Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Kal Penn robbed at gunpoint

April 21, 2010 10:14 IST

Indian-American actor Kal Penn, who works in the White House's Office of Public Liaison, has been robbed at gunpoint in Washington DC.

Penn, whose real name is Kalpen Modi, was in the Dupont Circle area of the US capital when a gunman stole his wallet and other belongings on Tuesday.

Penn's former publicist Jennifer Goodwin confirmed a report on TMZ.com that Penn was robbed, the Chicago Tribune reported.

According to a police crime summary, an armed robber forced a victim to lie on the ground and give up his cell phone and other possessions.

It, however, did not include names, the paper said. Penn played Kumar in the movie HaroldĀ and Kumar Go to White Castle and had a recurring role on the Fox show House.

He has been working in the White House's Office of Public Liaison Associate Director in its Office of Public Engagement for less than a year, focusing on connecting US President Barack Obama with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.

It was reported that Penn was planning to leave the White House to resume his acting career, with a Christmas-themed Harold and Kumar movie in the pipeline.

Penn was a prominent campaigner during President Obama's 2008 White House bid, and was offered a job in the administration in 2009.

Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/ Reuters

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.