Fans of House know Lisa Edelstein as the authoritative Lisa Cuddy who tries, often to no avail, to keep Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) in check. It may surprise some to learn that in her youth, Edelstein was a New York City club kid who wrote an AIDS musical called Positive Me.
However, today she is one of the stars of House, one of the highest-rated shows on TV. House began its fourth season last week and continues every Tuesday at 9pm. Lisa Edelstein spoke to BuddyTV a while back about the show’s warm reception at the Emmys, dealing with the influx of new actors as House picks his new diagnostic team, and her favorite guest stars throughout the years. Below you will find an mp3 audio file of the interview as well as a brief synopsis of what she talked about.
-While she appreciates the recognition House has received from the Emmys, attending the awards ceremony is no day at the park. Lisa mentions the struggles of doing red carpet interviews for two hours in 110 degree heat wearing a fancy dress.
-Though the season begins with House picking his new team, Lisa is confident the story will eventually return to more personal issues and that Dr. Cuddy’s attempts to get pregnant will not be forgotten.
-Regarding the new slate of actors auditioned to be on House’s team, Lisa is pleased that the show has done so well and can get high quality actors, though it doesn’t make it any easier because anyone could go. She compares it to the producers’ personal version of Survivor. “It’s been a lot of fun, it’s been a nice injection of new energy, and none of us know who’s gonna end up staying. So it’s actually nerve-wracking when we go to sit down and do a script read-through, because somebody gets fired.”
-Among Lisa’s favorite guest stars are Emmy-nominated David Morse, and Sasha Pieterse, who was just 9-years-old when she played a girl with cancer in the second season episode “Autopsy.” Lisa was very impressed that such a young actress could play a character with so much depth.
-On the set, Hugh Laurie maintains his American accent off-screen not for the other actors, but so he doesn’t lose his sense of the character.
-Though her character isn’t as involved in the diagnosis portion of the show, Lisa is fine with that, especially since it means she doesn’t have to say things like “eosinophilic granuloma,” though that didn’t stop her from speeding through that medical term with ease during our interview.
-Interview conducted by John Kubicek
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
