For approximately the past two years, Kalpen Modi, (or better known as Kal Penn or “Kumar” of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle fame) has been working in The White House for the Obama administration as Associate Director of Public Engagement as the the Liaison to Young Americans, the Arts, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communitie. Friday was Penn’s last day at The White House and Penn finished to return back to acting. During his time, as Penn has not given an interview for his work during The White House, but finally spoke with ABC News Nightline.
I’m quite impressed with Penn’s ability to pursue multiple divergent interests, being able to bridge his interest in acting as well as his passion for public service and politics. I was also shocked to hear that Penn only made $41,000 a year; Washington DC isn’t exactly an cheap city to live in, so if being a White House staffer means barely scraping by, I’d have to think twice about moving to D.C. for even Penn’s position just for financial reasons. Of course, I wouldn’t have Hollywood earnings I could live off, either.
Penn will apparently be joining the cast of How I Met Your Mother and will be seen in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas , I’m assuming, in December (no official release date has been announced yet).
