James Wilson (House)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Sapeur (talk | contribs) at 15:22, 30 April 2008 (no consensus (month) + 2 months ago the same). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Dr. James Wilson
File:Robertseanleonard.jpg
First appearance"Pilot"
Portrayed byRobert Sean Leonard
In-universe information
OccupationHead of the Department of Oncology
FamilyTwo brothers (names unknown)
Spousename unknown (1st ex-wife)
Bonnie (2nd ex-wife)
Julie (3rd ex-wife)

James Evan Wilson,[1] M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is played by Robert Sean Leonard.

The character is introduced in "Pilot" when he introduces a medical case to Gregory House, the protagonist of the show. He is House's only true friend, and frequently provides House with consultations and aid.[2] Wilson is the head of the Department of Oncology at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

Character biography

Wilson, one of three brothers from a Jewish household[3], has an undergraduate degree from McGill University[4], and higher degrees from Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania[5]. Wilson has a history of failed marriages: his third marriage takes place during the show's first season and, with the discovery of his wife's infidelity, ends during the second.[6] After the failure of his third marriage, Wilson lives in various temporary accommodations (including a stint at House's own apartment) until he meets Amber. Wilson's history with House dates to roughly five years before the start of the series.[7]

Characterization

House once refers to Wilson as "a buddy of mine people say 'Thank you' to when he tells them they are dying."[8] Wilson uses his skill to help House by convincing a patient to authorize treatment.[4]

After Wilson suffers three failed marriages, House postulates that Wilson feels a need to "fix" the vulnerable women he meets, and when they become well-adjusted with Wilson's help, he becomes discontent and moves on. On a date with Lisa Cuddy, Wilson evades a question whether he wants children.[8]

Wilson comes to House's defense when House's career is in jeopardy. When Edward Vogler proposes a motion to the hospital's Board of Directors for House's dismissal in "Babies & Bathwater," Wilson is the only one to vote against the motion. In response, Vogler proposes and succeeds in obtaining Wilson's dismissal from the board, but Wilson is soon reinstated thanks to Dr. Lisa Cuddy after she convinces the board that Vogler is the real threat to the hospital and it's not worth his money for them to be controlled.

Wilson attempts to change House's drug habits, with little success. After starting a bet to prove House's addiction to vicodin, House concedes that he has an addiction, but says that the addiction is not a problem because it does not interfere with his work.[9] When detective Michael Tritter threatens to jail House for his Vicodin addiction, Wilson attempts to convince House to attend rehab as the situation worsens. After Tritter pressures Wilson to testify several times, Wilson reluctantly agrees, unknown to House. Before this, Wilson watches House punching Robert Chase, verbally insulting Lisa Cuddy and incorrectly diagnosing a child with a condition that would have required an amputation of one of her arms and legs.[10]

In the episode "Resignation," it is revealed that Wilson suffers from depression and uses a prescription for his illness.

In the episode "Frozen" House learns that Wilson has been dating Amber Volakis, one of his former fellows whom he dubbed "Cutthroat Bitch." Pressured by House, Wilson lied in saying that they had been dating for a few months after House fired her. In fact it had only been a couple of weeks. He also said that he likes changing pace from his typical needy relationships. House and Cuddy proposed that his need to be needed will feed off her need to control and will ultimately destroy him (and suggested that dating her was his safe way of dating House), but Wilson refused to break up with her. In "Don't Ever Change," House begrudgingly gave his approval to the relationship.

Concept and creation

Robert Sean Leonard was not initially interested in auditioning for the role of James Wilson.[11] Leonard believes that he got the role because he has met Bryan Singer in the past; shortly after Leonard was paid for his role in Dead Poets' Society, Singer borrowed money from him to shoot Lion's Den starring his friend Ethan Hawke. Hawke also attended high school with Singer. Leonard is content with the size of his role, and wants to continue playing a minor character on the show.[12]

Within the scope of a popular comparison that draws parallels between House and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Wilson is equivalent to Doctor Watson. Robert Sean Leonard has said that House and his character were originally intended to play the role of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the series although he believes that House's team has assumed the role of Watson since the show has begun.[13] Producer Katie Jacobs believes that Wilson and House both hide from mature relationships, which brings the two closer together.[14] She has said that the difference between the two characters is that Wilson finds it hard to say no because he wants to please the other person.

Leonard has said that Wilson is one of the few characters to voluntarily maintain a relationship with House, because neither of them work for one another and thus his character has "nothing to lose" by telling him the truth.[13] His character is one of the few who can make House laugh.[14] Katie Jacobs has said that Wilson's moving into House's apartment after a failed relationship in "Sex Kills" symbolizes his taking "emotional refuge" in his friend.[15] Gay references have been made to the relationship between the two characters of the show.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Deception". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 9. 2005-12-13. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Winters, Rebecca (2005-09-04), "Doctor Is in ... a Bad Mood", Time (magazine), ISSN 0040-781X, retrieved 2007-10-09 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |publication-date= (help)
  3. ^ "Pilot". House, M.D.. Season 1. Episode 1. 2004-11-16. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b "House vs. God". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 19. 2006-04-25. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "House Training". House, M.D.. Season 3. Episode 20. 2007-04-24. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Spin". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 6. 2005-11-15. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Need to Know". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 11. 2006-02-07. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b "Three Stories". House, M.D.. Season 1. Episode 21. 2005-03-17. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Three Stories" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Detox". House, M.D.. Season 1. Episode 11. 2005-02-15. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Finding Judas". House, M.D.. Season 3. Episode 9. 2006-11-28. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ A Summer Away from the 'House'
  12. ^ Robert Sean Leonard Talks House
  13. ^ a b Ryan, Maureen (2006-05-01). "'House'-a-palooza, part 2: Robert Sean Leonard". The Watcher. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2007-10-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ a b Ryan, Maureen (2006-05-01). "'House'-a-palooza: On Omar Epps' Emmy bid, Wilson's messed-up life and stupid cane tricks". The Watcher. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2007-10-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ a b Ryan, Maureen (2006-05-01). "'House'-a-palooze, Part 3: Katie Jacobs". The Watcher. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2007-10-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Wilson_(House)&oldid=209242970"