Lisa Edelstein On Why She Left House and Didn't Return For the Finale

[cuddyclothes]

This is a really great interview with Lisa Edelstein.  Seriously, the things the actors say after the non-disclosure agreements are always the best!

TVLINE | Is any part of you bummed that House and Cuddy didn’t ride off into the sunset together?
I don’t think that show was about happy endings. And the truth is, if someone drives a car through

Comments

[menolly_au]

I get the impression that she answered the question about House from the viewpoint of the character rather than the actor - because yeah, it totally makes sense that Cuddy wouldn't come back after what House did (although really, why should Cuddy have to be the one to leave in that circumstance?) And Cuddy wouldn't have come back for the series finale (unless in the funeral scene) it would have been dream!Cuddy. I would have liked to have seen her and for House to admit how wrong he was in what he did.

I'm glad LE is doing well - I think the show suffered in season 8 for her absence.

[yarroway]

Why Cuddy would leave is I think a function of the fact that she's on a TV show. House will be back in Princeton and at PPTH. That's the show so we all know it will happen and so does Cuddy. So if she doesn't want to see him she has to leave. Honestly she didn't have much to regret leaving. I'm sure she can get hired elsewhere, her family is dire, we never saw any friends, and Rachel is young enough to adapt quickly to a change of environment.

[sassyjumper]

I think S8 would've been worse if LE had stayed. Seeing Cuddy take House back (at work) would've been unwatchable. Of course, I'm sure you mean that S8 would've been better had the S7 finale never happened. :)

I wish we'd seen dream!Cuddy, too. But I don't blame LE for not doing the finale (even though JM did, and I wouldn't have blamed her for skipping it, either).

[menolly_au]

Of course, I'm sure you mean that S8 would've been better had the S7 finale never happened. :)

Oh yes - I wouldn't have wanted Cuddy in season 8 unless Moving On never happened (After Hours finished on a nice note -with House admitting to Wilson that something had to change. Let's end the season there).

I just meant that I think she brought something to the show, and to the role, a dynamic that was missing in Season 8.

[cuddyclothes]

I honestly think she was reacting as herself to what they wrote for her character. I mean, when you think about it, it's insane.

[cuddyclothes]

I put a link to David Shore's interview at the time at the bottom comments.