LOS ANGELES: From a hit TV show named House to the real-life White House in a matter of months. Sounds crazy, right? Not for prominent Indian-American actor Kal Penn, who on April 6 night took a giant step towards a full-time political career, when his much beloved character Dr Lawrence Kutner was killed off from hit medical drama House.

Penn, of Harold and Kumar go to White Castle fame, has become increasingly politically aware and vocal, campaigning for then US Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama throughout 2007 and 2008. Not only did he provide a fresh, recognisable face to the Obama Express, he also used social media tools like blogging and Twitter to help energise America’s youth vote. Evidently, his loyalty to the now-US President has been rewarded, as Penn was recently offered the position of Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liason. And while the pay isn’t great, the prestige is; which is why Penn is jumping at the opportunity.