As announced earlier this year with his surprise departure from House, actor Kal Penn -- best known as one half of the pot-smokin' movie duo Harold and Kumar -- started his new job in Washington this week as a liaison between the White House and AAPI communities: Actor Kal Penn starts work as White House liaison

The actor, who is starting afresh by shedding his stage name and using his given name, Kalpen Modi, is now an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison, with a focus on connecting President Barack Obama with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as arts groups.

According to Mr. Modi, his new job entails "engaging with constituent communities and making sure they feel that they have a seat at the table." He says he expects to be treated just like any other staff member.

That's cool... but what does this all mean for his acting career? There are, after all, plans for a third Harold and Kumar movie, with a release date set and everything. This is only a guess, but this is indeed happening, Kal will probably be using some serious vacation time for filming.