President Barack Obama : Preparing for the Democratic National Convention

President Barack Obama dials in to a mysterious V.I.P. in this online teaser video for the Democratic National Convention. He, and the rest of the world are counting on special reinforcements to make the event something extra special. If you haven't seen the video already, watch, before reading on.

Turns out the guy on Obama's lifeline is actor Kal Penn, appearing alongside fellow actor John Cho. The pair are channeling their fictional pothead personas, Harold and Kumar, to announce that Penn will be hosting Thursday night's event. But Penn's presence at the DNC won't bring just Hollywood appeal.

The actor famously stepped out of the celebrity spotlight in 2009 to become an official member of Obama's administration as Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. He left the post in 2010 to return to acting and shot A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, but later made his way back to the White House in February 2012 to become a co-chair for Obama's re-election campaign.