From House M.D. to The White House

This past Monday House M.D. fans were flabbergasted when one of the shows favorite characters was surprisingly killed off. Over the past two years, Kal Penn has played the lovable and loyal Dr. Lawrence Kutner, so you can imagine the shock of fans when the writers killed him off the popular show.

Turns out that Kal Penn is leaving Princeton Plainsboro Hospital for a chance of a lifetime to work in the White House with President Obama. It is very rare to see an actor leave his high paying salary in return for a job in public service, but those were the goals of the thirty-one year old actor.

Penn splashed onto the screen when he played Taj, the Indian foreign exchange student that befriended Ryan Reynolds in Van Wilder. Everyone loved Taj so much that a few years later he scored his own movie, Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj.

Penn's impeccable comedic timing and hard work lead Penn to star alongside American Pie actor John Co in the goofy yet successful Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam.

Taking the role as Dr. Lawrence Kutner Penn allowed him to show a different side to his acting abilities. Spending years doing light comedies, the role on House gave Penn a chance to show is versatility. Instantly becoming a fan favorite, Penn's character was the only bright light that shined through the halls of Princeton Plainsboro Hospital. This past Monday fans were beyond shocked to find out their favorite doctor will never be returning to House and perhaps even acting ever again!

Kal Penn decided to take a leave of absence from acting when he got a job working for President Obama in the White House. The actor will be leaving his acting trailer for a job in the Office of Public Liaison & Intergovernmental Affairs. Penn told Entertainment Tonight, "I love what I do as an actor. I couldn't love it more. But probably from the time I was a kid, I really enjoyed that balance between the arts and public service. There's not a lot of financial reward in these jobs. Obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor."