Fancast: Inside TV

On how she differs from the character of Thirteen:
Well, it’s interesting; Thirteen is so different from me. I will meet someone for five minutes on the street and give them my Social Security number. I’m just so open, I meet people and I’m just ready to give them all my information. I have to stop doing that, I’m learning from Thirteen. It’s actually better to keep things closer. But I think that Thirteen is an observer and she would rather be quiet in a situation and watch and learn from what is going on around her. And that was something that I started doing more. As an actor, I’m a total ham and attention hog. And so when I started playing this role, I tried to kind of sit back and watch a little bit more, and it sort of rubbed off more and more on me. And some of my beloved cast mates have said to me over the past few months, “God, you’re so Thirteen right now. Work is over. Come on we’re out to dinner, you’re so Thirteen.” It has rubbed off on me, just the idea of being more of an observer. She doesn’t let people get to her and I think that’s something to be admired. So I’ve learned from her, just by kind of understanding the way she operates in certain situations. So I tried to kind of explore that in my own personal life and see what I learned from it, and then bring that to the set.

On Thirteen’s secret past:
I would say Thirteen is kind of a bowl of secrets. I think that they’re slowly revealing bits and bits about her; soon we’ll learn a little bit more. But the big one that was dropped about her past, how she may or may not have Huntington’s, that was something I found out a little earlier than everyone else, because I needed to know why she was so guarded.

On the rumored romantic tension between Thirteen and House:
I’ve seen some reviews where people were sort of speculating that there is tension, romantic tension between Thirteen and House. And I never, ever picked up on that myself. I think they have a mutual respect and they enjoy sparring with each other. They both are very, very stubborn and have very strong personalities, but I don’t know. Of course, I know very little, because we find out things almost as soon as the audience does. But I think that anything is possible with her, because she is unpredictable as a person. But at this point what I see between them is not a romantic connection; it is sort of a mutual respect between two very unorthodox and stubborn doctors.

On why the producers haven’t revealed Thirteen’s real name:
I thought they were going to reveal it awhile ago, and I think it’s great that the producers made this dramatic choice not to reveal it when they had planned to. And they actually tried to hide it; it disappeared from the call sheets. It disappeared from around the set. I think they’re not putting too much value on the secrecy of a name, but they like the fact that it is established this sort of inside joke between House and Thirteen. He could easily look at her file and see her name, but he chooses to keep it up. I think they have an informal relationship. She has almost from the beginning called him just House, as they all do. And it’s almost like the formality of Dr. This and Dr. That has been taken away. And so using her number still at this point when he knows her pretty intimately at this point is a way of acknowledging the joke of her attempt to keep everything tightly held to her chest. And I think that it’s a sort of tongue-in-cheek way of saying, “Okay, you can try to keep it in. I won’t use your name, but I’m going to find out everything else.” And the rest of the team uses it, I think, as kind of a joke. They could also find out her name if they really wanted to. But at this point, it’s kind of remembering the beginning when she was so tough and still tries to be, but she’s breaking down a little bit.

On how playing a doctor has turned her into one:
It’s really funny, I thought it would make me a total hypochondriac, in fact it has made me sort of — I’m now convinced that I’m a doctor. I mean someone says they have a pain and I’m like, “Well, that’s your spleen, so you probably have low blood pressure,” and I diagnosis them. And I’m completely unqualified to do so. But that’s what it has done to me is given me this kind of false confidence as a pretend doctor, which is pretty funny to my friends and family.

On why they’re airing a Christmas episode so late:
I think the producers wanted to be able to save some episodes to air in 2008, and because of the strike, it was something that a lot of shows had to do. And it’s a great episode and I think they wanted to make sure people got to see it… And I think the fact that it is Christmas is sort of odd and funny, but sort of in the kind of vein of House humor. It’s something that House would do, throw Christmas late.

On the Secret Santa exchange:
I think it’s a shock to everyone that House would want to partake in a Secret Santa, but of course, he proceeds in a very House-like way, and of course, he’s going to change the rules of the game. And he really is — this Christmas episode I love so much, because Christmas — you know House is the Grinch. So to imagine him partaking in a Christmas game is just all too delicious. I really laughed my way through the script. I think it’s one of the most brilliant ones, and also quite heartbreaking as they always are in a way.

Catch an all new episode of House tonight at 9 pm on Fox. Watch clips and previously aired episodes of the series here on Fancast.