House is Right

House Is Right Poll Opinion: The Supporting Cast is to House as A1 is to Steak!

by Cory on July 16th, 2006

This is the second of two opposing opinions I’ll be publishing in conjunction with the current House Is Right poll. The first, argued that the Supporting Cast is nothing but dead weight. If you haven’t voted please do so (check the sidebar), and then share your reasons in the comments. If you’ve got something really good to say, email me, and I may just feature it in a post of its own.

This opinion was written by Patrick, webmaster over at DrGregHouse.com.

The Supporting Cast is to House as A1 is to Steak!

The show is named House. So, of course, House is the main character and the most essential part of the show. This goes for any star of any show. But, a solid, well rounded show usually requires a solid, well rounded cast. It’s a team. You need a good team to win a championship, not just one star.

But, you shouldn’t use the most essential part of the show to devalue the less essential parts. They are all valuable, they all play their role. Laurie could be like steak. Steak is good, but it’s better with A1. He could be like french fries. French fries are good, but they are better with ketchup. (Insert your favorite food with a sauce analogy here). The point is, don’t forget the condiments just because the dish is tasty by itself.

Is everyone replaceable? Maybe. I say you don’t replace anyone, you just find someone new. So, could someone step in for Cameron, Chase, Foreman, Cuddy and Wilson? If so, then how about House? I mean, Laurie is great, but could there be someone better?

There are two things that matter as far as these characters and their connections with the actors that play them. First, they must be well played. If we agree that they are well played, second is our familiarity with them. Laurie is not only great at playing his character, but we identify him as House and that is important. That is why we could not see anyone else playing him (in addition to him being talented), because he has been House and when we see House in our minds, we see him. The same goes for others. Can someone else come in for Omar Epps? Sure. But, can I see someone else as Foreman? No. I like him, I’m familiar with him and I identify him with the character.

I enjoy the race jokes that House and Foreman trade. I enjoy House messing with Chase. I enjoy the back and forth between House and Cuddy. I enjoy the dynamics of the House and Wilson friendship. And, well, the House and Cameron stuff is what it is. Yes, those 5 scenarios all have House in them, but there is also “and someone else.” Not House alone. There is a complementary give and take.

Now, maybe you’re saying “House could trade race jokes with any black guy.” Well, maybe. But, then again, these are actors. They’re reading lines. There is some personalization, some leeway, some improvisation, perhaps - but, for the most part, it’s scripted. It is all about delivery and acting. If not for Laurie and Epps, it’d be someone else saying the same words. But, if you
like the way that House and Foreman deliver it, you will have a hard time seeing anyone else in those roles because you won’t want to mess with a great thing.

That’s the bottom line, I think. If you like these actors, then it’s hard for you to see anyone else playing their characters. Some people don’t like Hugh Laurie, believe it or not, and that is why they could see someone else doing it. If you don’t like Lisa Edelstein as Cuddy, then you’ll be able to see someone else playing that care. If you do, you won’t. It’s a matter of taste and there is no right answer.

Could anyone have played any of these people - even House - from the start? Maybe, sure. But, now that the show is well underway, it’s hard to see for those of us who enjoy the job that they have done. We identify these people with their characters - and that is why they are important to us.

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• Don’t Forget to Vote in the House Is Right Poll!
• New House Is Right Poll: Supporting Cast
• House Is Right Poll Results: Supporting Cast
• House Is Right Poll Opinion: The Supporting Cast Is Dead Weight
• Analysis of Dr. Cameron

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