House’s Robert Sean Leonard couldn’t be happier
Believe it or not, it’s been twenty years since Robert Sean Leonard gained fame and notoriety in his career by appearing as tortured teen Neil Perry in the critical and box office success Dead Poets Society with Robin Williams. Also a staple of Broadway (he won a 2001 Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in The Invention of Love), Leonard has been seen in the role of Dr. James Wilson on the Fox hit drama series House since the series premiere in 2004.
While his role is to be the moral center and best friend to Hugh Laurie’s cantankerous Dr. House, to hear Leonard tell it, he’s glad that he’s not regularly front and center like he was in this week’s episode, which was entitled simply ’Wilson.’ "I’m the Carlton the Doorman of my show," he said, referring to the never-seen character on the 70’s sitcom Rhoda. "I’m not the most ambitious guy. I like playing the best friend. It’s good to be the lead of a show for a week, but I wouldn’t spread it all around too much. I like my role the way it is."
An average day
What’s an average day like for Leonard on the set? "Well, my average day involves me not going to the set; which is why I like the role so much. You know, Hugh Laurie is on that set 15 hours a day. I’m there about one or two days a week, usually. Lately it’s been more because our characters have been living together so you see me a lot more than you used to."
In fact, Leonard dropped another classic sitcom reference in referring to the fact that House and Wilson will soon be looking for an apartment together. Leonard explained that Wilson "has a deal with [House’s] psychiatrist that released him from his care. It was kind of dependent on him having someone to look after him, that he didn’t live alone. So, I think we’re in Felix and Oscar mode a little while longer."
Comparing his television work with the prep work that goes into stage work, Leonard said Wilson’s dialogue doesn’t really compare to the work that goes into appearing on stage. "It’s not like you’re doing King Lear; the lines aren’t the problem. You can always learn those the night before, the morning you’re there, or before shooting. You have so much time on the set. I’m not a big technique person. I think from stage I’m used to pretty much just walking on and getting it done. You know, there are things you need to learn. If your character juggles, if your character has a limp, if your character has an Irish accent, there are things to work on. But if your character doesn’t juggle, limp, or have an Irish accent, you just have to break the scene down as far as motivation and what your character wants, and all that stuff, but that’s almost secondary after 26 years of doing it."
