UPDATE: Kal Penn went on the "Today Show" Friday to discuss his departure from "House" and his new job in the Obama administration. Watch:

Kal Penn is leaving the show "House" to work in the White House (or at least, in the Old Executive Office building next door). The actor, best known for his role in "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," tells Entertainment Weekly :

I understand it was your decision to leave House. True?

KAL PENN: Yes. I was incredibly honored a couple of months ago to get the opportunity to go work in the White House. I got to know the President and some of the staff during the campaign and had expressed interest in working there, so I'm going to be the associate director in the White House office of public liaison. They do outreach with the American public and with different organizations. They're basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House. It's similar to what I was doing on the campaign.

Penn's character on "House" committed suicide. Read the rest of the interview here.

Penn urged two undeclared college superdelegates to support Obama in an open letter published on The Huffington Post in May. He was a floor whip at the Democratic National Convention, and starred in a pro-Obama online ad: