Kal Penn on Working at The White House & Designated Survivor

AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
WHICH IS I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY
GET TIRED OF TALKING ABOUT.
SUCH A NOVELTY FOR AN ACTOR TO
HAVE HAD A REAL JOB.
TO LIKE GO BACK AND FORTH
BETWEEN A REAL LIKE SERIOUS JOB.
I'M SO INTERESTED.
>> IT WAS AMAZING, MAN.
LOOK, I NEVER THOUGHT -- THAT
WAS NEVER REALLY A GOAL PER SE.
I WORKED ON THE PRESIDENT'S
2007 -- EX-PRESIDENT'S 2007
CAMPAIGN.
IT JUST SORT OF FLOWED INTO AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AT THE
WHITE HOUSE.
BUT INCREDIBLE.
I AGREE WITH YOU.
SIT AGENT A DESK FOR 18 HOURS A
DAY AS OPPOSED TO BEING IN YOUR
TRAILER WITH PEOPLE BRINGING YOU
COFFEE IS VERY DIFFERENT.
>> Jimmy: WERE YOU WORKING 18
HOURS A DAY?
>> TACKLING HEALTH CARE AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> Jimmy: WAS IT FUN?
WAS IT REWARDING?
DO YOU FEEL NOW LIKE YOU'RE
WASTING YOUR LIFE?
>> MY FIRST LOVE IS ALWAYS
FILMMAKING AND COMEDY AND THINGS
LIKE THAT.
>> Jimmy: GOTCHA.
>> BUT YEAH, INCREDIBLY
REWARDING.
>> Jimmy: ON "DESIGNATED
SURVIVOR" YOU'RE IN THE WHITE
HOUSE, THAT MUST BE KIND OF
WEIRD TO BE WORKING ON A SET
THAT'S A RECREATION OF THE PLACE
YOU ACTUALLY WORKED AT IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
>> YEAH, THAT'S A LITTLE
STRANGE.
THINGS ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE ON
OUR SET.
>> Jimmy: THEY ARE.
>> EXCEPT THE OVAL OFFICE IS TO
SCALE AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT
JOB REPLICATING IT.
ALL THE OTHER ROOMS ARE IN THE
WRONG PLACE, SOMETIMES YOU'LL
GET LOST.
>> Jimmy: DO YOU CORRECT THEM
WHEN THINGS ARE NOT EXACTLY AS
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE?
THE PEOPLE ON THE SET?
>> SOMETIMES.
IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW -- I THINK
PART OF NOT CORRECTING THEM IS
LETTING THEM GO CRAZY WITH THE
FICTION.
WHICH IS PROBABLY WHAT PEOPLE
WANT TO SEE, INSTEAD OF JUST THE
ACCURACY.
>> Jimmy: I SEE.
SOMETIMES THERE MUST BE THINGS
THAT YOU GO, NO, THAT GUY
WOULDN'T STAND THERE LIKE THAT.
THIS GUY WOULDN'T DO THAT.
DO YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT
BECAUSE IT'S ANNOYING TO OTHERS?
>> THIS IS A POINT OF
CONTENTION.
I FEEL LIKE I'M ALWAYS THE
ANNOYING ONE.
>> Jimmy: UH-HUH, OKAY.
>> BUT I SAY IT ANYWAY.
>> Jimmy: YOU DO, YEAH.
>> A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL
GO -- YOU CAN'T SAY IT IN LIKE A
NASTY WAY, RIGHT?
>> Jimmy: RIGHT, RIGHT.
>> SAY IT WITH A SMILE.
THE WRITERS WILL GO, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
WHICH IS FINE.
BUT IT'S FUN.
>> Jimmy: NOW YOU'RE PLAYING THE
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY,
WHICH PROBABLY WHEN YOU SIGNED
ON DIDN'T SEEM LIKE SUCH AN
INTERESTING -- IT'S AN
INTERESTING JOB, BUT NOW IT'S
THE MOST INTERESTING JOB IN THE
WORLD.
>> IT IS, YEAH.
I WATCH A LOT OF SEAN SPICER'S
PRESS BRIEFINGS TO LEARN
SPECIFICALLY WHAT NOT TO DO.
[ LAUGHTER ]
AS A PRESS SECRETARY.
BUT BEFORE THAT JOB, SEAN SPICER
WAS VERY KIND IN LETTING ME
SHADOW HIM A LITTLE BIT.
I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO
WORKED UP TO THE LAST DAY OF THE
ADMINISTRATION.
GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON EXACTLY
WHAT THAT JOB SHOULD BE LIKE.
IT'S BEEN FUN.
>> Jimmy: YOU'RE PLAYING IT MORE
REALISTICALLY THAN THE GUY WHO'S
ACTUALLY DOING IT.
>> I GUESS.
[ LAUGHTER ]
WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, THE
WRITERS HAD ASKED ME WHAT'S A
PRESS SECRETARY'S JOB LIKE?
MY BIGGEST NOTE FOR THEM WAS, NO
MATTER WHAT, THE PRESS SECRETARY
DOES NOT LIE TO PEOPLE.
DOESN'T LIE TO JOURNALISTS,
DOESN'T LIE.
THEN YOU LOSE CREDIBILITY AND
YOUR BOSS, THE PRESIDENT, LOSES
CREDIBILITY.
THEN LITERALLY SEAN SPICER'S
FIRST PRESS BRIEFING, HE LIES
ABOUT -- I HAD TO CALL THE
WRITERS, I PROMISE YOU, STILL,
PLEASE.
>> Jimmy: THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S
SUPPOSED TO GO, NOT HOW IT'S
SUPPOSED TO GO.
>> Jimmy: DO YOU EVER FEEL SORRY
FOR HIM?
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY DOING
HIS JOB BUT THERE'S CONNECTION
THERE.
I SEE HIM, I SOMETIMES FEEL -- I
LIKE TO IMAGINE HIM LOOKING AT
TRUMP'S TWITTER IN THE MORNING
GOING, OH MY GOD, WHAT AM I
GOING TO SAY ABOUT THIS?
>> NO, I DON'T FEEL BAD, WHY DO
YOU FEEL SORRY -- THAT'S A JOB
HE CHOSE AND THAT HE IS DOING A
FANTASTIC JOB.
>> Jimmy: MAYBE I HAVE MORE
EMPATHY, I'M JUST A BETTER HUMAN
BEING.
>> YOU MIGHT BE.
>> Jimmy: WE MAY LOOK ALIKE ON
THE OUTSIDE BUT ON THE INSIDE --
>> YOU'RE JUST A BETTER PERSON.
>> Jimmy: I'VE GOT A HEART OF
GOLD.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
ARE YOU HAVING FUN?
IS THIS A FUN SHOW TO DO IN
GENERAL?
>> I LOVE IT.
WE FILM IN TORONTO.
IT'S A GREAT CAST.
>> Jimmy: DIDN'T YOU DO "HAROLD
AND KUMAR" IN TORONTO?
>> YOU HAVE A GREAT MEMORY.
>> Jimmy: EVERYTHING IS IN
TORONTO MONTHS IS WHAT IT IS.
YOU DID THAT MOVIE UP IN
TORONTO.
THEN YOU CAME, YOU LEFT THE
WHITE HOUSE TO DO THE CHRISTMAS
"HAROLD AND KUMAR," CORRECT?
>> YEAH.
>> Jimmy: HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN
THAT TO OBAMA?
HEY, I GOT THESE -- IT'S A
WHOLE -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE
SEEN -- HAD HE SEEN THE MOVIES?
>> I THINK SO.
HE'S VERY POP CULTURE SAVVY.
BUT I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE
BEST -- WHAT DO YOU SAY?
I HAVE ANOTHER STONER MOVIE TO
MAKE, SIR.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET HEALTH CARE
REFORM PASSED FOR 20 MILLION
PEOPLE, I'M GOING TO FILM A
MOVIE WITH A FRIEND IN TORONTO.
IT WAS NICE TO GO BACK.
>> Jimmy: I WOULD THINK SO.
WELCOME BACK TO "FAKE REALITY."
THE SHOW IS CALLED "DESIGNATED
SURVIVOR

Kal Penn on Working at The White House & Designated Survivor

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