Salon published an article in which they criticsed Nanjiani for playing similar roles on both Silicon Valley and Big Bang.

And just last year on Conan, Nayyar told a story about getting mistaken for Kumail, Penn and Aziz Ansari, which he’s taking in his stride: "They’re all handsome talented guys; it’s nice to be in that club."

Still, given their individual successes—Penn worked for the Obama Administration!—these mix-ups really shouldn’t be happening any longer.

If you need a handy guide to distinguish each of them, remember this helpful rule: They all spell and pronounce their names differently, have had wildly divergent careers, and look dissimilar.

Easy!

Photo: Universal & ABC & CBS