Kal Penn moves into new role for the White House

By Natasha T. Metzler

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Updated: July 08, 2009, 6:47 am /
Published: July 08, 2009, 12:30 am

Story tools:

WASHINGTON — Actor Kal Penn started a new job this week as a liaison between the White House and Asian communities.

The Indian-American actor is taking a break from Hollywood to work as an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison, with a focus on connecting President Barack Obama with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as arts groups.

Penn had a recurring role on Fox’s TV show “House” and starred in several films including “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and its sequel, “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”

Penn, who backed Obama during the campaign, said the new job has nothing to do with his life as an actor. “I expect to be treated just like any other staff member,” he told reporters on a conference call.

He is even applying this quest for a fresh start to his identity, saying he will use his given name, Kalpen Modi, instead of his acting moniker while working for the Obama administration.

Penn described the public liaison office as the “front door to the White House.” He said his job would be engaging with constituent communities and making sure they feel that they have a seat at the table.

Asked about the differences between the new job and his work in Hollywood, Penn joked that he now wears a suit.

When pressed about preparing for his first day on the job Monday morning, he said, “I brushed my teeth; I did floss, used mouthwash . . . took the bus to work, same thing that everybody does.”

Newsletters

Sign up now for daily and weekly newsletters from BuffaloNews.com and get quick links to the info you want delivered directly to your inbox.

Reader comments

There on this article.SHOW COMMENTS

Rate This Article

Reader comments are posted immediately and are not edited. Users can help promote good discourse by using the "Inappropriate" links to vote down comments that fall outside of our guidelines. Comments that exceed our moderation threshold are automatically hidden and reviewed by an editor. Comments should be on topic; respectful of other writers; not be libelous, obscene, threatening, abusive, or otherwise offensive; and generally be in good taste. Users who repeatedly violate these guidelines will be banned. Comments containing objectionable words are automatically blocked. Some comments may be re-published in The Buffalo News print edition.

Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment

Forgot your password?

What is MyBuffalo?
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.

sort comments: