Kal Penn

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas Movie Review
movie reviews

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas: A Highly Recommended Holiday Treat

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is, in a word, silly.
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A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is, in a word, silly. But here's why I loved it: the ridiculous hijnks made me laugh out loud, the 3D actually makes the movie much better, and it packs just the right amount of humor and holiday cheer into the metaphorical pipe.

It's been seven years since Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn's) fateful trip to White Castle, and they've grown up quite a bit since then. Well, at least Harold has — now married and settled down in the New Jersey suburbs, Harold has left his days getting high with Kumar behind in favor of making the big bucks on Wall Street and trying to start a family. Aimless Kumar, on the other hand, is hitting his bong harder than ever now that girlfriend Vanessa has dumped him. The former BFFs are brought back together by a mysterious package for Harold that shows up on Kumar's door. When its contents — a giant joint — sets fire to the prized Christmas tree grown by Harold's overbearing father-in-law, the incident ignites a reunion for the guys as they set out to replace the Frasier Fir.

To see why I loved taking another ride with Harold & Kumar, just read more

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas Trailer
Movie Trailers

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas Trailer: Tis the Season to Shoot Santa in the Face

It might feel wrong to watch a trailer for a Christmas movie in August, but A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas certainly isn't your standard warm-and-fuzzy holiday fare.
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It might feel wrong to watch a trailer for a Christmas movie in August, but A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas certainly isn't your standard warm-and-fuzzy holiday fare. Sure, there's snow and Santa, and, um, Jesus, but there's also scantily clad ladies, beer pong, and, of course, some pot smoking. In the third installment of Harold and Kumar's adventures, the guys meet up after a few years of estrangement and set out on a quest to replace Harold's father-in-law's perfect Christmas tree. You'd never be able to garner that from this trailer though, which is a mishmash of random jokes, some Christmas references, and a solid ad for the 3D. Oh, and there's some Claymation in there, too.

If the actual film has more plot than what we see here, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas could make a nice addition to atypical holiday movies like Bad Santa. If not, Neil Patrick Harris does a song-and-dance number, so there's that. Check it out when you read more

Alexander Skarsgard to Star as Viking in New Film
Link Time

Link Time — Alexander Skarsgard to Play a Viking

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Do You Give Yourself Time Off Between Jobs?
career

Do You Give Yourself Time Off Between Jobs?

Kal Penn gave notice to his old job acting on House three months ago, and yesterday he completed his first day as a liaison between the White House and Asian communities.
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Kal Penn gave notice to his old job acting on House three months ago, and yesterday he completed his first day as a liaison between the White House and Asian communities. Three months is probably more of a job hiatus than most of us can afford, but it's not rare that I hear of people taking off a few weeks when they're changing jobs. How have you approached time off between jobs?

Link Time! 4/9
Link Time

Link Time! 4/9

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Would You Give Up Your Job For One That Pays Less?
Poll

Would You Give Up Your Job For One That Pays Less?

Anyone who saw Monday's episode of House knows that Kal Penn is no longer part of the cast.
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Anyone who saw Monday's episode of House knows that Kal Penn is no longer part of the cast. His character shocked viewers by committing suicide on the show, and off-screen he made an unexpected career decision that has people talking.

The actor is taking his talent from the hospital set to the White House and will assume his new role as associate director in the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs. He commented, "There's not a lot of financial reward in these jobs. Obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor."

Undoubtedly, Penn's previous well-paying jobs allow him greater flexibility than most of us, but would you be able to voluntarily give up your position for one that pays less?

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Kal Penn on Why He's Moving From House to the White House
Kal Penn

Kal Penn on Why He's Moving From House to the White House

Click to ReadKal Penn on Why He's Moving From House to the White House Kal Penn can add White House staffer to his resume, which already includes a stint on House and a successful escape from Guantanamo Bay prison as Kumar Patel.
by Click to Read

Kal Penn on Why He's Moving From House to the White House Kal Penn can add White House staffer to his resume, which already includes a stint on House and a successful escape from Guantanamo Bay prison as Kumar Patel. Yesterday, the budding politico jumped on the phone to chat about his decision to leave House to go work for President Obama — check out what he had to say!

Kal Penn on Why He's Moving From House to the White House
News

Kal Penn on Why He's Moving From House to the White House

Kal Penn can add White House staffer to his resume, which already includes a stint on House and a successful escape from Guantanamo Bay prison as Kumar Patel.
by CitizenSugar

Kal Penn can add White House staffer to his resume, which already includes a stint on House and a successful escape from Guantanamo Bay prison as Kumar Patel.

Yesterday, the budding politico jumped on the phone to chat about his decision to leave House to go work for President Obama. Here are the highlights:

  • Penn asked for the job. After volunteering for the campaign, he was drawn to "the types of change that President Obama had campaigned on and the opportunity to bring those changes into fruition was incredibly moving."
  • He's talked to the boss. Penn said he spoke to "the president, and some of his aides. I reached out that this was something that I really wanted to do. I'm deeply honored and feel deeply privileged."
  • What will he be doing exactly? "I will be an associate director in the White House Office of Public Liaison. They try to take the administration itself out of Washington so they go into communities across the country and continue the sorts of dialogue that they started during the campaign."

Since actors typically make the jump to politics later in life, it's refreshing to see a younger talent follow a dream of serving the public.

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Interviews: Kal Penn, David Shore, and Katie Jacobs Talk About Kutner's Suicide in House Episode 20, "Simple Explanation"
TV

What Does That Shocking House Death Mean For the Show?

As I mentioned in today's rundown, Kal Penn has decided to trade House for the White House.
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As I mentioned in today's rundown, Kal Penn has decided to trade House for the White House. Today, the actor-turned-political outreach liaison and his former bosses, House executive producers David Shore and Katie Jacobs, hopped on the phone to talk about Penn's decision, Kutner's death, and what it all means for the show going forward. Here are some key things to know:

  • Penn's interest in politics is nothing new. "Growing up, I always had two passions, one being public service and the other being the arts and acting," said Penn, who described himself as "formerly a very cynical independent" (now less cynical, but still an independent). During President Obama's campaign, he worked on outreach for young voters, Asian Americans, and the arts, and he'll now be doing something similar in an official capacity.
  • He was surprised to hear about Kutner's suicide, too. "I loved playing Kutner, and there was more than a little bit of shock and loss when I found that out," he said. And he said he liked the mystery with which his character went out: "People did feel types of loss and anger and confusion about [Kutner]," he said. "I don't think you would have gotten that same feeling if it had been a very Kutner-heavy episode where you see his trials and tribulations. . . . I asked if there was anything in his background that might have indicated [he'd be suicidal] or any warning signs. The answer generally was no. It's kind of tough [as an actor] to know that he was obviously tormented by something but didn't share it with anyone."
  • Kutner's death will have a lasting impact: "It'll resonate at least through the end of the season," Shore said. "It's a question House can't answer, and he has an answer for everything. That's what was really exciting, the unexpected nature of it."
  • The element of mystery was key to Kutner's exit: "Had we seen some major dilemma in his personal life, we couldn't have done this story the way we did," Shore said. "If he'd just broken up with a girlfriend, even though the answer would have been much more complicated than that, that would have been something that somebody could just hang on to."

For which characters will have a significant reaction to Kutner's death, just read more

Actor Kal Penn to Leave House for the White House
News

Actor Kal Penn to Leave House for the White House

Click to ReadActor Kal Penn to Leave House For the White House Actor Kal Penn has asked to leave the show House to go work in President Obama's White House.
by CitizenSugar Click to Read

Actor Kal Penn to Leave House For the White House Actor Kal Penn has asked to leave the show House to go work in President Obama's White House. Penn will be the the associate director in the White House Office of Public Liaison. BuzzSugar has the rundown on Penn's exit from the show and last night's episode.