Stacy Warner

Last updated
Stacy Warner
House character
HouseStacyWarner.jpg
Promotional photo of Ward as Stacy.
First appearance"Three Stories" (1.21)
Last appearance"Everybody Dies" (8.22)
Portrayed by Sela Ward
In-universe information
GenderFemale
Occupation Constitutional lawyer [1]
SpouseMark Warner
Significant other Gregory House

Stacy Warner is a fictional recurring character portrayed by Sela Ward on the medical drama House . She was in a relationship with Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), when a clotted aneurysm in his right thigh led to an infarction during a game of golf, causing his quadriceps muscle to become necrotic. Regarding House's treatment, Stacy acted against House's wishes when he was put into a chemically induced coma. She authorized a safer surgical middle-ground procedure by removing just the dead muscle, leaving House with a lesser, but serious, level of pain for the rest of his life. House could not forgive her and they broke up. The two meet again, five years later, at the end of season one; Stacy wants House to treat her husband, Mark (Currie Graham). House correctly diagnoses Mark with acute intermittent porphyria, and so he has to remain at the hospital for close monitoring. Stacy becomes the hospital's lawyer, and she and House grow closer together. When she is ultimately willing to leave Mark for him, House tells her to go back to Mark, which devastates her and causes her and Mark to leave the city.

Contents

When the writers of the show wrote "Three Stories", the first episode in which Stacy appeared, the first name they came up with to play the character was Sela Ward. Although Ward was not initially interested in portraying Stacy, she changed her mind after watching tapes of the show. While she was originally hired to appear in only two episodes of the first season, the chemistry between Ward and Laurie was strong enough to have her appear in seven more second season episodes. She also appeared in the House finale "Everybody Dies". Stacy was received mostly positively by critics who considered her arc a "juicy subplot". [2]

Arc

Although not much is revealed about Stacy's early life, it is said in "Acceptance" that she is a Duke University graduate. [3] Presumably ten years before the events of House, at a "Doctors vs. Lawyers" paintball game, she met Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) with whom she started a romantic relationship. [4] Five years later, during a game of golf, House suffered an infarction in his right leg. [1] He was admitted at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, but went misdiagnosed for three days due to doctors' concerns that he was exhibiting drug-seeking behavior (House eventually diagnosed the infarction himself). [1] An aneurysm in his thigh had clotted, leading to an infarction and causing his quadriceps muscle to become necrotic. [1] House had the dead muscle bypassed in order to restore circulation to the remainder of his leg, risking organ failure and cardiac arrest. [1] He was willing to endure excruciating post-operative pain to retain the use of his leg. [1] After he was put into a chemically induced coma to sleep through the worst of the pain, Stacy, his medical proxy at the time, acted against his wishes and authorized a safer surgical middle-ground procedure between amputation and a bypass by removing just the dead muscle. [1] This resulted in the partial loss of use in his leg, and left House with a lesser, but still serious, level of pain for the rest of his life. [1] House could not forgive Stacy for making the decision, which caused their relationship to end. [1]

Stacy goes to visit House again in "Three Stories", five years after their break up. [5] She has married Mark Warner (Currie Graham), a high school guidance counselor. [6] Stacy believes Mark is ill, and wants House to treat him. [1] However, Mark does not believe anything is wrong with him. Similarly, the members of House's diagnostic team are not able to find any medical problems. [6] After various failed attempts to diagnose Mark, House tests Mark's urine for porphobilinogen. The test is positive, and Mark is diagnosed with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP). [6] He is therefore required to undergo "close monitoring" at the hospital for a while. [6] Stacy makes a deal with Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) to become the hospital's lawyer during Mark's stay. [6] While there, she and House grow closer. [7] [8] In "Need to Know", they end up spending the night together. [9] However, when Stacy admits that she is willing to leave Mark for House, House rejects her, stating that he cannot make her happy, because he cannot change. [9] Stacy quits her job and returns to Short Hills, New Jersey, with Mark. [9] She later appears in the series finale, "Everybody Dies", first as one of House's hallucinations and then again at House's funeral.

Personality

House creator David Shore says that Stacy is the "true love that got away." [10] She is "quick" and "witty", [11] "the one character who is able to spar with House on a level playing field." [12] Actress Sela Ward has described her character as a window into both House's vulnerability and his heart. [13] House himself describes Stacy as "very convincing." He is willing to believe Stacy's word that Mark is ill despite Mark's own denial. [6] Many critics noted that Stacy's presence affected House's behavior. [14] [15] Diane Kristine of Blog Critics stated that, with Stacy, House was "almost nice." [16] Although Stacy tells House on several occasions that she loves Mark, she is still in love with House and was willing to have an affair with him. However, she admits that she finds House selfish whereas Mark leaves "room for [her]".

Development

"As the writers became interested in the idea of Stacy, she started being described as a Sela Ward type, and, literally, I don't think another name came up. Sela's intelligent and a grown-up — somebody you believe House could have been with."
– Shore on casting Ward. [12]

According to the producers of House, Stacy was brought into the show to give viewers some insight into House's character. [17] The writers chose to start off Stacy's story arc "very subtly," [15] but to end it with a "big blowout." [18] Shore explained that he wanted Ward for the part because she was the first person the writing staff suggested, [12] [19] adding that she acts in a "simple" and "convincing way." [17] Initially, Ward was not interested in taking the role because, after the cancellation of Once and Again , she wanted to spend more time with her kids, [5] which is why she had also turned down earlier roles on CSI: Miami and Desperate Housewives . [20] However, she changed her mind after watching tapes of the show, because she realized that House "would be fun to be a part of". [5]

In a 2005 Entertainment Weekly interview, Ward, who had never appeared in a medical show before, [12] stated that when she was young, her mother was sick for over nine years and she spent a lot of time in hospitals. [21] Because of this, she felt "at home" on the set of House. [21] Although Ward was initially only hired to appear in "Three Stories" and "Honeymoon," the chemistry between Ward and House lead actor Hugh Laurie was strong enough for her to return for a multiple-episode arc in the second season. [22] On working with Ward, Laurie commented: "we're professionals who were lucky enough to be extremely well-equipped with a very sound, true script, the fact that Sela is immensely attractive and we got on well certainly is not an impediment." [23] Though Ward expressed interest in returning to the show, Shore told USA Today in 2006 that, although he was eager to write her back in, there were "no specific plans" to bring Stacy back. [14]

Reception

Initial responses to Stacy were mostly positive. TV Guide 's Matt Roush stated that he was pleased with the character showing of House's soft side, calling the character's story arc a "juicy subplot". [2] David Bianculli of The New York Daily News stated that with the addition of Stacy, House shifted "to the top echelon of today's TV dramas". [24] Critics from USA Today stated Ward "brought a sense of joy, if fleeting, to the show". [25] In an article about who annoyed House the most, Entertainment Weekly 's Alynda Wheat stated that Stacy annoyed House third most, ranking behind Amber Volakis (Anne Dudek) and Michael Tritter (David Morse). [26] However, Alan Sepinwall, of the Star-Ledger , commented that although he finds Ward a "talented" actress, her character, along with prior, and later, recurring characters, was "humorless" and "determined to ruin the audience's fun right along with House's". [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sela Ward</span> American actress (born 1956)

Sela Ann Ward is an American actress. Her breakthrough TV role was as Teddy Reed in the NBC drama series Sisters (1991–1996), for which she received her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1994. She received her second Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for the leading role of Lily Manning in the ABC drama series Once and Again (1999–2002). Ward later had the recurring role of Stacy Warner in the Fox medical drama House, also starred as Jo Danville in the CBS police procedural CSI: NY (2010–2013) and starred as Dana Mosier in the CBS police procedural series FBI (2018–2019).

House is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on the Fox network for eight seasons, from November 16, 2004, to May 21, 2012. Its main character, Dr. Gregory House, is an unconventional, misanthropic, cynical medical genius who, despite his dependence on pain medication, successfully leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital (PPTH) in New Jersey. The series' premise originated with Paul Attanasio, while David Shore, who is credited as creator, was primarily responsible for conceiving the title character.

Michael Dawson (<i>Lost</i>) Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Michael Dawson is a fictional character played by Harold Perrineau on the ABC television series Lost. Michael is one of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 who crashes on the show's mysterious island. After losing a custody battle with Susan Lloyd, Michael does not see his son Walt for almost ten years. They reunite when she dies, but on their journey home, their plane crashes on a mysterious island in the South Pacific. Here Walt is kidnapped by the Island's previous inhabitants, the Others, and Michael spends his time trying to retrieve him. He is eventually successful, and they leave the Island together, but the guilt over the murders he had to commit to achieve this leads him to an estrangement with his son and a suicide attempt. He returns to the Island on a freighter, but is killed when a bomb on it explodes. Michael reappears as a ghost, and apologizes to Hurley for killing Libby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Shore</span> Canadian television writer

David Shore is a Canadian television writer. Shore worked on Family Law, NYPD Blue and Due South, also producing many episodes of the latter. He created the critically acclaimed series House and more recently, Battle Creek and The Good Doctor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory House</span> Protagonist of the American television series House

Gregory House is a fictional character and the titular protagonist of the American medical drama series House. Created by David Shore and portrayed by English actor Hugh Laurie, he leads a team of diagnosticians and is the Head of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in Princeton, New Jersey. House's character has been described as a misanthrope, cynic, narcissist, and curmudgeon, the last of which terms was named one of the top television words of 2005 in honor of the character.

James Wilson (<i>House</i>) Fictional character on House

James Evan Wilson, M.D., is a fictional character on the medical drama House. He is played by Robert Sean Leonard. The character first appears in the show's pilot episode when he introduces a medical case to the protagonist, Dr. Gregory House. Wilson is Dr. House's only true friend; he frequently provides him with consultations and aid. Wilson is the head of the Department of Oncology at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Shepherd</span> Fictional character in Greys Anatomy

Derek Christopher Shepherd, often referred to as "McDreamy", is a fictional surgeon from the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey. He made his first appearance in the series' pilot episode, "A Hard Day's Night", which was broadcast on March 27, 2005.

"Pilot", also known as "Everybody Lies", is the first episode of the medical drama House. It premiered on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. It introduces the character of managerial, antisocial Dr. Gregory House and his team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. The episode features House's attempts to diagnose a kindergarten teacher after she collapses in class.

"Three Stories" is the twenty-first episode of the first season of House, which premiered on Fox on May 17, 2005. David Shore won an Emmy in 2005 for Outstanding Writing for A Drama Series for this episode. It won the Humanitas Prize in the '60 minute' category for the year 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexie Grey</span> Character from the television show Greys Anatomy

Alexandra Caroline "Lexie" Grey, M.D. is a fictional character from the ABC medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy. The character was created by Shonda Rhimes and is portrayed by Chyler Leigh.

"House's Head" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of House and the eighty-fifth episode overall. It was the first part of the two-part season four finale, the second part being "Wilson's Heart". Co-written by several House producers and directed by Greg Yaitanes, "House's Head" premiered on May 12, 2008 on Fox.

Michael Tritter is a recurring fictional character in the medical drama series House, portrayed by David Morse. He is the main antagonist of the third season, which ran between 2006 and 2007. Tritter is a police detective, who tries to get Dr. Gregory House to apologize for leaving him in an examination room with a thermometer in his rectum. After House refuses to apologize, Tritter researches House's background and discovers his Vicodin addiction. Tritter turns people close to House against him and forces House to go to rehab. When the case ultimately comes to court, the judge sentences House to one night in jail, for contempt of court, and to finish his rehabilitation, telling Tritter that she believes House is not the drug addict he tried to make him out to be.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadie Harris</span> Fictional character from Greys Anatomy

Sadie Harris, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes and portrayed by actress Melissa George. Introduced as a surgical intern with a longstanding friendship with the series' protagonist Meredith Grey, Sadie forms a bond with Lexie Grey but departs after it is revealed she cheated her way into the surgical program.

<i>House</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of House premiered November 16, 2004, and ended May 24, 2005. The season follows Dr. Gregory House and his team as they solve a medical case each episode. The season's sub-plot revolves around billionaire Edward Vogler making a $100 million donation to the hospital. Through this donation, Vogler becomes the new chairman of the board and orders House to fire one of his team members. Vogler does this to show House he can control him: "I need to know that whatever I ask you to do, however distasteful you find it, you'll do it".

<i>House</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of House premiered on September 13, 2005 and ended on May 23, 2006. During the season, House tries to cope with his feelings for his ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner, who, after he diagnosed her husband with acute intermittent porphyria, has taken a job in the legal department of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

"What Kate Does" is the 106th television episode of the American Broadcasting Company's Lost and third episode of the sixth season. It was written by executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and directed in September 2009 by Paul Edwards. "What Kate Does" was first aired February 9, 2010, on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada. Kate Austen is the character on whom the episode is centered.

<i>Parks and Recreation</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network starting September 17, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, and series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur served as executive producers. Like the first season, it focuses on Leslie Knope and her staff on the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee. The episodes were approximately 22 minutes long each, all of which aired at 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The season stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Pratt.

"Leslie's House" is the 14th episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the twentieth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 21, 2010. In the episode, Leslie holds a dinner party to impress her boyfriend Justin, but ends up recruiting town employees and potentially abusing her government power.

"Winter Madness" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 69th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by Tom Ceraulo and Vali Chandrasekaran, and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 21, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include Ray Bokhour, Cheyenne Jackson, Kevin Meaney, and Julianne Moore.

Everybody Dies (<i>House</i>) Final episode of House, M.D.

"Everybody Dies" is the series finale of the American medical drama television series House. It is the 22nd episode of the eighth season and the 177th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 21, 2012. While treating a drug-addicted patient, House is forced to examine his life and future. The title references the series' first episode and House's mantra "Everybody Lies".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Shore, David (2005-05-17). "Three Stories". House, M.D.. Season 1. Episode 21.
  2. 1 2 Roush, Matt (2006-02-13). "I initially fell in love with ..." TV Guide . Archived from the original on 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  3. ↑ Lerner, Garrett; Friend, Russel (2005-09-13). "Acceptance". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 1. Fox.
  4. ↑ Shore, David; Egan, Doris (2006-11-14). "Son of Coma Guy". House, M.D.. Season 3. Episode 7. Fox.
  5. 1 2 3 Murphy, Mary (2005-05-17). "House's Sela Ward: 48 and Fabulous!". TV Guide . Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kaplow, Lawrence; Mankiewicz, John (2005-05-24). "Honeymoon". House, M.D.. Season 1. Episode 22.
  7. ↑ Egan, Doris (2006-01-10). "Failure to Communicate". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 10.
  8. ↑ Egan, Doris (2005-11-22). "Hunting". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 7.
  9. 1 2 3 Davis, Pamela (2006-02-07). "Need to Know". House, M.D.. Season 2. Episode 11.
  10. ↑ Jensen, Jeff (2007-04-06). "Full 'House'". Entertainment Weekly . pp. 44–47. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  11. ↑ Morrison, Sara (2005-08-31). "Something For Everyone". Television Without Pity. Archived from the original on 2008-09-26. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Schilling, Mary (2005-09-09). "The Scoop on House". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on January 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
  13. ↑ Byrne, Bridget (2005-11-07). "Sela Ward Brings Heart to 'House'". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  14. 1 2 Della Cava, Marco (2006-03-28). "Laurie's polite — with a bite". USA Today .
  15. 1 2 Rubin, Peter (2006-02-14). "Has House Lost Stacy for Good?". TV Guide . p. 33. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  16. ↑ Kristine, Diane (2006-01-11). "TV Review: House - "Failure to Communicate"". Blog Critics. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  17. 1 2 Duff, Richard (2005-11-11). "Ward Enjoys Fun House. Medical show a 'challenge'". The New York Daily News . Retrieved 2008-12-05.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. ↑ Murphy, Mary (2005-10-31). "Doc vs Doc". TV Guide . pp. 40–41.
  19. ↑ Blumenstock, Kathy (2005-03-15). "A New 'House' Guest; Sela Ward: Just What the Doctor Ordered". The Washington Post .
  20. ↑ Armstrong, Jennifer (2004-10-08). "A Ward To The Wise". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2008-12-07.
  21. 1 2 Kung, Michelle (2005-05-16). "We Chat With House Star Sela Ward". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  22. ↑ McCollum, Charlie (2005-08-30). "TV Tonight: House with Sela Ward". San Jose Mercury News . Retrieved 2008-12-06.[ permanent dead link ]
  23. ↑ Bianco, Robert & Levin, Gary (2005-07-31). "Hot 'House' stars relish roles". USA Today . Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  24. ↑ Bianculli, Robert (2005-11-01). "House Makes Itself at Home". The New York Daily News . Retrieved 2008-12-06.[ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ Oldenburg, Ann; Breznican, Anthony; Mansfield, Brian; Thomas, Karen; Gardner, Elysa; Snider, Mike; Keveney, Bill; Barnes, Ken; Maxwell, Alison (2006-12-28). "We wish they'd ... get together". USA Today . Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  26. ↑ Wheat, Alynda (2008-09-12). "Who Annoyed Dr. House Most?". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2008-10-04.
  27. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (2008-09-16). "Sepinwall on TV: 'House' season five review". The Star-Ledger . Retrieved 2008-11-22.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.