Dr. Lawrence Kutner met an untimely demise this week -- but hey, has anyone ever met a timely demise? -- by committing suicide on "House." Turns out it was a well-timed death, though, as the actor who played Kutner, Kal Penn (right), has a new gig: associate director in the White House office of public liaison.

Working as a conduit between the Obama administration and the arts and Asian-American communities -- or, as he told Entertainment Weekly, "the front door to the White House" -- is quite a transition for someone best known for portraying a stoner in the "Harold & Kumar" movies. It's also quite a cut in pay, said Penn, whose grandparents marched with Gandhi in the Indian independence movement.

Actually, the call to public service is a familiar clarion in the acting world, heeded in the past by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Fred Thompson, Fred (Gopher) Grandy and some guy named Reagan -- though not by CNN's Sanjay Gupta, who declined an offer to be Obama's surgeon general.

This got us thinking about other D.C. jobs that would be a good fit for TV actors. Or better yet, for the characters they play. Our nominees:

Simon Cowell of "American Idol" as chief justice of the Supreme Court: He would not settle for being a mere justice. He also would institute a chic new dress code: black T-shirts in lieu of black robes.

Comic Book Guy from "The Simpsons" as secretary of state: He's a tough-minded negotiator with gifts for plain-spokenness and sarcasm. Edges out Groundskeeper Willie (secretary of the interior) and Professor Frink (head of NASA) as a "Simpsons" nominee.

Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) of "30 Rock" as presidential press secretary: Her supreme smarts and take-care-of-the-boss-at-all-costs devotion more than offset bouts of thin-skinned insecurity.

Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) of "the Mentalist" as SEC chairman: Psychic abilities would help him nail the financial bad guys before their malfeasance cost the taxpayers any more billions.

Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) of "House" as Senate minority leader: A combative contrarian who will do anything to get his way? Perfect. Only obstacle: that whole make-your-own-rules penchant.

Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) of "Damages" as director of homeland security: Combining a ruthless, take-no-prisoners approach with compassion for the little guy, she's tough and smart enough to take care of us all.

Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia) of "Lost" as secretary of agriculture: Who better to ensure that our crops are fully utilized than a man who maintains his rotund physique while marooned on an island?

Bill Ward • 612-673-7643