Shocking Exit Stories: 7 House MD Actors Who Walked Away Before the Finale

Summary

Several prominent cast members from

House

did not make it to the final season, leaving the medical drama either permanently or temporarily.

Lisa Edelstein, Jennifer Morrison, Olivia Wilde, Kal Penn, Amber Tamblyn, Sela Ward, and Anne Dudek all left

House

Throughout the show, they left for several reasons, including contract disputes, limitations in the storyline, new career prospects, and planned appearances in other projects.

A number of well-known actors from the House cast did not remain until the show's conclusion. House ran for a total of eight seasons, during which certain characters departed from the medical drama, whether for good or temporarily. However, many of them made a comeback for House's dramatic series finale.

Originally airing from 2004 to 2012, House depicted the titular character, Dr. Gregory House (played by Hugh Laurie), as he worked at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Throughout the series, House had a rotating roster of doctors on his diagnostic team. Nevertheless, prior to the final season, several of them left the show.

7 Lisa Edelstein

Lisa Edelstein played the character Dr. Lisa Cuddy throughout the entire run of the show House, except for the final season. Cuddy was the Dean of Medicine at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and often clashed with the main character, House, due to his unconventional medical practices. Her interactions with House were a significant source of conflict in the show.

Cuddy's departure from the show occurred at the end of season 7, after House intentionally crashed his car into her home. Despite plans for her character to return, Edelstein decided not to come back after receiving her contract offer. Speculation suggests that Edelstein was not satisfied with the reduced budget for the eighth season. In an interview with TVLine, Edelstein stated that she believed it was the right time for Cuddy's story to end, emphasizing that the show did not focus on happy endings.

6 Jennifer Morrison

Jennifer Morrison starred as Dr. Allison Cameron in the television show House from the pilot episode until House season 6, episode 8, "Teamwork." She was also seen briefly in episode 17, "Lockdown," where she officially ended things with her husband, Chase. Additionally, Morrison made a cameo appearance in the series finale, House season 8, episode 22 "Everybody Dies."

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Morrison expressed confusion over the decision to write her character out of House. Although she was interested in reprising the role, she did not reappear until the finale. It is possible that the writers had exhausted storylines for Cameron and were unsure of where her narrative could logically progress. Ultimately, the explosive end of her marriage to Chase led to the decision for Cameron to leave Princeton Plainsboro.

5 Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde joined the cast of House in season 4, episode 2, titled "The Right Stuff." In the show, she portrayed the character of Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley. Thirteen became an integral part of House's diagnostic team and made regular appearances until the beginning of season 7. At that point, Thirteen requested a break from her duties after being diagnosed with Huntington's disease. However, she later returned to the team in episode 18, titled "The Dig," and remained on the show until season 8, episode 3, titled "Charity," when she permanently left. Thirteen also made guest appearances in the show's final two episodes.

During House season 7, Olivia Wilde's temporary absence from the show was incorporated into the storyline to allow her to star in Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens (according to TV Guide). In season 8, Wilde officially departed House in order to focus more on her career in movies. Since leaving the show, Olivia Wilde has achieved great success, both as an actress and director, taking on various roles in cinema and theater.

4 Kal Penn

In season 4, episode 2 of House titled "The Right Stuff," Kal Penn joined the main cast as Dr. Lawrence Kutner. Kutner played a significant role throughout seasons 4 and 5 as an important member of House's team. However, his sudden death in season 5, episode 20 called "Simple Explanation" shocked and confused his colleagues. Despite his demise, Kutner appeared in House's hallucinations in the intense season 5 finale, "Both Sides Now," and the show's final episode, "Everybody Dies."

Kutner's unexpected departure from House was due to Kal Penn's career opportunity as associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement under the Obama administration. Penn and David Shore, the show's creator, reportedly had a friendly discussion about Penn's future with the series, resulting in his character being written out of House. During his two-year tenure in the White House, Penn took a temporary break from acting, and he ultimately left his position in 2011.

3 Amber Tamblyn

Amber Tamblyn portrayed Dr. Martha Masters in House season 7. She joined the show in episode 6, "Office Politics," as a replacement for Thirteen. In the series, Masters clashed with House due to her strong moral compass, leading to her eventual dismissal in episode 19, "Last Temptation." After leaving Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, Masters only returned for House's funeral in the finale, "Everybody Dies." In an interview with TVLine, Tamblyn revealed that she was initially hired for 13 episodes, coinciding with Thirteen's absence while filming Cowboys & Aliens. Despite this limited stint, Tamblyn expressed her difficulty in leaving the show and her overall enjoyment of the experience.

2 Sela Ward

Sela Ward made her debut as Stacy Warner in the 21st episode of the first season of House titled "Three Stories." Stacy was introduced as House's former partner, who had to make a difficult decision regarding his leg surgery. Throughout the second season of House, Stacy continued to appear as the hospital's lawyer, and during that time, she reignited her romance with House. After being rejected by House, Stacy decided to quit her job at the hospital and ultimately left the series for good. Similar to other cast members of House, she made a cameo appearance at House's funeral in the episode "Everybody Dies."

Initially, Ward's role in House was only intended to last for two episodes in the first season. However, the strong chemistry between her and Hugh Laurie was so well-received that she was asked to return for a larger role in the second season. Unfortunately, she did not come back for subsequent seasons and her next appearance was her brief appearance in the House finale.

1 Anne Dudek

Anne Dudek joined the cast of House in season 4, episode 2, titled "The Wright Stuff," along with Wilde and Penn. She played the role of Dr. Amber Volakis, a potential team member considered by House. Although House did not hire her, Amber formed a romantic relationship with Dr. James Wilson (played by Robert Sean Leonard) and became a regular character until her dramatic death in a bus crash in episode 16, "Wilson's Heart." In House season 5, Amber reappeared as a hallucination, serving as the primary antagonist for the season. She also appeared in House's hallucinations during the series finale, "Everybody Dies."

Initially, Dudek was only supposed to appear in a few episodes of House before reprising her role in season 5 as the Amber hallucination. Following the departure of Penn's character and Kutner's death, Dudek portrayed the Amber hallucination in four episodes of House season 5. She represented House's struggle to come to terms with Kutner's death while trying to fill the void left by Penn. Like other actors who left the show, Dudek has had a successful career after her time on House.

Source: TVLine, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide