James Wilson (House)

"Wilson (House)" redirects here. For the 2009 episode from the show's sixth season, see Wilson (House episode).

James Wilson, M.D.
House character
First appearance"Pilot" (1.01)
Last appearance"Everybody Dies" (8.22)
Portrayed byRobert Sean Leonard
In-universe information
Full nameJames Evan Wilson
GenderMale
OccupationHead of the Department of Oncology
FamilyDanny Wilson (brother)
SpouseDr. Sam Carr (ex-wife)
Bonnie (ex-wife)
Julie (ex-wife)

James Evan Wilson,[1] M.D., is a fictional character on the medical drama House. He is played by Robert Sean Leonard.[2] The character first appears in the show's pilot episode when he introduces a medical case to the protagonist, Dr. Gregory House.[3] Wilson is Dr. House's only true friend;[4] he frequently provides him with consultations and aid.[5] Wilson is the head of the Department of Oncology at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.[6]

During the show's run, the characters of House and Wilson have been compared to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.[7] Wilson's portrayer, Robert Sean Leonard, has stated that his character and Dr. House were originally supposed to play these roles; but Dr. House's diagnostic team has taken over Dr. Wilson's part.[7] Leonard also read the script of the pilot episode of CBS' Numb3rs and was planning to audition. He auditioned for Wilson instead because he felt he would more enjoy playing the character that House went to for help and because he liked the Odd Couple dynamic of the relationship.[8]

The character was positively received.[9][10] Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger described Wilson as "the only irreplaceable supporting character" of the show.[11]

  1. ^ "Deception". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 9. 2005-12-13.
  2. ^ Michael Ausiello (2005-09-14). "Do you happen to have any ..." TV Guide. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference pilot was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Owen, Rob (2004-11-14). "TV Review: Hugh Laurie makes 'House' worth a visit". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
  5. ^ Winters, Rebecca (2005-09-04). "Doctor Is in ... a Bad Mood". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on September 8, 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  6. ^ "Babies & Bathwater". House, M.D.. Season 1. Episode 18. 2005-04-19.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference RSL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hulu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference STimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference sfgate-review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (2008-09-16). "Sepinwall on TV: 'House' season five review". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2008-11-22.