Lisa Cuddy is the hospital administrator and dean of medicine in House M.D. Played by Lisa Edelstein, Cuddy supervises House and repeatedly confronts him over safety, ethics, hospital policy, and his disregard for authority.
Cuddy’s position makes her responsible for balancing medical care, budgets, staffing, legal concerns, and the hospital’s reputation. She recognizes House’s diagnostic ability but also understands the risks created by his behavior. Their arguments provide both comic conflict and serious discussion about how much freedom a hospital should give an exceptional doctor.
Cuddy and House also develop a romantic relationship later in the series. Their relationship becomes a major storyline in seasons six and seven, although it eventually ends. Cuddy leaves the series after season seven. Lisa Edelstein’s performance made Cuddy one of the show’s most important non-diagnostic characters, connecting House’s medical puzzles to the institution that must support and regulate him.