Which character did Kal Penn play in House M.D.?

Kal Penn played Dr. Lawrence Kutner in House M.D.

Kutner joined House’s diagnostic team during the fourth season after House dismissed and rehired applicants in a competition to replace departing fellows. He is a sports-medicine specialist with an energetic, inventive approach to difficult cases. Kutner’s willingness to experiment and take risks made him memorable within the team.

The character’s sudden death in the fifth season is one of the series’ major turning points. Kutner dies by suicide off-screen, and the team struggles to understand why he gave no obvious warning. His death also affects House, who becomes increasingly fixated on finding a medical or psychological explanation.

Kal Penn later took a position in the Obama administration, and the show wrote Kutner out while retaining the character through flashbacks and House’s memories. Kutner should not be confused with Chris Taub, another fellow from the same era, played by Peter Jacobson.