Kal Penn

House left viewers constantly on the edge of their seats, week after week. Kal Penn played the role of Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the show. Fans were shocked to see the character end up shooting himself in one episode. Penn confesses that he was only killed off to allow him to pursue projects outside of acting, one of which was to work for the Obama administration.

At the time he was raking in $100,000 an episode, and he revealed to the LA Times that there were no issues with creative differences or on-set drama that led to his decision. He left completely of his own volition, seeking out a new industry in which to hone his skills.