Amazon Prime is releasing This Giant Beast That Is The Global Economy tomorrow, February 22, on its streaming service.
The 8-part series stars Kal Penn, as he asks questions about the global economy, inquires about money laundering, and takes a look into the criminal world surrounding wealth, cash, and crime.
But who is Kal Penn, the man who tries to get all of the answers in this new series?
Penn is both an actor and a former White House Associate Director of Public Engagement. Penn, who was 34 years old at the time, worked in the White House throughout the Obama Presidency, hoping to influence the political landscape.
“I think what I’ve seen is that there is a realization that change is not a light switch. That if it was easy to flip on a light switch and change everything, someone would have done it before — and it’s actually a very laborious process, it’s very slow. I wouldn’t say it’s disillusionment, I would say it’s understanding the process,” he told ABC News at the time about driving young voters to the polls once again.
Some audience members may best remember Penn for his role as Kumar Patel in the 2004 movie, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle.
He has since starred in the sequel Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, played Dr. Lawrence Kutner on House, and also appeared on How I Met Your Mother, 24, and Designated Survivor.
Penn is from New Jersey, born in Montclair in 1977. His parents are immigrants to America from India.
Penn knew from an early age that he wanted to work in the performance arts, so he attended a performing arts high school. In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles to study at UCLA, where he majored in film and sociology.
It was his grandparents, who marched for India’s independence, that influenced his interests in politics
The series is produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Kevin Messick, Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, and Aliyah Silverstein.
This Giant Beast That Is The Global Economy is available on Amazon Prime on February 22, 2019.