Whatever Happened To The Cast Of House, M.D.?
In November 2004, the world was introduced to a misanthropic, cane-wielding, pill-popping medical savant named Dr. Gregory House. Premiering on FOX, "House, M.D." swiftly garnered the adoration of audiences and soon renewed for another season almost as fast as one could say "it's never lupus".
Several different factors drew audiences to the show; One of them is simply that the show premiered at the right place and at the right time. The long-standing NBC drama "E.R." (1994) was renewed for yet another season, but it was still a year before the introduction of "Grey's Anatomy" (2005) on ABC, so viewers were eager to welcome this fresh take on a medical drama.
Loosely based on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, creator David Shore reflected on the success of "House": "It's been quite literally beyond my wildest dreams. If someone had guaranteed me that I would get three years on the air and enough of an audience to stay on the air, I would have been thrilled with that," he shared with Entertainment Weekly. "It never occurred to me that it would have this sort of following and this sort of excitement. It's been amazing." As 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of the show's series finale, we're taking some time off clinic duty to reflect on where the cast is now.
Hugh Laurie (Gregory House)
Cast as the titular role for Head of Diagnostics, Hugh Laurie actually wasn't the producers' first choice. After initial casting rounds failed to yield the "quintessentially American person" they were looking for, producers widened the net in search of the perfect anti-hero. Laurie, already a well-known British actor in his home country, was mostly unknown in the United States at the time. "See, this is what I want, an American guy," exclaimed unsuspecting director and executive producer Bryan Singer as he watched Laurie's audition tape – a testament to the actor's talent. Laurie would go on to be nominated for six Emmys and win a Golden Globe for his performance.
Laurie stepped (uh, limped) into the role of the arrogant doctor with a humbler approach. "One of the things that makes me feel guilty about playing this role is that my dad was a doctor," Laurie told USA Today. "He was a very gentle soul and, I think, a very good doctor. And I'm probably being paid more to become a fake version of my own father."
After hanging up his cane, Laurie would later go on to win another Golden Globe for his performance in AMC's limited series "The Night Manager" and earn another Emmy nomination for a guest-starring role in HBO's acclaimed satire "Veep." You can catch Laurie in Netflix's upcoming limited series adaptation of the best-selling novel "All The Light We Cannot See" in early 2023.
Jesse Spencer (Robert Chase)
Princeton Plainsboro's dreamy surgeon Dr. Robert Chase won our hearts with his Aussie charm, good looks, and golden hair. One of three original members of House's team, Chase periodically questioned his place as a doctor, as he was ultimately hand-picked after his well-known father, Dr. Chase Sr., made some influential calls to the hospital. In real life, actor Jesse Spencer also came from a family of doctors himself, with his dad, brothers, and sister all in practice.
"I murdered the American accent," Aussie-native Jesse Spencer exclaimed, recalling how Chase was initially intended to be an American doctor. However, after a few discussions with director and executive producer Bryan Singer, Chase eventually evolved from American to British to Australian. Spencer would appear in all eight seasons of House, despite getting fired from House's team in Season 3, and then ultimately taking over House's title as Head of Diagnostics in Season 8.
After hanging up his white coat, Spencer swiftly returned to primetime television, starring in NBC's drama "Chicago Fire" as firefighter Matthew Casey. He'd also appear in crossover episodes for sister-shows "Chicago P.D." and "Chicago Med." This television role would last for nine years; Spencer recently made his exit in 2021, which was met with bittersweet praise and sadness from fans. Spencer's upcoming projects include the Disney+ series "Last Days of the Space Age," where he'll return to his native homeland, as the show is set in 1970s Perth, Australia.
Jennifer Morrison (Allison Cameron)
Hopeful yet cautious immunologist Dr. Cameron was the only woman on House's founding team. Initially, she was attracted to House, but House pointed out that she was drawn to him merely because he was damaged and in need of help. Therein lies the core of Cameron's philosophy as a doctor — wanting to help those in need, regardless of the outcome. (A young bride of 21, she married a man diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer with a 6-month lifeline). Cameron would exit in Season 6.
Since her departure, Jennifer Morrison stayed occupied in her line of work, starring in ABC's hit adventure-fantasy "Once Upon a Time" as Emma Swan for six seasons. Shortly after, she picked up a recurring cast member credit in "This is Us."
Morrison would later make her feature directorial debut in the Netflix film "Sun Dogs." Of her experiencing directing, she told Entertainment Weekly, "I've learned a lot about myself, having directed the film. You don't know what kind of director you're going to be until you're in that situation, until you're making 1,000 decisions a minute, and you have 200 people looking at you, relying on you.... I really enjoy being able to problem solve in that position." She'd later return behind the camera to direct an episode of HBO's critically-acclaimed series "Euphoria." You can catch Morrison in ABC's upcoming drama series "Will Trent".
Omar Epps (Eric Foreman)
Hard-headed neurologist Dr. Eric Foreman joined House's initial team of diagnostics alongside Chase and Cameron. Intelligent and hard-working, Foreman's ambitions wouldn't go unnoticed, as he'd later claim the title of Dean of Medicine in a later season. Though he struggled to admit it, Foreman oftentimes recognized similarities between him and House — a realization that no person of upstanding morals or a hint of ethical beliefs would ever want to have. Fearing he'd continue to pick up on House's unprincipled ways, Foreman excused himself from the team in Season 3. After much reconsideration, he'd later rejoin House's team.
Omar Epps had no doubt in his mind that the show would be a worldwide hit. "The thing I would say to international viewers is, watch the show. Have fun and take this journey with us as we grow into a mega-show," he exclaimed during an initial press round. It wouldn't be long before Epps' prediction rang true, as his contract would be renewed for all eight seasons.
After departing Princeton Plainsboro for good, Epps would go on to network-hop over to ABC, where he'd star in the primetime drama "Resurrection," which, for a midseason premiere, was welcomed with impressive numbers in viewership and ratings. Epps would later reunite with House alum Jennifer Morrison for a few episodes in "This is Us." Epps will soon be seen in Lee Daniels' upcoming Netflix horror film "The Deliverance," slated for a 2023 release.
Robert Sean Leonard (James Wilson)
House's best and only friend, Head of Oncology Dr. Wilson, would tolerate him for the entirety of the series. The Watson to House's Holmes, it's fair to say Wilson may have suffered the most from House's blatant disregard for common courtesy. Even so, he always managed to stick around, providing House with loyalty, companionship, and oftentimes enabling his addictive behavior — whether he realized it or not.
"I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan ... and it's fun to not be 'the guy', but the guy 'the guy' counts on," Robert Sean Leonard shared while reflecting on his initial appeal to the script of the show. Humorously alluding to House and Wilson's relationship, he added, "And I also love 'The Odd Couple.'"
Regarding hanging up his stethoscope and moving on, Leonard said, "I feel great. It's very much like summer when you're in school and it starts getting warmer. I like jobs ending, it feels good to me ... I'm excited about moving on." Leonard went on to appear in an array of brief stints in television, including "The Good Wife," "Law and Order: SVU," and "The Good Doctor." His upcoming project is a recurring role in Season 2 of HBO's period drama "The Gilded Age."
Lisa Edelstein (Lisa Cuddy)
Dean of Medicine and complex romantic interest to House, Lisa Cuddy bent the rules and sidelined HR complaints for House in the name of diagnostics — or was it nepotism? With a heavy schedule of managing an entire hospital of doctors, House was the one employee who'd often burden her further, as patients frequently complained to her of his abhorrent disregard for consent, and potential hospital financial donors retracted their offers upon chance encounters with him. Cuddy would make a sudden exit after Season 7.
The real reason behind actress Lisa Edelstein's sudden exit from the series was reportedly a dispute in pay. As many colleagues would accept a pay cut while entering the final season of the show, Edelstein could not come to a mutual conclusion with the network. As a result, she bowed out for the final season. "It was very sad and very disappointing and a really difficult decision to make. But ultimately, I felt like it was the best thing for me to do for myself and for my business," she explained to TVLine.
After divorcing the show, Lisa would go on to star in the Bravo TV series "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce," which ran for five seasons. Her other post-"House" credits include a voiceover role in "American Dad," "The Good Wife," "Castle," and putting her white coat back on for "The Good Doctor."
Peter Jacobson (Chris Taub)
After leaving behind a successful plastic surgery practice, Chris Taub earned his fellowship with House through a series of games that spanned the first few episodes of Season 4. From that point onward, he remained as a major character throughout the rest of the show's run. Ever elusive, Taub would steadily develop into the one of very few voices of reason who'd stand up to House's often bizarre ideas.
"My manager called me about an audition for a recurring role on 'House' that could also possibly turn into a series regular. I was told it would be nine episodes in which my character would be trying to get chosen for House's new team. Which also meant that I, the actor, would essentially be auditioning through all those episodes. This seemed like it might be pretty stressful for me," Peter Jacobson shared regarding his initial casting thoughts. "A couple weeks later, I heard I got the gig."
On the series ending, Jacobson shared, "I felt like there was a part of me that wanted to do something else. And we all probably felt some of the exhaustion from being on it that long. So I was kind of ready to move on." Jacobson would go on to snag TV credits like "Ray Donovan" and "Battle Creek," where he briefly reunited with creator David Shore. His latest project has been a recurring role in "Fear the Walking Dead."
Olivia Wilde (Remy Hadley, or Thirteen)
Olivia Wilde's character Dr. Hadley — widely known as "Thirteen"– joined House's team in Season 4. A wild card (or perhaps "Wilde" card), Thirteen became a fan-favorite, as her development would continuously unfold with unsuspecting quirks and personality traits. Genetically, her traits would eventually yield her to test positive for Huntington's Chorea, which would become a major subplot for her character in further seasons.
Wilde would later take a leave of absence to work on other projects, before briefly returning to the show. "She had this opportunity and she was really excited about it," executive producer Katie Jacobs shared with Entertainment Weekly. "We're very proud of her and very happy for her." Regarding her departure, Wilde told EW, "I had such an amazing run on the show. They've done such cool things with my character. She's been so fascinating, dynamic and cool and unpredictable."
Wilde's projects outside of "House" include a multitude of Hollywood blockbusters, such as "Tron: Legacy," "Cowboys and Aliens," and "Her." She recently made her directorial debut in the coming-of-age film "Booksmart." Wilde spoke to Vanity Fair about the challenges female directors face with studios, stating, "The only way we're going to make any headway as female directors in this industry is if more people take risks on new talent." Her next directorial project is the upcoming "Don't Worry Darling." Wilde will also soon star in the upcoming period drama "Babylon," alongside Hollywood hotshots Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Tobey Maguire.
Kal Penn (Lawrence Kutner)
Dr. Lawrence Kutner joined House's team in Season 4. Lovable and nerdy, this specialist in sports medicine eased himself into the team alongside the other newcomers. Kal Penn would be a recurring cast member from Season 4 to halfway through Season 5. His exit from the show unfolded in a tragic twist, leaving viewers startled.
Penn's reason for his swift departure can be credited to a call of duty, as Penn accepted a position as a junior staff member with the Obama White House administration, advocating for the arts communities, young Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. His journey to the White House began on the Obama campaign trail, and he later submitted an application for the job. Hesitant to fall into a "privileged actor" stereotype by leveraging his many connections, Penn would stay quiet about his application and accepted that the long-standing silence following the application meant it was a no-go. A later encounter with incoming First Lady Michelle Obama would then expedite that application process.
Penn later "Penn"-ed a memoir titled "You Can't Be Serious," which details his journey from Hollywood to the White House and finding his career path as a person of color. "There was never a book that said, 'This is how you navigate the entertainment industry as a young man of color,'" he told The New York Times. The book also served as his way of coming out as gay, as he dedicated a chapter to his long-term partner.
Anne Dudek (Amber Volakis)
Cutthroat and conniving, Dr. Amber Volakis all but manipulated her way to the final rounds of House's fellowship trials in Season 4. Her delicate pearls and blonde locks suggested innocence and grace, which Amber was everything but. Amber would tragically exit in a Season 4 finale that fans wouldn't ever forget. However, in true Amber fashion, she found ways of coming back to House's life through his drug-induced psychosis which would serve as a pivotal sub-plot for the third act of the following season.
Reflecting on her time on "House," actress Anne Dudek shared, "I thought, 'they're going to write a really great fiery ending for her. She's going to go down in flames, but at least it's going to be fun.' But I think there weren't a lot of characters like that on prime-time television shows. Whether you want to say she's a strong woman or an evil character or whatever, Amber was pretty unique, and I felt really blessed to have had that role and to have played that character."
After her final bow from the series finale, Dudek would later on appear in a number of other TV shows, including fellow medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," "The Mindy Project," "The Flash," and "How I Met Your Mother."