James Wilson is House M.D.’s chief oncology specialist and closest friend.
Played by Robert Sean Leonard, Wilson works at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and frequently acts as House’s emotional counterweight. His medical specialty is oncology, the branch of medicine concerned with cancer, while House focuses on difficult diagnoses across many fields.
Wilson’s friendship with House is one of the series’ most durable relationships. He often challenges House’s decisions, helps interpret his behavior, and sometimes becomes involved in the consequences of House’s risky choices. Their contrasting personalities create much of the show’s interpersonal drama.
Wilson is not the same character as Dr. Lisa Cuddy, the hospital administrator, or Dr. Eric Foreman, a neurologist who works with House. The first name “James” can also be confused with actor Robert Sean Leonard’s identity, but the character’s canonical name is James Evan Wilson.