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James Evan Wilson was the deuteragonist of House M.D. He was the Head of Oncology at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and also Dr. Gregory House's sole good friend up until his resignation from the hospital and eventual death from Thymoma which he was officially diagnosed with in the Season 8 episode, Body and Soul. Wilson acts as House’s conscience, sounding board, and the enabler of his abusive personality.
He is portrayed by Robert Sean Leonard, who also played Neil Perry in Dead Poets Society.
Biography[]
On paper, Wilson is positively heroic. Although he is an oncologist who routinely delivers extremely bad news, the running joke throughout House, M.D. is that Wilson is the kind of doctor who tells patients they’re dying, and they end up thanking him. He is a charismatic person liked by most, and it is clear throughout the eight seasons that Wilson cares for his patients and the people around him.
In his relationship with House, Wilson endures House trying to push his buttons, and he constantly demonstrates how much he cares for the grouchy diagnostician. In season two, episode three, “Skin Deep,” House worries that the procedure that eliminated his leg pain is starting to wear off. Wilson not only helps him get an MRI but offers emotional support through playful banter. Wilson’s playacting at being God clearly comforts to House during a very stressful time. When House hangs a stethoscope on the doorknob, indicating that he needs “private time,” Wilson is willing to spend hours waiting outside in a bid to respect his friend’s boundaries - only for House to reveal that he was sitting in the apartment alone the whole time.
Wilson’s emotional vampirism works in House’s favor. His relationship with House is turbulent in the short term, but stable in the long term as it is the only relationship in both their lives that actually lasts through difficult times. Wilson genuinely cares for House and is often willing to stick his neck out for his friend, defending House to the hospital board and to his fellow doctors every chance he gets. Most importantly, Wilson assists House in his attempts to recover from his opiate dependence. In season 6, episode 1, "Broken," Wilson draws clear boundaries by refusing to assist House in blackmailing the doctor in charge of House's treatment, but remains supportive throughout his recovery.
Personality[]
Wilson is a good-natured person who genuinely cares about his patients and just about everyone he meets. But that tendency plays havoc with his relationships, because he's continually drawn to damaged people, has trouble prioritizing his own needs, and never runs out of people who need his time and attention. As a result, he can't maintain a romantic relationship for very long (he has three failed marriages under his belt) and his closest friendship is with House, a person who's never going to heal.
In Season 7, Wilson spends most of it utterly fed up with House. But he does make amends upon learning about an uncurable cancer (which is ironic for Wilson); choosing to travel his last year on the road with House.
Trivia[]
- He, unlike House, shows aging in Season 7; with the hair around his temples turning grey. Though this may have been the early sign of his cancer.
- Some fans theorize that Wilson ended up with cancer due internalizing his years of stress; to the point it physically manifested. House made a one off commit that bottling up emotions would give Wilson cancer
External Links[]
- James Wilson on the House Wiki
- James Wilson on the Heroic Benchmark Wiki