House, M.D. is undoubtedly one of the best medical dramas of all time. Known for its titular doctor's sarcasm and philosophical explorations, this show was successful in part because of the great care that went into its ever-expanding cast of characters. This series was definitely known for its fast-paced, quick-witted dialogue, so practically every one of its best characters was not only sharp as a tack but also had their own unique attitude in dealing with the hectic world that is Princeton Plainsboro Hospital.
Some were only around for a brief period when compared to the show's massive eight-season (almost always more than twenty episodes per season) run. But showing up for at least ten episodes gave the following ten characters a sufficient role that infused this show with humor, heart, and greater emotional intelligence than you can find in most other dramas.
House
TV-14DramaMysteryUsing a crack team of doctors and his wits, an antisocial maverick doctor specializing in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way.
Release Date November 16, 2004 Creator David Shore Cast Hugh Laurie , Omar Epps , Robert Sean Leonard , Jesse Spencer , Peter Jacobson , Odette Annable , Charlyne Yi Seasons 810 Lucas Douglas
Played by Michael Weston
Lucas (Michael Weston) started out in season 5's "Not Cancer" as a private investigator House hired to track his patient and someone else, but Lucas was astute enough to figure out that Wilson was the ultimate target. On par with House in terms of genius, Lucas is also much less of a jerk and yet has enough insight to provide tokens of wisdom like this: "Only two things you ignore: things that aren't important, and things you wish weren't important. And wishing never works."
He's also better at pulling pranks, as he pits Wilson and House against each other in "Moving the Chains" by putting an opossum in Wilson's bathroom, loosening House's grab rail, and more. Though it's clear early on that he's not the smoothest at asking someone out, he manages to start dating Cuddy in season 6. This makes House jealous, turning their semi-friendship into a more complicated semi-rivalry. He may be just a side character, but his mark on the show is significant.
9 Amber Volakis
Played by Anne Dudek
Amber started off as one of the many applicants for the fellowship positions in season 4, but she stood out for her cutthroat approach towards the competition. House in turn gave her an offensive nickname that reflects this, but she's actually very nice when she isn't vying for a highly coveted job. The proof of this is simple: Wilson falls in love with her, and considers her the love of his life by the end of season 4 (by far the shortest season, which makes their level of intimacy even more impressive).
Amber's story ends tragically in the season 4 finale, and the emotion that Anne Dudek brings to the role by the end is heartbreaking. However, her character disturbingly returns as a hallucination in season 5. Indicative of House's guilt, Amber appears almost like a ghost that no one else can see but House—scaring him, making him nearly kill Chase, and misleading him into diagnoses that are harmful to others. Whether playing a real person or an extension of House's subconscious, this side character's presence is scene-stealing.
8 Stacy Warner
Played by Sela Ward
Stacy (Sela Ward) lived with House for five years, so she knows him better than anybody. Though they broke up after House's leg surgery, it appears they still have feelings for each other when she is hired as Princeton Plainsboro's General Counsel. Cuddy actually asks House if he's okay with it first, as she knows that they might be uncomfortable seeing each other in the workplace so often. The plot-line that follows is one of the reasons for why seasons 1 and 2 are among the best seasons of the series.
It's revealed in "Three Stories" that Stacy is actually the person who decided that House would be given the surgery that gave him his limp, as that was safer than the option that House wanted for his life-threatening illness. Lots to unpack there, and years later she is married to someone who becomes a patient at the hospital. But Stacy brings lots of humor to the show, as well. Her experience with House and his love for her come out when they're, say, stuck in the airport together. Though she is only around relatively briefly, she remains an integral part of House's backstory and continuing development.
7 Eric Foreman
Played by Omar Epps
Neurologist Dr. Foreman is arguably more like House than anyone else. He doesn't care what other people think of him, he can be a bit stubborn, he really likes being in charge, and Cuddy often puts him in charge when House is unavailable. It's both amusing and telling to watch Foreman have trouble finding a job outside Princeton Plainsboro for being a protégé of the most controversial diagnostician in the country.
But he is also willing to stand up to his boss when he feels he needs to. Everyone does this at some point, admittedly, but Foreman more so. He is definitely nicer and less manipulative than House, so he serves as a constantly interesting foil. Whether it's through the intensity in episodes like "Euphoria" or the nuance in his complex relationship with Thirteen in season 5, actor Omar Epps is able to keep Eric Foreman compelling for all eight seasons.
6 Robert Chase
Played by Jesse Spencer
Dr. Chase (Jesse Spencer) is one of the best surgeons in Princeton Plainsboro, but, more often than not, he's one of House's lackeys. House claims that he hired Chase because his father (a world-renowned doctor) made a phone call, but Chase has enough moments of brilliance to prove that he's worthy of his position. He's able to put up with a lot, but the man does have his limits. His relationship with his father is rocky at best, and there comes a time when he punches House in the face. Extra points for that.
Chase can have fun, too. His bachelor party is pretty wild before it suddenly goes wrong, and there comes a time in "Private Lives" when he goes speed dating with House and Wilson. It's hilarious to watch the handsome doctor with an Australian accent pretend to be a non-professional gamer with an average American accent. Humor aside, though, his relationship with Cameron is also filled with moving drama and complexity to make the show better and more realistic than it already was.
5 Remy "Thirteen" Hadley
Played by Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is most widely known today as the director of Booksmart and Don't Worry Darling, but for a while she played one of the main doctors on House. Dr. Remy Hadley is most commonly known as "Thirteen" because that was her number during season 4's elimination-style job application process. Though season 4 was very much a transition period for the show, given House's original employees had to be replaced, Hadley's empathy and humor helped restore what had been lost.
Huntington's disease runs in the family, and Thirteen confirms soon enough that she has it, too. House is callous enough to bring this up relatively often, as well as her bisexuality and experience with drugs. Dr. Hadley is tough enough to deal with this, but her character nevertheless presents a tragic and character-revealing question: How do you deal with knowing your eventual cause of death, and that it will come sooner than most others'? Her inner conflict, complicated further by her relationship with Foreman, is one of the most compelling on the show.
4 Allison Cameron
Played by Jennifer Morrison
Dr. Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) is commonly known as the most compassionate member of the team. In many ways, she serves as an antithesis to House's amoral approach to other people's overall comfort and self-esteem. Given that Cameron once married a man whom she knew had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and would probably die soon afterward, House goes so far as to suggest that she looks for people to fix. Perhaps that's why she develops a crush on him early on in the show, but that doesn't last for too long.
Just because she's kind doesn't mean she's not stubborn, though. Allison Cameron is just as likely to undermine or argue with House when she thinks he's gone too far as anybody else. Later in the show, it's clear she's gotten tougher, and her relationship with Chase offers a very emotional character arc for both of them. Many argue that the original three employees under House's rule are the best, and Cameron supports that theory even when she's not working for him anymore.
3 James Wilson
Played by Robert Sean Leonard
Dr. Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) is easily one of the kindest and most sympathetic characters on the show. He has been House's only friend ever since House bailed him out of jail, an infinitely ironic start to their relationship. Whether he's sacrificing his own job to keep Vogler from firing House, standing up to Officer Tritter in court to defend House, or going behind House's own back to keep him from destroying himself, Wilson proves to be an incredibly loyal friend.
Wilson's character becomes even more nuanced after he cuts ties with House at the start of season 5, forcing House to reflect on his own behavior and try to win him back. House can definitely be mean to him sometimes—but, to be fair, the series itself is much meaner. Wilson is thrice divorced, he's an oncologist whose sensitive nature makes it hard to deal with death all the time, his relationship with Amber ends in tragedy, and the way the show concludes his character's story arc just isn't fair. In any case, his overall humor and pathos elevate the series to another level.
2 Lisa Cuddy
Played by Lisa Edelstein
Dean of Medicine Dr. Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) is the only character who can really keep House under control. Which makes sense, given her talents as Chief Hospital Administrator prove that she's capable of keeping an entire hospital under control (not an easy task). You've got to be tough to handle that kind of job, but Dr. Cuddy also has a wit and capacity for empathy that rival her remarkable work ethic. Her character is so interesting that she even gets her own episode. It's called "5 to 9," and it's a classic.
Lisa Cuddy's personal life is significant to her character, too. For instance, her journey to become a mother is difficult; the emotional complexities of the situation are both realistic and heartrending. There's also her relationship with House, which evolves gradually over the course of the show. Their romance arguably doesn't end as it should, but it's one of the major reasons why Season 6's finale is one of the best episodes in the series.
1 Gregory House
Played by Hugh Laurie
House, M.D. is one of Hugh Laurie's best television shows, and his performance is the biggest reason why. His sarcasm, indifference, gait, and pill-popping are the biggest trademarks. But there's also the way he stares at the whiteboard of symptoms for hours, as if hypnotized; the way he bounces a ball to concentrate; and the way he gets an epiphany mid-conversation and leaves without saying goodbye. House may be the head of Diagnostics at Princeton Plainsboro, but he has many other talents as well. He's a good pianist, he's multilingual, and he throws a heck of a bachelor party.
He's also a pretty instructive anti-hero who offers fascinating insights into human psychology, the human condition, and (of course) human anatomy. Whether you understand biology or not, Dr. Gregory House will probably have an analogy that will help you understand what's going on with this patient. One might think it would be difficult to root for a character who repeatedly insists that "everybody lies." At his best, though, House is more likely to restore the viewer's hope in humanity.
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