Kumar Goes To White House

When the script writers elect to kill off a popular television series character with a suicide instead of a car crash, you know that somebody needs to make an exit that's fast -- and within budget.

That's exactly what Kal Penn, a member of the ensemble cast that has helped make "House" such a hit for Fox, needed this week when he announced he is putting aside acting, at least for now, to become an associate director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. His job there, he said on a conference call with reporters, will focus on outreach to young people, arts professionals and the Asian American community. In fact, the 31-year-old Indian-American heartthrob is thought to be the first of a number of Hollywood figures who will be added to the office, as the administration moves to cement President Obama's ties to the entertainment industry.

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