Penn gives up acting to work for Obama

No, not that Penn. Kal Penn.

The 31-year-old actor, first launched to fame as a stoner student in the “Harold and Kumar” movies, is coming to Washington to be associate director in the White House Office of Public Liaison, Entertainment Weekly first reported yesterday.

Seriously? The former “cynical independent” met Obama at a fundraiser in late 2007 and became a dedicated, high-profile presence in the campaign’s youth-outreach efforts. He’ll work primarily with the youth, arts and Asian American communities, the White House told us. (The Washington Post)

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.
Then Kumar goes to the White House.

(But don’t feel bad for Harold.
He’s going where no man has gone before.)

Kal Penn expects to return to acting after a couple of years in Washington.

The New Jersey native said he’s always had two passions: acting and politics. His Indian grandparents marched with Gandhi, and he’s been studying international security at Stanford University. He spent a lot of time on the campaign trail and got an itch to continue working on the issues.

He mulled it over for months, then broached the idea to Obama during the inauguration. (“We discussed it briefly.”) Penn also talked to presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett, who runs the White House public liaison shop, and his agents, managers and accountants. “This is what I really want to do,” he told them. “But am I crazy?”

Maybe: “Associate directors” at the White House job earn somewhere in the $60,000-$70,000 range per year; Penn wouldn’t say exactly how much he made on “House,” but TV actors at his level make around $50,000 per episode. Producers of the Fox drama said they were “thrilled” for him when they found out he was leaving to work for Obama, then pulled off a major surprise by having his character, Dr. Lawrence Kutner, unexpectedly commit suicide.

Penn won’t accept any acting jobs during his time in Washington, which he said would last “at least” a year or two.