The Indian-American actor is taking … "The Office of Public Engagement essentially takes the administration out of Washington and into communities around the country ... stimulating this dialogue that Americans have come to expect from their government," said Penn, who will use his birth name, Kalpen Modi, while at the White House. Actor Kal Penn left House MD for a different kind of house - the White House. Kal Penn leaving White House job to reprise Kumar role. Kal Penn, known for his role as Kumar in the popular Harold and Kumar films, is now headed to the White House to be associate director of the Office of Public Liaison. Penn has no specific timeline for when his White House service will end and his acting career resumes — even with A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas on the drawing board for a November 2010 release. Kal Penn returns to White House job ( 0 ) President-elect Barack Obama (L) greets actor Kal Penn following the We Are One inaugural opening ceremony concert at … April 5, 2010 | 10:08 am. Report. Penn played a teen terrorist on Fox's "24" before joining the network's "House" two years ago. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. "At the moment, I have decided to take a sabbatical from acting," he said, "so I hope the folks who make the Harold & Kumar films will respect that decision.". Kal Penn 'Kumar' gets White House Job. Penn's feature film debut came in 1998 in Express: Aisle to Glory. 'We are pleased to have Kalpen join the great team in the Office of Public Engagement," a White House spokesperson said in a statement. "Given his background and qualifications, the arts and AAPI communities will have a strong partner in the White House. Kal Penn, the actor who in 2009 left his role on the TV show "House" to work for the Obama administration, has left his job at the White House and will be returning to Hollywood, ABC News reports. The actor, best known for his role in "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," tells Entertainment Weekly : He'll work as a liaison within the arts and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. He'll work as a liaison within the arts and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. Speaking in an interview with NPR, Penn recalled that his co-star Olivia Wilde invited him to a Barack Obama event during the 2007 Democratic primaries. After months of faux-sightings, bloggery skepticism and anticipatory Twittering, Kal Penn has finally arrived, reports our colleague Monica Hesse. We're Talking Aliens With Former White House Official (And Actor) Kal Penn. KAL Penn has gone from Dr House to the White House, with the actor officially starting a job with the Obama Administration. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. He's also known as Kumar Patel in the "Harold & Kumar" movie series. 1:51:19. Browse more videos. Kal Penn's career breakout came from the 2004 movie "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," but the actor only took home a modest salary. is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House.He is played by Kal Penn. Kal Penn called his new job at the White House "the greatest reward." Review season-finale cliffhangers from House and other shows. Playing next. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Looking for your next binge? Following an abrupt departure from House this spring, the actor finally reported for his first day of work as associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement on Monday. ... OK, maybe it's not more urgent, but for actor Kal Penn we're willing to bet it's more fun, and probably a tad more lucrative -- at any rate, the guy known in real life as Kalpen Modi is dropping his Obama administration gig like a … Kal Penn Left House MD to Pursue Another Job. ", Look back on some of House's strangest cases, Asked to divulge the paycheck he'll be collecting from Uncle Sam, Penn deferred, saying," I appreciate the opportunity to work for the Obama administration. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Empty WASHINGTON -- Kal Penn started a new job Monday as a liaison between the White House and Asian communities. Penn, who is from Freehold, started a job today with the Obama administration. Kal Penn is leaving the show "House" to work in the White House (or at least, in the Old Executive Office building next door). He becomes a member of House's new diagnostic team in "Games", the ninth episode of the fourth season.He dies from suicide in season 5, episode 20, "Simple Explanation"; he makes a further appearance as a hallucination in season eight. New Jersey-born actor Kal Penn, who played a stoner Guantanamo Bay escapee in the movies and a doctor on TV's "House," has scored a job in the White House. Following an abrupt departure from House this spring, the actor finally reported for his first day of work as associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement on Monday. Kal Penn has hung up his hospital scrubs. Kal Penn, the actor who was a remarkably diligent, oddly well-informed campaigner for Obama, killed his character on "House" last night so the actor could take a White House job, EW.com reports. Actor Kal Penn is trading Hollywood for politics, taking a job with the White House doing outreach to Asian-Americans and the arts community. I'm wearing a suit and a tie." Lawrence Kutner (born Lawrence Choudhary), M.D. Review season-finale cliffhangers from House and other shows  Penn, who is of Gujarati Indian descent, said that while volunteering for President Barack Obama during his campaign, he observed that the South Asian community "wasn't just relegated to ethnic politics, but was a pretty pivotal part of both campaigns." ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "The Office of Public Engagement essentially ... Kal Penn called his new job at the White House "the greatest reward.". Actors Kal Penn, left, and Hugh Laurie are shown in a scene from the Fox series "House" in this 2007 photo. Near the end of season 5 of House, Kal Penn's character committed suicide by gunshot to the head. It's true.". Kal Penn called his new job at the White House "the greatest reward." Kal Penn Says Working at the White House Has Been 'Awe-Inspiring' Seeing this job as an opportunity to serve his country, Penn said the experience … Penn: WASHINGTON (CNN) – Actor and longtime Obama supporter Kal Penn is joining the Obama administration, the White House confirmed to CNN Tuesday. Penn won’t be accepting any acting jobs during his White House stint, which he expects to last for two years or so. Hij speelt onder meer in de films Van Wilder en Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle en in de televisieserie House.. Penns vader en moeder zijn beiden afkomstig uit Gujarat, maar hij is zelf geboren en getogen in het Amerikaanse New Jersey. The actor will be part of the White House Office of Public Liaison, which is run by Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. TV Guide editors handpick the shows that are actually worth watching and deliver daily recommendations straight to your inbox. The Best Movies and TV Shows on Netflix in February, The Best Movies and TV Shows on Amazon Prime in February, The Best Movies and TV Shows on Hulu in February, Best Shows & Movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and HBO This Month. The actor best known as Kumar from the "Harold and Kumar" movies stunned Hollywood last year when he announced he'd leave his role on the hit series "House" -- they had to kill his character off -- to take a job with the Obama administration. He reveals his best and worst side jobs from early in … Way to go, dude! Kalpen Suresh Modi (Montclair, 23 april 1977), artiestennaam Kal Penn, is een Amerikaans film- en televisieacteur. Penn acknowledges even he thinks it's "a little insane" to leave a hit show for the White House Office of Public Liaison, but he says public service and acting have always been his twin passions. UPDATED 5 p.m. with White House comment/non-comment:. That helped fuel his decision to take a break from acting and serve his government. He'll work as associate director at the Office of Public That, to me, is the greatest reward. © 2021 TV GUIDE, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. Now, Kal Penn, the actor who plays him, will get a job in the White House. The Indian-American, whose given name is … Actor Kal Penn is leaving his job at the White House, Entertainment Weekly reported Friday. The development was milked for plenty of drama within the narrative of House… Penn — who co-starred in the “Harold and Kumar” movies and appeared on the television drama “House” — switched gears from acting to politics in 2009 when he took a job at the White House. His character died on "House" last week so that Penn can start a new job—in the White House. Kal Penn will officially be the associate director in the White House office of public liaison. When asked about his new job, Penn said, "The job is very different, as you can imagine. He has since appeared in American Desi, Van Wilder, the final episode of The Lonely Island, Malibu's Most Wanted, A Lot Like Love, Dude, Where's the Party?, Love Don't Cost a Thing, Superman Returns, Epic Movie, The Namesake, the Harold & Kumar series, and an uncredited appearance in Deck the Halls. After just less than a year, Kalpen Modi is reportedly ready to be Kal Penn again. His new job will allow him to be an outreach to the American public and with different groups. HuffPost is part of Verizon Media. The actor took a bus to reach the White House for work on his first day.