In House M.D., who is Dr. House’s best friend and hospital oncologist?

Dr. James Wilson is House’s best friend and the hospital’s oncologist in House M.D.

Robert Sean Leonard plays Wilson, whose specialty is oncology. Wilson serves as a steady, empathetic counterpoint to House’s confrontational style, while their friendship drives many personal and ethical storylines.

Wilson is introduced as the head of the Department of Oncology at Princeton-Plainsboro. He repeatedly helps House navigate professional problems, relationships, and the consequences of House’s decisions, even when he disagrees with his friend.

The character is sometimes mistaken for House’s supervisor because Wilson often challenges him, but hospital administrator Lisa Cuddy is the principal senior authority over House for much of the series. Wilson’s specialty, rather than general internal medicine, is oncology.