****This post contains SPOILERS for this season and past seasons of House.
Well, this is depressing news for the handful of people who are still invested in House. Deadline confirms that Lisa Edelstein – who plays Lisa Cuddy on House – will not be returning next season. The next season – the eighth – has already been mired in chaotic contract re-negotiations, and Hugh Laurie has already made some noises about how he didn’t want to do it past eight seasons. Robert Sean Leonard was also rumored to be looking for a way off the show, but I think that might have ended up being a re-negotiation tool, because he signed on for the next season, as did Omar Epps. But Lisa/Cuddy is out:
There will be Huddy no more on House — co-star Lisa Edelstein will not return to the veteran Fox medical drama next season. Edelstein was one of three main cast members of House, along with Robert Sean Leonard and Omar Epps, whose original contracts expired at the end of this season. Leonard and Epps re-upped earlier this month, when Edelstein’s deal also looked on track to make. But word is that she ultimately decided not to return to the series for the next eighth (and likely final) season, putting an abrupt end to the on-again-off-again romance between her character Dr. Cuddy and Hugh Laurie’s Dr. House — aka Huddy. Along with Epps, Edelstein had been asked to take a cut from her most recent salary of $175,000 an episode, but the offer was still pretty good, so she is walking away from more than $2 million. Her departure will leave Olivia Wilde as the only regular female cast member, but with Wilde’s hot movie career, she is rarely on full-time.
Lisa Edelstein just released the following statement: “After much consideration, I am moving onward with a combination of disappointment at leaving behind a character I have loved playing for seven years and excitement of the new opportunities in acting and producing that lie ahead.”
[From Deadline]
I’ve heard Hugh Laurie speak about how much he adores Lisa, so I don’t think this is a case of a disliked cast member being pushed out. I think it’s more likely that Lisa asked for a bucket of money, and Fox was all “How about half a bucket?” And Lisa was all “NO. I QUIT THIS BITCH.” I hate to say this, but does Lisa Edelstein really think she’s going to find a better character? Why not take “the pay cut” (ooooh, $100K a week, how would she ever manage?!?) and finish your character’s story until the bitter end?
That being said, I saw the previews for next week’s season finale, and I’m pretty sure I know how they’re going to write her out. And it should be half-decent. Meh. I know I am one of the handful of people who still watches House every week – I don’t think I’ve missed an episode of the past two seasons. While some of you think that House jumped the shark long ago… yeah, you’re probably right. But I still loved the season where House slowly went insane from Vicodin-related psychosis, and I loved last season, where his sobriety made him a more interesting and more complicated man. This current season has had some HUGE problems. Many of us thought that when Cuddy and House finally got together, that it would end up working. That they would both have the will to make it work. We were wrong. They are two self-destructive narcissists who can talk themselves out of happiness, and they both chose the devils they knew rather than actually putting in the work for their relationship. I still think that the episode where Cuddy dumps House is maybe the worst, most disastrous episode EVER. If anything, THAT is when the show jumped the shark.
By the way, who watched this week’s episode? My favorite part was House and Rachel speaking “pirate” to each other. Sigh… he loves Rachel so much. He would never admit it, though.
I wonder is Cuddy will be written off with lupus?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I still watch, but Masters was the only bright spot for me this season. Agree that the Huddy breakup was too abrupt, an obvious (and lame) plot contrivance. Initially I was skeptical about LE playing the love interest, but she won me over. The show will not be the same without her.
This breaks my heart, I love her character so much 🙁
Smart woman. House is a joke at this point, sad caricature of what it used to be. Too bad Laurie signed 3 years contract after season 5 and can’t bail out. Anyways it won’t be long, they don’t even plan normal 22-24 episodes season for the next year, only 18 and even that I guess would depend on ratings.
It used to be a great show.
I don’t blame her. It does seem greed-related but I still don’t blame her. The show’s not as good anymore, her character isn’t as interesting or strong-willed as it once was, and Huddy as written didn’t work. I remember when I used to look forward to Huddy scenes due to the actors’ chemistry. Somewhere along the way the writers just didn’t do the relationship and the Cuddy character justice.
But then again, I’ve been upset since they killed off Amber and Kutner – the two most interesting characters from that recruitment arc.
This makes me sad. The show has gone downhill but I can’t imagine it without Cuddy. I don’t think I am going to have the heart to watch next season.
She is SO flipping GORGEOUS.
This was the worst season, and they both need to move on to save any reputation as B listers while a handful of fans still watch just because the past seasons were good
This is breaking my heart. I can’t imagine watching “House” without her. The 3 main characters (to me) are House, Cuddy, and Wilson. They managed to give RSL the same wages, even though he’ll be off doing Broadway for several episodes in Season 8. But for Cuddy, she’s got to take a pay cut? Not fair, especially considering all the promotion Lisa’s always done for the show. I’m hoping the suits at Fox will come to their senses and woo her back.
And, regarding the finale, by all accounts this comes as a shock to TPTB, which means there isn’t any resolution in the finale. Which would truly be a shame for all that Cuddy (and LE) has meant to the show. There should at least be a decent send-off. 🙁
This is so sad! I wanted Cuddy and House to have little “Houses”. And with Amber Tamblin gone…now there simply is no reason to watch!
Thank goodness. Cuddy was driving me nuts. Now maybe House and Wilson can finally admit their sweet, sweet love for each other.
I’m still pissed they killed off Kumar.
Meh. Can’t stand Lisa Edelstein so to me no great loss. I prefer House single anyway.
How sad! I’ve been really hoping House and Cuddy would get together in the end after all this time. Sigh…
She really should have stuck it out and cashed it in even if the numbers were lower than she thought, it’s better than nothing or whatever she’s going to try and find. It’s not easy finding a great show willing to shell out 6 figures an episode and it’s not like she’s a super popular actress outside of House.
Although, if she put out a lifestyle/ work-out video on how she stays in such incredible shape, I’d be a sucker and buy it.
Lisa went to high school with my sister. Her dad was a much respected pediatrician in town. She’s very talented, and I wish her the best. I hope she moves on to better things.
Oh no 🙁
Cuddy was my favourite character! I’m really sad she’ll be leaving, but I must agree, House has really gone downhill recently. I used to watch it religiously, but now I often forget it’s on :/
I’m not sure how the show can go on without Cuddy…
I love, love, love LE. I think she manages to project such warmth and intelligence into all of her roles. I hope she moves on to something great. I was always a huge Huddy fan–it was nice to see the male hero of a show paired with a smart, capable woman HIS OWN AGE. I thought the writers really dropped the ball with the two of them. I shall just pretend that House, Cuddy and Rachel rode off into the sunset together.
As the years have gone on I think I’ve grown to love Lisa Edelstein more than the character of Cuddy. Cuddy is constantly written to be a bimbo – she’s the head of a hospital and yet always dressed inappropriately. I’m constantly yelling at the TV about how a woman so clueless could have risen to such a powerful position. And as Kaiser observed, the break-up was just… revolting. That a grown woman, not to mention a doctor, would break up with someone in that immature fashion – basically guaranteeing an addiction relapse – it was just unbelievable.
Thus, I am choosing to believe that Edelstein, a smart, outspoken and talented professional finally got tired of playing a character who kept making such obviously stupid choices – especially if continuing to do so included a pay cut not shared by her male counterparts.
The show is going down. The chances that next season will see some great resurgence are slim. It’s not like she’s leaving at the height of the show because she thinks she’s better than it. She’s bailing from a sinking ship because they didn’t offer her enough money to justify sticking around “for the payout.”
But I will miss her.
Well, colour me disappointed. I still watch House even though it sucks now. It’s still funny sometimes. It probably won’t matter if Cuddy is gone. It’s not the same show it was a few years ago anyway. It should have gone off the air last year. Now it will die a painful death in the last season, with the remaining cast walking through their lines and viewer numbers tanking.
Shelly Long says what?
She will be missed. I still watch House whenever I’m able, on any channel.
I loved the ep this season where House was on the phone, talking to the hospital, and he didn’t want Cuddy to know so he told her he was making her a “special bath.” He threw in mouthwash, aftershave, and all kinds of stuff. It was hilarious!
Seriously?? Cuddy is leaving? BOOOOO. I’m with you, Kaiser, just take the pay cut and stick it out. It’s like, what, 23 episodes/season, right?
I’m also with you re: when the show jumped the shark — it was definitely when Cuddy dumped House (for like the world’s least sympathetic reason!!), though I can’t stop watching. The season when he got off Vicodin was actually my favorite. The episodes with Andre Braugher — especially the one with the patient who had amnesia — were all so great. I hope at least he comes back soon?? Otherwise, what is the point of watching this show when there’s nobody left who will stand up to (at least sorta) House.
Cuddy as written was never a strong, capable woman. She was the woman who always wore clothing nine sizes too small who was never once able to keep House in check but that was a good thing because she was always wrong anyway. Remember that dumbass episode with the fake disease in which the sick guy could magically divine what everyone was thinking and who the most powerful person in a room was? Oh, how I wanted him to pick Cuddy, but there was never a moment’s doubt, was there? House’s insanity is one thing, but Cuddy was a flake with weird priorities. Who cares how many towels there are supposed to be on the floor, why don’t you have kind of system in place that prevents babie from getting stolen out of their rooms? What’s an infarction, Cuddles? I remember when people were saying that Cuddy’s whole life was her job and she needed to get out. Well, that gave us baby mania (a never not-tedious arc on any show) slimy, boring Lucas who had the effect of making already seventeen-year-old Cuddy ten, and The Darkness. House needs to work with women who aren’t in love with him and men who aren’t in love with him (and shouting ‘as if!’ at the implication). But if there’s only going to be one season left and the only female character left is 13, The Grating Tough Girl who just heard some rustling from that wardrobe over there and had better investigate, I probably won’t bother making the show appointment television.
I think it’s a great show. But I never liked ‘Cuddy’ that much, so…
I lost any respect for Cuddy when she actually got together with House. I can see being drawn to him–he is charismatic–but her willingness to get involved with such an immature, vicious-practical-joke-playing john really highlighted her own dysfunction and unsalvageable poor judgement. I know its fiction, but that choice crossed a line I’d be hard-pressed to put up with in a real-life acquaintance.
I stopped watching this season. I really tried but the forced relationship between a brilliant, emotionally available woman to errrrr House was too hard to comprehend. I wish her well in future endeavours. She is a great actress.
YAY!! No more whiny Cuddy!! The show MUST have Wilson and 13. Taub should go, he icks me out. Chase and Omar are pretty important. House’s answer isn’t Cuddy…it almost jumped the shark but pulled back just in time. At least the writers didn’t push the romance.
Good riddance. Cuddy was alright in the first few seasons because she and House had such an interesting dynamic. But that’s basically all I can say I liked about her. Otherwise, she was endlessly, continually frustrating; Cuddy was a poorly written and very INCONSISTENT character. I also found Lisa Edelstein to be rather annoying in interviews with her obvious attention-whoring techniques and uncomfortable fawning and flirting with Hugh Laurie. I think she’s leaving because “Huddy” (gag @ the juvenile term) didn’t blow up as big as she was hoping and expecting, despite all the mom-jean-wearing obsessive types who started watching this last season just because of the romance aspect. So again – good bye and good riddance, Duddy. Maybe now the show can get back to being more about medicine and exploring the characters in more diverse, engaging and interesting ways than just waiting to see when House and Cuddy might produce “little Houses”.
that was my favorite part of this week’s episode too: “She floated!”
She’ll always be Karen from Seinfeld to me. Love her.
She is just an ugly, annoying, old jew, won’t miss her.
cuddy was my favorite character in the show..i will miss her..
it was a bad choice to lisa edelstein.she must finished the show!!!
love her and her character …
i stopped watching when they broke chase and cameron up. she was interesting, if a little biut whiny. i always imagined her as a hermione in muggle-world, working in a muggle hospital. and chase reminded me of malfoy in a way. (oh, carry on, carry on-i am sane, just a huge HP fan;)
Oh, come on, Leroy! Totally hateful and unacceptable comment.
I don’t see how anybody can think that taking a pay cut is the right thing to do for anybody on a show as highly rated as House. Consider, first, that Hugh Laurie is, I think, the highest paid performer in a drama on network television right now, or at least in the top five, at somewhere around $400,000 an episode, and, second, that the Man and a Half left at Two And A Half Men each make more than $250,000 per ep (more episodes but essentially equivalent air-time between sitcoms and hour-long dramas).
They wanted her to quit; asking her to accept a hair-cut is a way of telegraphing to her that her days at the top of the billing are over and she’s about to be demoted to special guest star status.
Whatever. Next season will be the last, and its about time. BTW, House has to die; there’s no satisfying way to end it. Either that or they bring Cuddy back at the very end for her and House and Rachel to ride off into the sunset together.
I don’t know that House should go off the air. The mistake started when they made him go into rehab and stop the Vicoden. If they could get the original writers and theme back to the show, I think it should have at least 10 more good seasons left. Let’s face it, there are so few good shows left on tv. WE NEED HOUSE!!
Yea!! Now maybe there will be more house and wilson time! Yippee!!
I just can’t see Foreman as head of the hospital. He is far too arrogant, hates House and isn’t much of a doctor . I would like to see Cuddy or someone new come in and take over, put Foreman back on Houses’ team and let House “let him have it”. House could have Foreman washing his car, emptying bed pans, and driving him up a wall till he quits, paying him back for all the superiority atitude that he gave House while he was boss.
We want Lisa Edelstein to be in the final pls Lisa do it for the fans say 4 words in the end plss it will not be a final if your not there!