Many have been surprised, even amused, when Kal Penn took a wreck from acting to take a role with President Barack Obama's administration. Obama's detractors beloved to mock the concept that the star of a well-liked stoner comedy could get a role with the democrat's presidency. However, Penn proved to be an able public servant.
Penn's political work is going past his work for the Obamas. However, his work for Barack Obama will always be one of the vital respectable chunks of his numerous resume. But some could be questioning, what exactly did the Harold and Kumar big name do for the 44th president?
8 He Campaigned For Obama
Before he used to be hired by way of President Obama, Penn was one of the crucial many famous person surrogates endorsing the then-senator's marketing campaign. Penn seemed on CNN and different news channels advocating for Obama's candidacy. Obama had a large onslaught of celebrity supporters, including Robert DeNiro, Usher, Chris Rock, Ed Norton, Kelly Hu, and several others. Many of those superstar endorsements helped Obama clinch the Democratic nomination from his opponent Hillary Clinton. Obama was once elected the primary Black President of the United States on November 4th, 2008. During the marketing campaign, Penn was a member of Obama's National Arts Policy Committee, advising the future president on his stances associated with visual and musical arts.
7 He Quit House To Work For Obama
Penn was offered a job within the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernal Affairs. The Department's names and duties vary from management to management, but underneath President Obama, the dept was once a public liaison administrative center that sought to be a go-between for the White House and quite a lot of hobby teams. Penn was once named Associate Director for the Office of Public Engagement. According to CNN, a part of Penn's tasks was once outreach and engagement with Asian and Pacific Islander communities and more than a few arts communities. However, for Penn to take in the job, he must hand over his different gig as a permanent cast member of House starring Hugh Laurie. Penn's character was killed off by a tragic suicide, which stunned enthusiasts and started a needed discussion concerning the invisibility of clinical depression.
6 He Was Made Fun Of By Obama
Love him or hate him, it can't be denied that Obama likes a excellent joke. He will gladly get in on jokes concerning the ridiculous conspiracies about him, like his beginning certificate or his use of dijon mustard (sure, any individual on Fox News in fact were given mad about that.) So it's no marvel that the 44th president preferred to rib his employees just a little too.
According to Penn, both Barack and his spouse Michelle got a laugh that Penn applied for his task via the White House website when he may have sought out the president personally, they have been already running in combination fairly intently on the campaign in the end. But Penn is a man of integrity, and he did not want people to assume that he was once, "as someone who was leveraging what modest artistic fame he had to get a serious job in the administration by making endless rounds of phone calls." He added that he wanted the process in accordance with merit, no longer connections.
5 He Almost Didn't Work For Obama
However, those connections were nonetheless needed to get him the process. Penn did no longer listen from the management for two months after he applied. The most effective reason why he were given word again used to be that throughout an opportunity assembly with Michelle Obama, Penn's agent reminded the president his client applied for a job. The first girl playfully chastised the actor for not flagging his application, like his fellow campaigners who had been employed earlier than he had. There is a lesson here for all job-seekers in the market, don't be afraid to say that you applied for the gig.
4 What Did He Accomplish?
It is tricky to mention what he accomplished as a member of the management. For one thing, jobs like his are collaborative so any fulfillment would no longer just be his own however that of himself and plenty of others. That said, during the presidency of Barack Obama the rustic saw a gentle build up in non-white representation in executive and an increase in public funding in the arts. Both of the ones things fell vastly when Obama was once replaced via Donald Trump. Penn and plenty of others from the Obama management that had been still on presidential committees resigned in 2017 in protest of Trump's response to the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that killed antifascist protester Heather Hayer.
3 What He's Done Since
Penn by no means officially surrender acting. In truth, he took a sabbatical in 2010 while working for Obama to movie a 3rd Harold and Kumar film. He returned to work after the film was once entire. Penn later served as a co-chair on Obama's 2012 reelection marketing campaign, and later was once appointed to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities in 2013, where he remained until 2017. He was additionally the grasp of ceremonies on the 2014 White House Student Film Festival. Penn additionally campaigned for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 number one and Joe Biden within the 2020 basic election. He has been a guest lecturer at multiple universities ever since leaving workplace, and yes, he's back to acting.
2 Will He Ever Return To Politics?
Whether or no longer Penn will ever serve in a federal capability ever again is still noticed but Penn by no means actually left politics. Although he is back to appearing, he has spoken in many interviews about his political views. He also campaigned for his candidate of choice in 2016, even though in 2020 he appeared torn between supporting Pete Buttigieg, Liz Warren, or Bernie Sanders once once more. In each 2016 and 2020, he campaigned for the nominated candidate whether or no longer he had supported them in the primary. There are quite a few jobs he may just soak up for President Biden or long run presidents that he is certified for. Penn holds levels in both film and sociology.
1 Celebrities In Politics
Penn is a unique entry within the lengthy historical past of the intertwining of politics and celebrities. Most stars either campaign for applicants, like how Danny Devito or Danny Glover did for Bernie Sanders, or they run for administrative center themselves, like Clay Aiken, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Donald Trump, and Caitlyn Jenner. Although maximum who run generally tend to fail, save for Schwarzenegger who easily won his reelection. Penn then again used to be some of the few stars to take an legitimate activity with an administration.
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