Lisa Edelstein will not return for the eighth season of FOX’s House. Edelstein, who plays Dr. Lisa Cuddy, has been with the show from the beginning and has become the love interest for Hugh Laurie’s Dr. House.
“After much consideration, I am moving onward with a combination of disappointment at leaving behind a character I have loved playing for seven years and excitement of the new opportunities in acting and producing that lie ahead,” Edelstein said in a statement.
The news comes as a shock to fans. Executive Producer Katie Jacobs has been adamant that Edelstein would return and that she would fight for her if needed. While FOX and NBC Universal, the production company behind the show, declined to comment, it’s likely that Edelstein was cut or chose to leave due to budget cuts. Jacobs admitted that FOX has been asking them to tighten their budget.
“For seven seasons we managed to avoid getting the phone call to make cuts in our budget. But now we’re getting that call,” Jacobs told BlogCritics.org.
House airs its season finale next week amid new concerns that Edelstein’s sendoff will leave much to be desired. It’s unlikely Jacobs and the creative team set up Cuddy’s departure and will likely have some explaining to do in next season’s premiere.
How do you feel about Edelstein leaving the show?