Actor Kal Penn to join Obama administration
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | 2:18 PM ET
CBC News
Actor Kal Penn, seen here in Los Angeles in 2006, is leaving Hollywood to take up a post with the Obama administration in Washington. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press)Actor Kal Penn is trading in his role on TV medical drama House for a public service position with the White House.
A White House spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that the young actor is set to join the Obama administration as an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison. The story was first reported Entertainment Weekly magazine.
The Indo-American actor, whose real name is Kalpen Modi, will serve as a liaison connecting the Obama administration with arts and entertainment groups, as well as with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.
Though he rose to fame in the Harold and Kumar stoner comedies and the Van Wilder films, Penn graduated to more serious fare, including the drama The Namesake and TV shows such as 24 and House.
He also won praise for teaching a class in the Asian American Studies department of the University of Pennsylvania in 2008.
Penn, who turns 32 later this month, was among the celebrities who supported U.S. President Barack Obama during the election, including drumming up support for Obama at college campuses, appearing at other campaign stops, and enlisting the support of fellow celebrities.
Penn's start date has not yet been set. However, the actor's character on House committed suicide on the episode that aired Monday night.
With files from the Associated PressShare Tools
- Spider-Man trailer: fresh take or more of the same?by Arts Online Feb. 7, 2012 5:15 PM Spider-Man? Yes. Amazing? Maybe. The first full-length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man -- the reboot of the comic-turned-movie trilogy -- has been released. But considering the previous movie franchise ended a mere five years ago and that we've been bombarded with stories about the troubled Broadway musical adaptation since then, this reboot does beg the question: Do we really need to revisit Spider-Man?
Top News Headlines
- HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive
- The damage done to HMCS Corner Brook when it hit the ocean floor off B.C.'s coast last summer was more extensive than first reported, CBC News has learned by obtaining exclusive pictures of the submarine. more »
- Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge
- An Ontario Superior Court judge has struck down a mandatory minimum sentence for a first offence of possessing a loaded firearm. more »
- Online surveillance critics siding with child porn: Toews
- Critics of a bill that would give law enforcement new powers to access Canadians' electronic communications are aligning themselves with child pornographers, Canada's public safety minister says. more »
- Low vitamin D in womb tied to poor language skills
- Children born to women who had low levels of vitamin D during their pregnancy are more likely to have language problems, a new study suggests. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Tintin in the Congo ban tossed by Belgian court
- A Belgian court has rejected a claim that Tintin in the Congo is racist and tossed a request to withdraw the controversial comic book. more »
- CBC digital music service launched
- CBC is diving into the world of online music with the goal of providing listeners access to their favourite tunes, and a way to discover new artists and connect with fellow music fans. more »
- Grammy ratings surge on Whitney Houston tributes
- The 54th annual Grammy Awards pulled in its largest audience since 1984 on Sunday night, as the music industry paid tribute to Whitney Houston following her sudden death. more »
- Henry Kissinger in running for Lionel Gelber Prize
- Nobel Prize-winner Henry Kissinger has been nominated for Canada's Lionel Gelber Prize for his book On China. more »
Q Blog
Enter our Six-Word Modern Love Story Contest! Feb. 13, 2012 10:50 AM The goal is simple: tell a full and rich modern love tale in just six words. Funny. Sad. Sexy. Or futuristic sexy, the kind with spaceships. Winners announced on Q's February 14th Modern Love special.
CBC Books
Exploring black Canadian literature Feb. 13, 2012 5:22 PM Throughout February, literary journalist Donna Bailey Nurse will be blogging about black Canadian writers and their important works. In her first post, she explains how she came to love reading and mentions some of the writers who have inspired her most.
- HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive
- Online surveillance critics siding with child porn: Toews
- Stanley Cup rioter seen in brick attack on cop
- Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge
- Whitney Houston's body headed home to New Jersey
- Whitney Houston's body now at N.J. funeral home
- Man pleads guilty to murder of stepdaughter, 17
- Whitney Houston estate value set to soar
- HIV-positive B.C. man jailed for assault, child porn
