Gregory House, M.D., is a fictional character and protagonist of the Fox medical drama House. Portrayed by Hugh Laurie, the character is a maverick medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital (based on Yale-New Haven Hospital).[4] House's character has been described as a "misanthrope", a "cynic" and a "curmudgeon", the latter of which was named one of the top television words of the year in honor of the character.[5][6]
On the series, the character's unorthodox diagnostic approaches, radical therapeutic motives, and stalwart rationality has resulted in much conflict between himself and his colleagues.[7] House is also often portrayed as lacking empathy and sympathy for his patients, a practice that allots him the time to solve pathological enigmas. The character is partly inspired by Sherlock Holmes.[8][9]
