Kal Penn left House M.D. to serve in Barack Obama’s administration. Penn played Dr. Lawrence Kutner, a member of House’s diagnostic team, before departing the series during its fifth season.
After leaving acting temporarily, Penn joined the White House Office of Public Engagement in 2009. He worked as an associate director in that office, helping connect the administration with issues involving arts and entertainment and other public constituencies. His government service was separate from his fictional medical career.
House M.D. wrote Kutner’s departure into the story through the character’s suicide. The episode “Simple Explanation” presented the shocking discovery and showed the effect on House and the rest of the team. The plot choice allowed the actor to leave without keeping Kutner elsewhere in the hospital.
Penn later returned to acting and became known for roles in film and television beyond House M.D. The fact is sometimes misstated as a permanent career change; his government service was a period between acting projects.